NEW manager Neil Warnock has already seen plenty to get stuck into as he aims to revive Leeds United’s fortunes following his appointment last weekend.

The Warnock era officially starts at Portsmouth on Saturday, although he could not resist the temptation to get his feelings across to the new players under his command at last Saturday’s Npower Championship game against Doncaster rovers.

The new manager’s half-time pep talk certainly had the desired effect as a fired up United hit back from two down to win 3-2 with goals from Andros Townsend, Adam Clayton and Luciano Becchio.

Warnock’s suggested tactical changes to give Robert Snodgrass a new role just behind front man Luciano Becchio also played a part while he has already said that he wants the Whites to play the ball up front earlier than they have been of late to suit Becchio’s style.

It was almost the perfect start for the man who took Sheffield United and QPR up from this division as his new team won to keep their play-off hopes alive yet were so poor in the first half that he saw for himself the problems he has inherited.

Defensive frailties, weak midfield play and a front line that lacked pace gave cause for concern in all the areas of the side and a lack of leadership was clear. But a much improved second half display, not for the first time this season, saw them through in the end and gave Warnock cause for optimism as well.

He knows he has plenty of work to do, but believes the Whites can still achieve their promotion aim this season if everyone pulls together.

He said: “There are areas we have to improve if we’re not to write this season off. I don’t want to write this season off, not just yet – even though the bookies aren’t giving us much opportunity.”

“It’s an opportunity now to put to bed these differences and the problems they’ve had over the past few months. Everyone get behind the team.

“We’ve only got 14 games left for heaven’s sake. Let’s put that all to bed and everyone be like they were on Saturday. It’s a great club when it’s like that.”

Warnock has made his first appointment with Mick Jones being named as his assistant. He is also looking to the loan market to bolster the playing squad at his disposal with former Whites midfielder Shaun Derry one of the potential targets.

But Fabian Delph will not be rejoining on loan after it was revealed today that his ankle injury is likely to keep him out of action for the rest of the season.

Victory over Doncaster left Leeds in tenth place in the table, but they have closed the gap a little on the teams in the play-off places and will see their next game as a winnable one as they travel to play a Portsmouth team with huge financial worries again, having gone into administration.

Pompey’s 10-point penalty has seen them drop into the bottom three, but they still have a strong first team with several players with Premiership experience even if their squad is a little thin.

Leeds will be looking to do the double over Portsmouth, having beaten them 1-0 in October and after their first week in training with their new manager the players will be keen to impress with all the shirts up for grabs.

Warnock will obviously have his own ideas on team selection with experienced midfielder Michael Brown expected to be recalled to the starting line-up for starters. Other changes will be harder for him to make so soon, although the likes of Andy O’Brien, Leigh Bromby and Lloyd Sam, who for one reason or another have not featured in recent weeks, could come into contention.

FEATHERSTONE Rovers supporters attending Sunday’s Northern Rail Cup game at Halifax are to be segregated from home fans.

Rovers have been allocated the Skircoat Stand. Admission is normally £18, but has been reduced to £15 on this occasion.

The Featherstone club supports the move and both clubs are to exchange detailed information regarding individuals who are banned from attending games.

For a full preview on the game, see this week’s edition of the Pontefract & Castleford Express.

GLASS Houghton left Fitzwilliam Sports Complex with the Northern Counties East League points and the local bragging rights on Saturday.

Goals from Lee Bennett and Liam Radford gave the visitors a 2-0 victory to strengthen their Division One promotion push and dent Hemsworth’s.

Welfare boss Wayne Benn told Express Sport of the importance of an improvement in his side’s performance from the reverse fixture between the two sides earlier in the season.

That game ended 3-0 to Glass Houghton, and although the contest was a closer one at the weekend the Hemsworth boss will still be left disappointed that his men didn’t get anything to show for their efforts.

The hosts were without key players Lee Smith and Jack Wakefield, who were both away on holiday, while Damion Liddle was suspended and Ryan Pleasants was still a few weeks away from returning to action from injury.

The game was Hemsworth’s first in over two weeks due to the cold snap earlier this month but the visitors had the boost of coming into the game on the back of a thumping 5-1 friendly win over Kinsley in midweek.

That extra game told in the first half as Glass Houton took a 1-0 lead into the interval thanks to a 38th-minute Bennett strike.

Hemsworth were always in the game but they couldn’t find the back of the net.

And the visitors sealed their win in the last minute when Radford added their second.

The defeat was Hemsworth’s third on the spin and they’ll be keen to bounce back on Saturday with a trip to Hallam (kick-off 3pm).

See this week’s Hemsworth and South Elmsall Express for all the latest sports news from around the area.

FRICKLEY Athletic has launched a new project to help boost the sporting activity of children around the area.

The Evo-Stik Premier League club has teamed up with local sports provision companies Pro-Vision Sports, of Wakefield, and Premier Team Coaching, of Barnsley, to provide coaching in schools around the area.

The aim is to promote health, fitness, diet and education for children through participating in sporting activity.

It’s also hoped the project will build a strong community relationship between the children, parents and schools and Frickley Athletic - including free tickets to Blues home matches.

The project will be organised and run by Pro-vision Sports and Premier Team Coaching.

James Dudgeon, one of the five coaches involved in the project, said: “I speak on behalf of the five of us and Frickley Athletic that sport has a tremendous value at any level.

“From professional to amateur and down to grass roots level. We are really excited to be given the opportunity to help improve the opportunities for young people in this area and give them a chance to try new sports.”

Dudgeon, as well as fellow coaches Jamie Price, Grant Black, Mark Hume and Ryan Pugh are all former professional footballers.

Black, of Premier Team Coaching, said: “It is a really exciting project on a community level, building relationships between Frickley Athletic and the schools and ultimately improving the opportunities for young people in the area.”

A variety of sports, not just football, will be taught both in school time and in after-school clubs.

There will also be the opportunity for children to take part in Frickley Athletic holiday sports camps, which will take place in school holiday time.

The project is due to start in the next two weeks.

See this week’s Hemsworth and South Elmsall Express for all the latest sports news from around the area.

HEMSWORTH head coach Mark Wilson was delighted to see his team’s new systems come to fruition in their whopping 54-5 victory over Leeds Corinthians at the weekend.

Wilson and his men had been working hard on a new-and-improved way of playing following their home loss against Leeds Medics and Dentists last time out.

And it worked a treat - with the hosts running in ten tries to get their promotion push firmly back on track at Moxon Fields.

“It’s allowed us to play more expansive rugby,” he said.

“The forwards are playing more direct, we’re getting more men in the ruck and the patters we’ve been working on are working a treat.

“It’s basic rugby but we’re pulling it off really well and I was delighted at the way we played.

“We took our foot off the gas a little after a brilliant first 20 minutes and the changes at the start of the second half had an impact on our flow.

“We need to keep it going for the whole game but I was pleased with Saturday.”

Jake Thompson was Hemsworth’s star of the show with a hat-trick of tries while Dave Gorton (2), Paul Lawton, Dean Joburns, Joe Thompson, Charlie Briscoe and Rob Hooker also got on the scoresheet.

See this week’s Hemsworth and South Elmsall Express for a full match report and more from Wilson.