MX23RW : Wednesday, August 5 17:15:42| >> :600:101544:101544:
Dec 7, 2019 at 12.30pm UK at John Smith's Stadium
Attendance: 23,805
HuddersfieldHuddersfield Town
0-2
LeedsLeeds United
FT(HT: 0-0)
Alioski (50'), Hernandez (78')

Result: Leeds regain top spot in Championship with derby win over Huddersfield

Result: Leeds regain top spot in Championship with derby win over Huddersfield
© Reuters
Marcelo Bielsa's men have won six in a row.

Leeds climbed to the top of the Championship with a battling 2-0 West Yorkshire derby victory over Huddersfield.

Second-half goals from Ezgjan Alioski and Pablo Hernandez did the damage as the visitors stretched their impressive unbeaten run to nine games to leapfrog West Brom  at the summit

And victory was also Leeds' sixth win in a row and their seventh victory in nine games as they kept the pressure on the Baggies ahead of their home clash with Swansea on Sunday.

Town's defeat means they have not won in five matches despite a promising start when new manager Danny Cowley arrived earlier this season.

Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa made two forced changes to his side with Kalvin Phillips suspended for one match and injured skipper Liam Cooper missing with a calf injury.

That meant opportunities for versatile Macedonian Alioski and Swiss defender Gaetano Berardi.

Cowley made three changes to his team following their 5-2 hammering at the hands of Bristol City last time out.

Young guns Josh Koroma and Demeaco Duhaney were handed their Championship debuts, while striker Steve Mounie made his first start of the season.

Injured midfielder Lewis O'Brien (calf), defender Terence Kongolo and striker Fraizer Campbell (hip) were all unavailable, as were a host of other injured players for the Terriers.

Town started brightly and created a good early chance. A quick free-kick from Juninho Bacuna caught the Leeds defence sleeping, but alert keeper Kiko Casilla made a smart point-blank block to thwart Mounie.

At the other end Mateusz Klich steered a right-foot shot against the right post from Hernandez's clever corner.

Centre-back Berardi made a superb block to get in the way of a Bacuna thunderbolt soon after, before Casilla produced a stunning one-handed save to deny Mounie.

The striker rose to head Bacuna's free-kick towards the top right corner, but an outstretched Casilla did brilliantly well to turn his header away.

Casilla was called into action again, this time saving Mounie's header from a Karlan Grant inswinging corner.

The Spanish keeper was so nearly to blame for gifting the hosts the lead just before the break, but captain Luke Ayling spared his blushes.

Casila raced off his line to clear Kamil Grabara's hopeful punt forward and the ball fell loose for Grant. Town's leading scorer saw his powerful left-foot shot superbly headed over his own crossbar by Ayling.

Leeds came out of the blocks firing on all cylinders after the restart and took the lead after only five minutes.

Alioski rifled into the bottom right corner to delight the visiting supporters behind the goal after Town failed to clear a corner.

Patrick Bamford headed wide and Hernandez rifled wide of the right post as Leeds pushed for a second.

Casilla denied Elias Kachunga an equaliser shortly after the hour mark with a wonderful close-range save from the midfielder's header.

Then Hernandez bagged a second Leeds goal to kill off the contest, heading home unmarked at the back post from Jack Harrison's inch-perfect cross.

Grant somehow headed wide from point-black range with nine minutes remaining and substitute Matty Daly dragged a shot inches wide of the right upright, but Leeds were worthy winners.

ID:382071:
Share this article now:
Did you know...?
Bristol City manager Lee Johnson pictured on September 28, 2019
Read Next:
Bristol City manager Lee Johnson: "We were absolutely brilliant"
>
Latest Sports Video
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free match previews newsletter! Updates are sent twice a week.

rhs 2.0
Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
CLeeds UnitedLeeds46289977354293
4Cardiff CityCardiff4619161168581073
5Swansea CitySwansea461816126253970
6Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest461816125850870
7Millwall461717125751668
8Preston North EndPreston461812165954566
9Derby CountyDerby461713166264-264
10Blackburn RoversBlackburn461712176663363
11Bristol City461712176065-563
RWigan AthleticWigan461514175756159
13Queens Park RangersQPR461610206776-958
14Reading461511205958156
15Stoke CityStoke46168226268-656
16Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds461511205866-856
17Middlesbrough461314194861-1353
18Huddersfield TownHuddersfield461312215270-1851
19Luton TownLuton46149235482-2851
20Birmingham CityBirmingham461214205475-2150
21Barnsley461213214969-2049
RCharlton AthleticCharlton461212225065-1548
RHull City46129255787-3045

Subscribe to our Newsletter


Transfer Talk Daily
Match previews - twice weekly
Morning Briefing (7am UTC)
Ultra close-up image of Kevin De Bruyne [NOT FOR USE IN ARTICLES]Get the latest transfer news, match previews and news direct to your inbox!