Sheffield Wednesday vs Leeds United. Sky Bet Championship.
HillsboroughAttendance30,032.
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds United at Hillsborough on Friday night; goals from Patrick Bamford and Willy Gnonto help Daniel Farke's men back up to second place
Saturday 9 March 2024 07:40, UK
Leeds once again replaced Ipswich in the Championship automatic promotion places with a 2-0 Yorkshire derby win over Sheffield Wednesday.
Patrick Bamford continued his hot streak in front of goal by putting Daniel Farke's men in front in the closing seconds of first-half stoppage-time with his seventh goal in 10 league games.
Willy Gnonto then took advantage of some slack Wednesday defending to seal the win just before the hour mark at Hillsborough.
The win - Leeds' 11th in their last 12 matches - extends the Whites' unbeaten run when leading at half-time to 48 Championship games and moves them one point ahead of Ipswich and two behind long-term leaders Leicester, who face Hull on Saturday.
Wednesday stay 23rd after the end of their four-game winning streak, but they are still only inside the relegation zone on goal difference with nine games to play.
Given the implications a win for either side could have on the picture at both ends of the table, the first goal was always going to be an important one at Hillsborough - and, for long periods of the first half, it looked as though Wednesday would be the side to score it.
They had less of the ball, but looked threatening on the counter and would have been in front had Illan Meslier not made a crucial save to turn Djeidi Gassama's shot on the stretch behind with his leg 17 minutes in.
Leeds showed more urgency as the half came to a close. Georgino Rutter first had a shot saved and the follow-up blocked, before he directed a pacey corner from Crysencio Summerville onto the roof of the net. And, with almost the last kick of stoppage-time, they took the lead.
Akin Famewo allowed Bamford to escape his clutches and gain the yard that helped him get on the end of Junior Firpo's beautiful cross to beat the Owls' teenage stopper James Beadle.
By the hour, Leeds were two goals to the good, having doubled their lead by again exposing Wednesday's defensive frailties. Meslier's long ball forward was flicked on by Bamford to Rutter, whose clever ball set the unmarked Gnonto free to break away and finish with aplomb.
Beadle kept the hosts in the game a couple of minutes later when he dived to his left to deny Summerville, who had ghosted in behind the defence and moved one-on-one.
Ethan Ampadu hooked off the line when Wednesday substitute Michael Smith attempted to pounce after Meslier had saved a bouncing ball but, in truth, a Wednesday comeback never looked on the cards after that, meaning Leeds managed to secure their ninth clean sheet in their last 12 games.
Sheffield Wednesday's Danny Rohl:
"It's a difficult one. Honestly, we are a little bit disappointed to take nothing. Of course, they had some good moments as a strong side, but from my side, we also had some good moments and sometimes missed the last pass.
"You can think about the time [at the end of the first half] - if it's four minutes, it's over, and then we play and play, concede the goal in extra-time. After the extra-time, and it always hurts a little bit, because it's also different at half-time, but then this is football.
"We changed the shape in the second half, which shows also that we are brave (bringing on) a second striker to try it again. We tried everything but, in the end, it was not enough.
"We will learn from this game and then next weekend we will play against another strong opponent in Ipswich and keep going. We showed in the last months and weeks after setbacks that we can come back again."
Leeds' Daniel Farke:
"It was a pretty mature performance, a pretty disciplined performance and also, keeping in mind that was the fourth game for us within 10 days on a really difficult pitch.
"You could feel Sheffield Wednesday were on a good run; they played with confidence, had an excited home crowd, they are good on the counter-attack, they are good at set-pieces.
"I would say, perhaps, we gave away a few too many corners, especially during the first half. Illan Meslier made a good save, but apart from this, we didn't allow them to have any chance out of the game.
"I think it was a well deserved win in a difficult game and I'm pretty pleased, especially with our maturity today."
Sheffield Wednesday are back in action at 3pm on Saturday March 16, when they travel to Portman Road to take on another automatic promotion-chasing team in Ipswich.
Leeds, meanwhile, welcome Millwall to Elland Road the following day at 3pm, live on Sky Sports Football.
