REPORT: LEEDS UNITED 1-0 NORWICH CITY

REPORT: LEEDS UNITED 1-0 NORWICH CITY

Whites edge Canaries.

Sky Bet Championship

Leeds United 1 (Jansson 41) Norwich City 0

Leeds closed the gap on sixth placed Sheffield United as Pontus Jansson repeated his act of scoring against Norwich City last season, in an entertaining affair at Elland Road.

The Whites came into the game on the back of an impressive 3-1 win away win at Queens Park Rangers and made one team change with Pawel Cibicki coming in for the injured Caleb Ekuban.

Pablo Hernandez also returned to the bench in place of Cameron Borthwick-Jackson. Captain Liam Cooper made his 100th start for the club since signing from Chesterfield in August 2014.

Leeds had their first shot of the game after six minutes when Kalvin Phillips fired wide from 25 yards after good approach play by Cibicki.  

Norwich went close when Alex Pritchard curled a shot straight at Felix Wiedwald, after picking up the ball from the German’s kick.

There was nearly a huge cheer on 26 minutes when left back Gaetano Berardi, who has never scored for the club fired just passed Gunn’s post from 30 yards.

Three  minutes later, Leeds won a free-kick, which was delivered into the box by Cibicki and was met by a Luke Ayling header but his effort was straight at the Norwich goalkeeper.

Phillips then saved Leeds with a wonderful last ditch tackle to stop Maddison when he went through on goal after an exquisite piece of skill by Nelson Oliveira to send him into the box.

United almost broke the deadlock through Phillips at a free-kick, Ezgjan Alioski delivered a free-kick from the left and it was met by Phillips, whose volley was only denied by the post.

United’s pressure told four minutes from the break, when a delivery from the impressive Cibicki was met by the head of Pontus Jansson whose glancing header beat Angus Gunn for his second goal in consecutive home games.

Norwich had a great chance to level matters in stoppage time when Oliveira saw his shot saved by Wieldwald, before Maddison fired over when well placed, as Leeds went in ahead.

Half Time Leeds United 1 Norwich City 0

It was the visitors who had the first chance of the second half, when Pritchard shot was well saved by Wiedwald.

They continued to pile on the pressure, this time it was Maddison whose looping shot was held by Wiedwald.

The Whites then had a good opportunity whe a long range shot from Samuel Saiz, was only denied by the best of Gunn.

Moments later Kalvin Phillips fired an effort from 25 yards, which went narrowly wide of finding the top left corner.

Leeds then had a four on one situation when Kemar Roofe picked up a loose kick by Gunn, but with United three on two, Roofe fired an effort over the crossbar.

At the other end, Leeds were almost made to pay for the missed chance, when Alex Pritchard saw his shot clip the top of the cross bar.

 It was the visitors who again found Wiedwald in fine form this time denying Pritchard from a well worked free kick, from the edge of the box.

The Whites then missed a golden chance to make it two when Saiz robbed Grant Hanley of the ball only to see his shot come back of the post.

Former Barnsley man Marley Watkins then fired just wide on 82 minutes as the tension built at Elland Road.

Norwich were throwing everything at Leeds, this time Pritchard fired well over the bar, as the Whites defence held firm.

A nervy six minutes of added time followed, Oliveira fired into the South Stand before Pablo Hernandez almost wrapped up the points when his shot hit the side netting, which half the stadium thought was in.

It proved to be the last action of the game as Leeds held out for back to back victories and make it four unbeaten in the Championship, to move a point outside of the Play-Off places.

Full Time: Leeds United 1-0 Norwich City

 

Leeds: Wiedwald, Ayling, Jansson, Cooper, Berardi, Vieira, Phillips, Cibicki (Pennington 85), Saiz (Grot 81) Alioski, Roofe (Hernandez 78): Subs not used: Lonergan, Anita,, O’Kane, Shaughnessy

Norwich: Gunn, Pinto, Hanley, Klose, Stiepermann (Hoolahan 83), Reed, Vrancic (Jerome 83), Watkins, Maddison, Prichard, Oliveria, Subs: Zimmermann, Murphy, Trybull, Tettey, McGovern

 

Referee: D. England 

Booked: Vieira, Cooper, Jansson (Leeds United), Oliveira, Hanley (Norwich City)

Venue: Elland Road

Attendance: 30,590 (997 Norwich)

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