BRISTOL CITY: LEEDS SCORE TWICE ON VALENTINE'S DAY

BRISTOL CITY: LEEDS SCORE TWICE ON VALENTINE\'S DAY

Normal service resumes at Elland Road.

Sky Bet Championship

Leeds United 2 (Wood 28, Hernandez 47) Bristol City 1 (Djuric 90)

Goals from Chris Wood and Pablo Hernandez, along with a sterling performance from goalkeeper Rob Green ensured Leeds United got back to winning ways on Valentine’s night at Elland Road.

Head coach Garry Monk made four changes to the side that was beaten by Cardiff City at the weekend, with Pontus Jansson, Eunan O’Kane, Kemar Roofe and Hadi Sacko all recalled to the starting line-up.

The changes almost paid dividends immediately, when Hernandez dinked a cross to the back post, but Roofe could only head over, inside two minutes.

Bristol had a chance of their own just two minutes later, David Cotterill struck a free-kick from 35 yards, which swerved awkwardly throughout, before reaching goal and Green did really well to parry it away.

Roofe then had another opportunity, again combining with Hernandez, he turned well in the area, before firing just wide.

It was the same pair who linked up in the 11th minute as Leeds continued to dominate, this time the Spaniard fired at goal from the edge of the box, but was unable to find the target.

Ronaldo Vieira then played in Hernandez, he broke into the box before firing at goal from a narrow angle, forcing Fabian Giefer into a good low save.

United’s top goal-scorer Chris Wood was next to go close, he turned and shot from the edge of the box, forcing Giefer into action once again.

The Whites took a deserved lead in the 28th minute, Hernandez with some fast thinking, took a free-kick quickly, catching the Bristol defence completely off guard.   He played Wood through on goal, who was totally alert to the situation and the New Zealand international made no mistake, firing home.

Vieira was next to try his luck from distance to try and extend the lead for Leeds, he wasn’t far off finding the top left corner.

Bristol had a chance to level in added time when Joe Bryan broke through down the left flank on the counter attack, he forced Green into a really neat save, before Pontus Jansson swept up the danger.

Half Time: Leeds United 1-0 Bristol City

The visitors made a change at the break, with Milan Djuric replacing Mark Little, but that was unable to prevent Leeds from extending the advantage.  Hernandez who had been magnificent in the first half struck from 20 yards and found the back of the net via an Aden Flint deflection.

Bristol substitute Matty Taylor was next to test Green, he fired from range and United's stopper made another good low save.

Cotterill then put a really neat cross into the back post for Djuric, but once again Green was determined not to be beaten.

Joe Bryan was next to go close to pulling a goal back for the visitors, he shot low from 20 yards and Green did really well to tip the ball around the post.

Leeds had a big shout for a penalty in the 67th minute, Hernandez whipped in a free-kick and Luke Ayling volleyed back across goal, but the referee awarded a corner.

Cotterill had an opportunity to test Green once more at a free-kick from the left edge of the box, but once again the Whites goalkeeper kept United in front.

Wood then went through on goal from a Leeds counter attack, he took the ball around Giefer and from a narrow angle teed up substitute Modou Barrow, but the winger's touch let him down and Bristol cleared.

Kalvin Phillips went close with a free-kick late on, he wasn’t far away from finding the top right corner with his effort.

Flint then saw an effort go over via the crossbar, before Green made a great save to deny Taylor.  However the visitors did pull a goal back when Djuric headed home the corner, in the last action of the game.

The win puts six points between Leeds and seventh placed Norwich City in the Sky Bet Championship, as the Whites recorded a seventh victory in eight games at Elland Road.

Full Time: Leeds United 2-1 Bristol City

Leeds: Green, Ayling, Bartley, Jansson, Berardi, O’Kane (Phillips 77), Vieira, Hernandez (Doukara 83), Roofe (Barrow 63), Sacko, Wood.  Subs not used: Silvestri, Cooper, Dallas, Pedraza.

Bristol: Giefer, Little (Djuric 46), Bryan, Flint, Brownhill, Abraham (Taylor 37), Tomlin, Golbourne (O’Neil 86), Hegeler, Cotterill, Wright.  Subs not used: Fielding, Paterson, Pack, Matthews.

Booked: Tomlin, Cotterill, Wright (Bristol), Ayling, Vieira (Leeds)

Referee: J. Simpson

Venue: Elland Road

Attendance: 22,402

 

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