REPORT: LEEDS UNITED 1-2 SHEFFIELD UNITED

REPORT: LEEDS UNITED 1-2 SHEFFIELD UNITED

Blades win Yorkshire derby at Elland Road.

Sky Bet Championship 

Leeds United 1 (Phillips 34) Sheffield United 2 (Sharp 2, Brooks 81)

A late strike from Sheffield United substitute David Brooks secured the Blades all three points at Elland Road.

The two teams were led out to the field by four-year-old  Toby Nye, with the club holding #OneDayForToby, in order to raise £200,000 for him to receive the treatment he needs to battle his risk Neuroblastoma.

Thomas Christiansen made just one change from the side which defeated Bristol City 3-0 last Saturday, with Vurnon Anita replacing the suspended Gaetano Berardi.

Leeds made the worst possible start to the game, when the Blades took the lead inside two minutes.  Mark Duffy floated a ball to the back post and former Whites striker Billy Sharp headed home.

Eight minutes later, Duffy put another dinked cross into the Leeds box, but Leon Clarke couldn’t make the desired contact with the cross.

Leeds had numerous free-kicks, but were unable to really test Jamal Blackman in the visitors goal, before Matthew Pennington lost possession to Clarke and he teed up Sharp who was only denied by a super save from Lonergan.

Kalvin Phillips leveled the scores with Leeds’ first real opportunity of the match.  Samuel Saiz crossed in looking for Pierre-Michel Lasogga, the ball fell to Phillips on the edge of the box and he provided a super volley which found the bottom left corner.

Ronaldo Vieira tried his luck from range but was off target, but the Blades should have gone into the break in front.  Clarke won a free-kick when he collided with Pennington and it was taken quickly, Sharp beat the offside trap, but Lonergan made an amazing double save to ensure the teams went in level at the break.

Half Time: Leeds United 1-1 Sheffield United

After the break Pontus Jansson was introduced after Liam Cooper picked up an injury and the Whites could have taken the lead just before the hour mark.  Saiz fired a curling effort from 25 yards and his effort hit the post, before rebounding off Blackman wide.

Sheffield United then went close from a corner, Clarke tried to hook the ball back into the box at the back post, but Lonergan made a fine interception.

Saiz continued to cause the Blades problems, he crossed in well, finding Alioski at the back post and his diving header forced a good save from Blackman.

Clarke was then teed up in the Leeds area to strike, but his low effort produced another superb save from Lonergan, who had to change direction to get down to the attempt.

However Lonergan could do nothing when substitute Brooks was played through on goal and he found the bottom right corner.

Leeds piled the pressure on in the closing stages, but the Blades held on as Chris Wilder’s side moved to the top of the table and Christiansen’s side had to settle for back to back defeats at Elland Road.

Full Time: Leeds United 1-2 Sheffield United

 

Leeds: Lonergan, Ayling, Pennington, Cooper (Jansson 56), Anita (Grot 83), O’Kane, Vieira, Alioski (Hernandez 70), Saiz, Phillips, Lasogga.  Subs not used: Wiedwald, Roofe, Dallas, Shaughnessy.

Sheff U: Blackman, Baldock, Stevens, Fleck, O’Connell, Basham, Clarke, Sharp (Brooks 76), Coutts, Carter-Vickers, Duffy (Lundstram 86).  Subs not used: Moore, Donaldson, Wright, Lafferty, Carruthers.

 

Referee: S. Duncan

Booked: Phillips, Vieira (Leeds), O’Connell, Baldock, Coutts, Fleck, Stevens, Clarke (Sheff U)

Venue: Elland Road

Attendance: 34,504 (2,533 Sheff U)

 

 

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