A vastly superior Leeds United emerged as victors in Friday’s climacteric televised clash with Derby County thanks to Chris Wood’s 17th goal of a prolific campaign.

The task was conspicuous to all who maintain association with Leeds United. The Whites took to the field on Friday night in front of the cameras of a contemptible broadcasting conglomerate in the knowledge that should they inflict defeat upon their opposition, they would soar into 3rd place in the Championship table following Reading’s defeat to Queens Park Rangers on Thursday.

Chris Wood’s header on the brink of half-time proved the decisive moment in the match, an event that arose after innumerable chances had either been wastefully spurned by the hosts or kept out of the net at the last by way of imperative interventions on the part of the visitors.

Despite the absences of both Pontus Jansson and Liam Cooper courtesy of suspension and injury respectively, the Whites restricted their counterparts to scant few opportunities as they secured a highly credible victory against a direct competitor for a play-off berth.

Leeds now rise up to 3rd, having now accrued 48 points from 25 matches, while Derby remain in 7th, knowing that a win for Barnsley over Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday will see the Tykes overtake them in the league standings. Leeds have now won their last five home league matches, all without conceding a single goal.

Team Lineups

Leeds United (4-2-3-1) - Green; Coyle, Ayling, Bartley, Berardi; Bridcutt, Vieira; Roofe (Dallas 79’), Hernandez (Mowatt 87’), Doukara; Wood.

Unused Substitutes: Silvestri, Denton, O’Kane, Phillips, Antonsson.

Derby County (4-3-3) - Carson; Baird, Keogh, Shackell, Hanson; Bryson, De Sart (Hughes 45’), Johnson; Ince, Bent (Nugent 68’), Camara (Vydra 45’).

Unused Substitutes: Mitchell, Pearce, Russell, Weimann.

First-Half

Prior to kick-off, both sets of supporters, players, and coaches respectfully participated in a minute’s applause in memory of the recently deceased Graham Taylor. Taylor, who died in his home of a suspected heart attack at the age of 72 earlier this week, is perhaps most prominently known for his success as manager of Watford, whom he guided to the FA Cup final in 1984. May he rest in peace. Football has been robbed of a true gentleman.

The hosts, roared on by a fervent crowd of approximately 25,000 fanatical supporters, began proceedings, shooting toward the South Stand.

With merely eight minutes having been played, United’s Pablo Hernandez dinked a deft cross into the penalty area that briefly appeared to be destined to find the lurking Kemar Roofe, before Derby’s Richard Keogh displayed much composure in heading the ball over the bar. Had the Ireland international not had intervened, Roofe would most certainly have given the hosts the lead.

Leeds had made a luminous start to the match, with the Whites unrelenting in their application of attacking pressure, thus confining their opposition to their own half for much of the game’s early running. United forced a succession of corners before, in the 19th minute, Souleymane Doukara unbelievably swivelled on a sixpence before firing a low shot marginally wide from the edge of the box.

Liam Bridcutt, who last scored over seven years ago, was the next Leeds man to try his luck at goal. The Scotland international unleashed a dipping, venomous volley from 25 yards that called visiting goalkeeper Scott Carson into action with a fine reflex save. From the ensuing corner, Kyle Bartley met a Pablo Hernandez delivery with his head only to see his effort tipped over the crossbar by the seemingly unflappable Carson.

On 25 minutes, a glorious chance to take the lead was spurned by Kyle Bartley. From what felt like a millionth Hernandez corner, Bartley could only scuff the ball wide from 5 yards out at the back post.

In spite of United’s dominance, with the half-hour mark fast approaching, the visitors could afford an utterance or two of relief as they were granted a scintilla of respite. A seldom seen Derby attack culminated in Tom Ince forcing Rob Green into a fine close-range stop after the adroit winger had glided seamlessly into the penalty area.

After Bradley Johnson drove a wayward effort harmlessly over Green’s crossbar two minutes later, normal service was promptly resumed. Kemar Roofe was the next to call Carson into action once more with a low strike from outside of the penalty area in the 34th minute, after cutting in from the left channel. Carson was equal to the effort however, gathering the ball with relative ease.

With innumerable chances having been squandered, the vociferous home crowd (this ever so slightly pontifical writer included) could have been forgiven for casting doubt over whether their side would actually capitalise on their footballing eminence by nestling the ball into the back of the Derby net - but those fears were eradicated, and sheer euphoria took their place, when on the stroke of half-time Chris Wood headed the hosts into a richly deserved lead…

A fine header from the New Zealand international, who netted his 17th goal of the season by virtue of converting his first opportunity of the game.

There would be one more event to note in the first-half, as just a minute after taking the lead, United were almost pegged as Ince let fly to unleash a fierce effort toward goal that required a strong save from Green to keep the Whites’ lead intact.

HT - Leeds United 1-0 Derby County - Wood (45’)

A turbulent half for the beleaguered visitors, who were perhaps fortuitous to have only gone into the half-time interval with a 1-0 deficit, such was United’s hegemony of the first period.

Second-Half

As United had begun first-half proceedings, it was the prerogative of the visitors to begin the second period, with the hosts now attacking toward the Elland Road Kop.

