REPORT: LEEDS UNITED 1-4 CARDIFF CITY

REPORT: LEEDS UNITED 1-4 CARDIFF CITY

Bluebirds put four past Leeds.

Leeds United 1 (Bamba O.G 54) Cardiff City 4 (Paterson 9, Hoilett 41, Morison 45, Pilkington 88)

Cardiff City ran out comfortable winners at Elland Road, as Leeds succumbed to a second home defeat in a row.

The Whites made one change from the side that started in 0-0 draw at Hull City on Tuesday night with Matthew Pennington returning from injury in place of the injured Conor Shaughnessy.

The match was preceded by a minute’s applause for the former Leeds United manager Jimmy Armfield who sadly passed away on January 22nd.

It was the Bluebirds who had the first chance of the match when Sol Bamba saw his header deflect over for the bar.

Cardiff took the lead in the ninth minute when Leeds failed to clear a corner and Callum Paterson headed home from an Armand Traore cross.

Leeds nearly found an equaliser moments later when Pierre-Michel Lasogga on the counter attack, saw his effort from 25 yards pushed onto the post by Neil Etheridge.

Cardiff then had a chance to make it two, but Yanic Wildschut could only head a good opportunity wide.

Leeds went close from a corner, when Matthew Pennington got on the end of Laurens De Bock’s delivery, but his header was wide of the post.

United had a great chance to level when Pablo Hernandez did well and his cross found Lasogga at the back post, but his header from inside the six yard box hit the crossbar and Ezgjan Alioski scuffed his rebound and Etheridge made the save.

The Whites were dealt another injury blow when Pontus Jansson was stretchered off and his replacement Stuart Dallas had an opportunity when Lasogga played him in on goal, but he tripped as he shot and couldn’t beat Etheridge.

Junior Hoilett then made it two for Cardiff, when he got on the end of Paterson’s shot across goal.

The Whites were then reduced to ten men when Gaetano Berardi was sent off for a second bookable offence and from the resulting free kick, Sean Morrison headed in Cardiff’s third, following Hoilett’s delivery.

Half time: Leeds United 0-3 Cardiff City

In the 50th minute, there was a second minute’s applause of the game, taking place to mark the life of Eric Carlile, secretary of the Leeds United Supporter’s Club for 50 years, who recently passed away at the age of 89.

The Whes pulled a goal back nine minutes into the second half, when former defender Sol Bamba could only divert a Stuart Dallas shot into his own net, after the Northern Irishman did well down the right flank.

Kemar Roofe then did well to win Leeds a free-kick in a dangerous position on the left side, close to the byline, but Hernandez was unable to keep his attempt on goal down.

Paterson came close to getting a fourth for the visitors when he fizzed a shot in from 25 yards, but it just went past the post.

Cardiff’s Joe Ralls was then teed up by Hoilett on the edge of the box, but he couldn’t find the target with his well hit effort.

The Bluebirds then made it four with two minutes remaining when Anthony Pilkington slid home at the far post, to convert Paterson’s low cross.

Alioski then tried his luck from distance as he looked for a consolation goal, but he was unable to keep his effort down.

The result ensured back to back home defeats at Elland Road, with the Whites still looking for a first win in 2018.

Full time: Leeds United 1-4 Cardiff City

 

Leeds: Wiedwald, Berardi, Jansson (Dallas 30), Pennington, De Bock, Forshaw, Ronaldo Vieira (Grot 86), Alioski, Hernandez (c), Roofe, Lasogga (Sacko 73):  Subs not used: Lonergan, Anita, Grot, Romario Vieira, Pearce

Cardiff: Etheridge, Ecuele Manga, Morrison, Bamba, Traore, Grujic (Halford 82), Paterson, Ralls, Hoillett, Wildschut (Pilkington 55), Madine (Zohore 72): Subs not used: Murphy, Feeney, Pilkington, Damour, Ward

 

Referee: G Scott

Booked: Berardi (Leeds United), Madine, Ralls, Pilkington, Grujic (Cardiff City)

Sent off: Berardi (Leeds United)

Attendance: 30,534 (624 Cardiff)

Venue: Elland Road

 

 

 

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