Sky Bet Championship
Leeds United 6 (Piroe 6’, 8’, 20’, 41’; Firpo 26’, Gnonto 59’)
Stoke City 0
Leeds: Darlow (GK), Bogle (Schmidt 77’), Firpo (Byram 77’), Ampadu (C), Rodon, Piroe (Bamford 66’), Aaronson (Gray 86’), Solomon, Tanaka, Gnonto (Ramazani 66’), Gruev. Subs not used: Meslier (GK), Joseph, Guilavogui, Wöber.
Stoke: Johansson (GK) (C), Pearson, Burger (Seko 72’), Baker, Al-Hamadi (Lawal 59’), Jun-Ho (Koumas 46’), Wilmot, Tchamadeu, Phillips, Wilson-Esbrand (Gooch 46’), Manhoef (Gibson 46’). Subs not used: Bonham (GK), Gallagher, Moran, Fawunmi.
Referee: Darren Bond
Booked: Ampadu (Leeds)
Venue: Elland Road
Attendance: 36,644
Leeds United recorded another impressive victory with a resounding success over Stoke City, with four goals from Joël Piroe helping the Whites to a stunning 6-0 triumph!
The hosts started impressively in front of a packed-out Elland Road and took the lead after just six minutes through the clinical Piroe!
Great intensity from Daniel Farke’s side saw Leeds win the ball back on the edge of the Stoke area, before Willy Gnonto found the run of Manor Solomon.
The in-form attacker crossed into the path of the onrushing Piroe who dispatched a fine finish beyond Viktor Johansson and into the bottom corner!
Within minutes, United and Piroe would have a second! Superb intensity again, this time from Jayden Bogle, allowed the full-back to race onto a loose ball, darting into the box before crossing low for the striker to net his 17th of the Sky Bet Championship campaign!
Before the 20-minute mark, Piroe completed his hat-trick! Camped inside the opposition’s penalty area, the ball was eventually worked to the forward at the back post who crashed an emphatic effort into the roof of the net!
The remarkable start would continue and Junior Firpo would get in on the act! Superb work once more from Bogle as he twisted and turned into space before fizzing a dangerous delivery across the face of goal for the Dominican Republic international to add a fourth!
On what was a truly memorable day at Elland Road, Piroe extended his tally with a fourth of the afternoon and United’s fifth of a whirlwind first half!
An inventive flick-on from Firpo landed the way of Bogle who initially rattled the post, falling to the league’s leading marksman to bundle home his 19th of the season.
HALF TIME: Leeds United 5-0 Stoke City
The Whites emerged for the second half unchanged, whilst a trio of substitutions from the visitors saw Lynden Gooch, Lewis Koumas and Ben Gibson introduced into the action.
The one-way traffic remained, however, and a flurry of chances involved Gnonto, Solomon and Bogle though, in unfamiliar fashion, the ball didn’t end up in the back of the net!
The pause in the onslaught wouldn’t last for too long and the Potters’ goal would be breached for a sixth time, when Gnonto rose highest at the back post to meet Solomon’s in-swinging delivery and head beyond Johansson!
Farke turned to his bench shortly afterwards, with Patrick Bamford and Largie Ramazani both brought on with United keen to extend their advantage, prior to Isaac Schmidt and Sam Byram being introduced later on.
A special moment followed, as 16-year-old Harry Gray made his competitive debut, replacing Brenden Aaronson as the game entered its dying moments, before Darren Bond’s final whistle brought a memorable encounter to a close.
FULL TIME: Leeds United 6-0 Stoke City
