Leeds United 2 Preston North End 1

The unchanged team was no surprise but with Byram fit and on the bench it was disappointing to see Firpo starting. Since the turn of the year Leeds have done a nine darter, 3 games of 3-0 wins and how appropriate that darts World Champion Luke Humphries paraded his newly won trophy around his beloved Elland Road prior to kick-off. It was interesting to hear why his fanatical Leeds supporting father named him Luke...Leeds United Kings of Europe. It was wet and windy and with a high noon kick off I was pleased to be watching in front of the fire.

Another Southampton win yesterday moved them into 2nd place and with Ipswich playing Leicester tomorrow this was a chance for Leeds to stay in touch with the top. Leeds gave away an early free kick after a foul by Rodon and the ball was in the net when Leeds failed to clear with only one minute gone. A brilliant equaliser from a Dan James header at the far post from Firpo’s gorgeous cross calmed all our nerves. It was simply magnificent. It was the first attacking move by Leeds. After great work from Gray and Gruev, working the ball in midfield to Summerville who moved it on beautifully for Firpo to race onto and then cross it perfectly from the byline to James, unmarked beyond far post to head the simplest of finishes.

On ten minutes Preston were very nearly back in front. Kamara was caught out in midfield and Miller was through on goal with a clear shot from 8 yards out, which Mes saved well. The resulting corner brought another scramble in the box but Leeds managed to clear. It was a very open game during the first 15 minutes with Preston looking really sharp and a handful for Leeds. They were clearly confident from their victory over Leeds on Boxing Day and this was not looking like a walk in the park for us. After really good pressing from Bamford in the box, his marker panicked and headed poorly back to his goalkeeper with Bamford almost getting to the ball near the goal-line but the ball bounced off him for a goal kick. Midway through the half Leeds seemed to be taking control but Preston were soon on the attack again, moving the ball around sweetly and sticking to their task to try and win the game. Bamford then had an excellent header from 12 yards out from a brilliant cross by Dan James comfortably saved. Gruev was again having a good game in midfield and was taking excellent corners from the right; one was plum on Rutter’s head and his free header was over the bar from only a few yards out. What a great chance wasted, it was a terrible miss.

As half time approached I was convinced Leeds should have been ahead. It was a big chance missed by Rutter; it could have been a costly miss. Leeds pressed hard for the last few minutes of the half to try and get in front. I thought it had been an excellent game so far with both teams really going for it. This was clearly Leeds’s most difficult match at home this season so far and I thought at halftime they would do very well to win it. It was looking a very difficult task. Phil Hay called it “a pretty average first half”... what was he watching? He must have been missing his Sunday Lunch...this was as good a game as I have seen this season involving Leeds.

Immediately from the restart a magnificent run from Little Jimmy Summerville took him from the touch line at the West Stand and into the 6 yard box. He flicked the ball through to Rutter whose snap shot smacked against the outside of the post from close range. It was a difficult chance but it was disappointing that he hadn’t done better. Preston then came straight back at Leeds with both teams going at it hammer and tongs at the start of the second half. Bamford skied over the bar from outside of box while on the run and then, following a defensive mix up, Dan James was unlucky not to be able to get a shot away with the’ keeper stranded on the edge of the penalty area. Preston were lucky to get away with it again when James ran at top speed, like Usain Bolt, to reach a loose ball on the edge of the box, only to see his controlled lob beat the onrushing goalkeeper and land on the top of the empty net. James was the star man so far and deserved a second goal. Leeds were really going for this and putting great pressure on the visitors and it was Rutter who was the next to almost produce a goal, his ball squirming across the 6 yard box, begging to be touched into the net, and then Jimmy’s curling free kick somehow beat everyone and bounced to safety.

With half an hour left the wind was getting up with Leeds finding it increasingly difficult to keep the pressure on the visitors. I wanted changes; Leeds needed Piroe on and some other fresh legs. I thought Bamford had shot his bolt and with 20 minutes left the game had 1-1 written all over it. Preston were still wanting the win, there was no time wasting and no low block. They were wanting it as much as Leeds with 20 minutes to go. Leeds were badly needing changes and were becoming 2nd best as far as I could see but then another chance came for Leeds when the ‘keeper dropped the ball on the line and a knackered Bamford did not have the energy or the guile to pounce. A Preston corner with 15 minutes left looked ominous but thankfully Bamford was able to boot the ball upfield. When Piroe finally came on with Byram in the 76th minute it was the signal for Preston to park the bus and they made a triple substitution. With Piroe, Rutter and Bamford all on the pitch Farke was going all in but for the remainder of the game Leeds huffed and puffed and struggle to make any inroads. Preston clearly were settling for a point and a spate of bookings followed the strong arm tactics they adopted to see the game out. The closest Leeds came to a winner was when Piroe glided through beautifully with the ball to the edge of the box but Preston regrouped well and stopped him from getting a shot away.

As the minutes ticked down we had some argy bargy spilling over from Boxing Day when Preston got Mes sent off. 6 bookings for Preston and 4 for Leeds brought plenty of added time and in the dying minutes a great run by Piroe through the middle saw him passing to Bamford but it came to nowt; Bamford was not good enough and good defending kept him out. In the 94th minute Leeds got the lucky break they deserved and it was so rare I cannot bring to mind another time that they have had the rub of the green at the death. A clear hand ball when a defender instinctively raised his arm to steady himself and the ball unfortunately brushed his hand. It was hand ball but not deliberate but the ref blew when 99 out of 100 times he would not have done....not in favour of Leeds anyway. Bamford grabbed the ball, but surely a bluff, and Piroe stepped up and cooly scored the winner. Leeds deserved the win, no doubt about that, but they were lucky...at last! The supporters are thrilled but I know what would have happened if the score had been 1-1. Non-stop criticism and the fans in melt-down. This was a hard fought victory and needs to be followed up with another on Wednesday at home to Norwich.

By David Dean