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Report: Leeds United 5-0 Stoke City

Whites produce five star performance.

Luke Ayling Web 24.jpg

Sky Bet Championship

Leeds United 5 (Klich pen 45, Costa 47, Cooper 57, Hernandez 72, Bamford 90+3)

Stoke City 0

Leeds: Meslier, Ayling, White, Cooper (Berardi 84), Dallas (Douglas 75), Phillips, Klich (Shackleton 78), Harrison (Alioski 78), Costa, Roberts (Hernandez 45), Bamford.  Subs not used: Miazek, Poveda, Struijk, Stevens.

Stoke: Butland, Batth, Cousins, Smith, Collins (Chester 45), Martins Indi, Clucas (Thompson 82), Powell (Sorensen 75), McClean, Campbell (Gregory 61), Vokes (Diouf 62).  Subs not used: Davies, Ward, Lindsay, Ince.

Booked: White, Dallas (Leeds)

Referee: D. Bond

Venue: Elland Road

Attendance: Behind-closed-doors

Leeds United produced a superb performance at Elland Road, dismantling struggling Stoke City 5-0 at Elland Road to move back to the top of the Sky Bet Championship.

Leeds made a lightning start to the game, with Tyler Roberts forcing Jack Butland into a fine stop inside 30 seconds with a strike from the edge of the box.

Four minutes later Stoke had their first chance, with Tyrese Campbell striking a free-kick into the wall, with James McClean’s deflected strike going wide.

Illan Meslier did well to deal with a through ball aimed at Sam Vokes, before Helder Costa teed up Patrick Bamford who struck a powerful attempt just over from 20 yards.

Leeds should have gone ahead in the 22nd minute. Klich played Bamford through on goal and he lifted the ball over Butland, but his attempt was cleared off the line by McClean.  The ball then fell to Roberts who also saw his follow up cleared off the line by Danny Batth as the Potters survived.

Jack Harrison was next to try his luck when the ball fell to him just inside the Stoke box, but he saw his attempt go over the crossbar.

The turning point came a minute before the break.  Helder Costa was chopped down in the Stoke box by Tommy Smith and referee Darren Bond pointed to the spot.  Mateusz Klich stepped up to take the spot-kick and sent Butland the wrong way to give the Whites the advantage at the break.

Half time: Leeds United 1-0 Stoke City

It took Leeds just two minutes to go further ahead following the restart.  Stuart Dallas found Costa with room in the Stoke box and he fired home past Butland.

Four minutes later a Klich strike fell to Bamford who saw a volley hit the bar, before Kalvin Phillips fired over from the edge of the box.

Leeds continued to press for more goals and this time Bamford was denied from a narrow angle by Butland.

Leeds went further ahead in the 57th minute.  Following some lovely build up, half-time substitute Pablo Hernandez beat the offside trap and picked out Liam Cooper who found the net for the second time this season, via the post.

Klich should have added number four three minutes later when Butland could only palm a Dallas shot into his path, but he could only find the side netting.

Campbell fired over a rare chance for Stoke, before Harrison went close from a counter-attack, charging up the pitch, before being denied by Butland.

Hernandez then got in on the act, scoring a lovely goal from the edge of the box, following a cut-back by Costa.

In stoppage time, Bamford wrapped up the game when he latched onto a through ball from Luke Ayling and found the net via both posts.

The win moves the Whites six points clear of Brentford in third place with four games of the campaign remaining.

Full time: Leeds United 5-0 Stoke City

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