Premier League 2

Leeds United 1 (Gelhardt 27’)

Leicester City 3 (Fitzhugh 54’, 67’, Spencer-Adams 78’)

Leeds: van den Heuvel, Drameh (Shackleton 54’), McCarron, Cresswell (c), Kenneh, Moore, Summerville, Bate, Gelhardt (Jenkins 45’), Greenwood, McKinstry. Subs not used: Klaesson (GK), McGurk, Gray.

Leicester: Stolarczyk (GK), Daley-Campbell (c), Flynn (Braybrooke 59’), Brunt, Spencer-Adams, Nelson, McAteer, Ewing, Fitzhugh (Russ 83’), Marcal-Madivadua (Alves 71’), Maswanhise. Subs not used: Chibueze (GK), Wakeling.

Venue: LNER Community Stadium, York

Referee: Scott Simpson

Booked: Cresswell, Jenkins (Leeds) Nelson (Leicester)

Sent-off: Cresswell (Leeds)

Mark Jackson’s Leeds United lost at home to Leicester City on Friday evening in Premier League 2 action, at the LNER Community Stadium in York.

The opening to the match was very stop-start as both teams looked to battle it out for possession early in the game. Free-kick opportunities arrived at both ends, with Ethan Fitzhugh and Sam Greenwood both having strikes for their respective sides, which didn’t trouble the goalkeeper on either occasion.  

The game sparked into just before the half-hour mark. The returning Cody Drameh ran down the wing, passed to Joe Gelhardt inside, who himself then played a one-two with his attacking partner, Greenwood.

When Gelhardt collected, he showed superb composure as always in the box, to commit the goalkeeper before chipping the ball over him into the back of the net and put Leeds ahead, getting his seventh goal of the season. 

🤩 Greenwood x Gelhardt! The duo is back! pic.twitter.com/NmD0XXThLP

— Leeds United (@LUFC) December 3, 2021

Leeds instantly carried on searching for goals and were close to a second in what would be a busy couple of minutes. Charlie Cresswell headed just over, then against the crossbar, but that would be his last moments of the match. 

Having been booked earlier, the Whites’ captain made a challenge when the Foxes broke from the rebound off the crossbar and collected a second yellow card from the referee, meaning Jackson’s side were down to 10.  

There was little further action until the interval, with Dani Van Den Heuvel just having to claim some crosses from the visitors which he did well and that sent Leeds into the break with a one-goal advantage, but a player down. 

HALF TIME: Leeds United 1-0 Leicester City

The second half got underway in York with Leicester looking to get on the front foot and use their extra-man, to their advantage. The Foxes did just that inside 10 minutes of the restart, as Fitzhugh - who had been lively in the first 45 - scored a header from close range to equalise. 

Just over ten minutes after getting level, Leicester then went into the lead. It was Fitzhugh again who found the back of the net, when he neatly volleyed into the far corner from Bayli Spencer-Adams’ knock-down in the box.

Looking to bounce back straight away, a clever routine from a corner created a chance for Greenwood, but the forward’s effort flew narrowly and frustratingly over the bar. 

With just under 15 minutes to go, Leicester got their third goal of the match to all but secure the points. Spencer-Adams scored the header in the box, from Oliver Ewing’s pinpoint free-kick delivery to him.

The fight and spirit continued for the Whites, but the damage had been done and Leicester saw out the final few minutes and take their first three points away from home this season. The next league match for Leeds will be against Everton, just before Christmas. 

FULL TIME: Leeds United 1-3 Leicester City