With just five minutes of the second-half played, a faint cheer briefly emanated from the sparsely populated away end. Darren Bent, along with the scant few Derby supporters who had made the journey to West Yorkshire, had thought he’d scored an equalising goal after a perfunctory Rob Green clearance struck the former England striker and bounced into the Leeds net - only for the goal to be chalked off with handball rightly given as justification for the decision. Cue the resumption of silence among the travelling contingent for the remainder of the match, and satirical jeers from the home crowd.

After a ponderous start to the second-half, United rediscovered their mojo and began to piece together incisive moves as they had done frequently throughout the first-half. On 62 minutes, Pablo Hernandez could only watch in exasperation as a piece of desperate last-ditch defending saw the ball stolen away from him at the back post before he had a chance to double his side’s advantage.

Two minutes elapsed before Derby sprung a rare counter. Substitute Matej Vydra found himself in a one-on-one attacking scenario against United’s young defender Lewie Coyle, but it was the latter who claimed victory in this particular duel after Vydra entered the penalty area - a fine defensive block on Coyle’s part denying Vydra a third goal of the season.

A minute later, and Souleymane Doukara saw an effort from the edge of the penalty area deflected behind for United’s umpteenth corner. From the consequential set-piece, Gaetano Berardi eventually lashed a dipping volley agonisingly wide of the mark.

With 13 minutes of normal time to play, Leeds, not content with adopting a conservative approach in order to negotiate the remainder of the match, surged forward once more. It was necessary for Scott Carson to be demonstrably assiduous in palming a vicious 25 yard shot from Ronaldo Vieira to safety as the hosts displayed no sign whatsoever of relenting their almost incessant application of attacking pressure.

As a despairing Derby tried in vain to pressure their hosts into relinquishing their hard-won lead, their miserable, melancholic evening was encapsulated by the sending off of Bradley Johnson, formerly of Leeds, as he received a second yellow card in the 89th minute for maliciously scything down United’s Stuart Dallas.

There remained time for Leeds to create a final opening with the game now in its dying embers. Ronaldo Vieira exchanged passes sumptuously with Chris Wood before going for the jugular, but Carson, by some way Derby’s best performer on the night, managed to pull off yet another terrific save to deny the exotically named youngster from Guinea Bissau.

As referee Scott Duncan put the whistle to his lips, a proud roar resonated across each and every nook and cranny of Elland Road as both sets of players traded handshakes.

FT - Leeds United 1-0 Derby County - Wood (45’)

A dazzling display from Garry Monk’s side to once more confound even their most vengeful critics. In striking contrast to their opponents on the night, Leeds cohesively played as a collective unit, whereas Derby played as egocentric individuals.

Man Of The Match

Pablo Hernandez (8.3 WhoScored Match Rating)

The 31 year-old creative conjuror, playing in his first match since agreeing a permanent contract to extend his stay at Elland Road, once more oozed class and guile in possession, darting past defender after defender with consummate ease and instigating innumerable attacks upon the opposing goal.

Touches - 80

Key Passes - 6

Shots - 3

Assists - 1

Pass Success - 78.1%

Media: Victorious Leeds United head coach Garry Monk and losing manager Steve McClaren

Garry Monk, speaking to leedsunited.com:

“There was a lot of talk before the game about the league and putting distance between Derby, but the most important thing was the three points.

“I challenged the players tonight to put everything we have been working for and the values we have and I wanted them to put it on the pitch, in front of the cameras, for themselves, against a very good opposition.

“We did that from start to finish and I am very proud of the players, it is an important three points.”

Steve McClaren, speaking to dcfc.co.uk:

“As euphoric as it was at West Bromwich Albion last weekend, tonight was the other end of the scale.

“Against West Brom we had to compete and fight against a physical team and we needed to do the same in this one, but we didn’t do that.

“We didn’t start well, lost the battle in midfield and in the end Leeds dominated and deserved the win.”

Match Statistics and Facts

Stats - (Leeds/Derby)

Possession - 48% / 52%

Shots - 21 / 6

On Target - 8 / 1

Corners - 16 / 3

Fouls - 9 / 14

Referee - Scott Duncan

Booked - Bartley, Hernandez (Leeds). Baird, Ince, Johnson (Derby).

Sent Off - Johnson (Derby).

Attendance - 25,546

Writer’s Verdict

One must never judge a book by it’s cover. One must also refrain from judging a football match solely by it’s scoreline. We may have won the match in question, but quite how we won by merely a solitary goal will without even the faintest doubt serve to utterly discombobulate those of us who were in attendance at Elland Road - for in a game in which many had imprecisely predicted that we’d encounter much difficulty in the absence of Pontus Jansson, Garry Monk and his players confounded their embittered critics for the umpteenth occasion this season by outclassing Derby in every department.

If not for an act pardonable profligacy on the part of Kyle Bartley, and if not for first-half heroics on the part of Scott Carson, the scoreline of the match may have accurately paid credence to the sheer puissance exhibited by the Whites throughout the game’s entirety.

Derby were prosaic in possession, and forlorn when out of it. The manner in which they incoherently attempted to mitigate the efficiency of our potent attack was risible. At times, the players appeared as though they were toying with their beleaguered counterparts; the antics of one Pablo Hernandez provide that particular assertion with copious amounts of validity - the Spaniard tormented a dismal Derby defence throughout, to the sheer delight of us all.

Hernandez was infallible. As were each of our players. Each of them, were shining knights in sparkling white; valorous, impassioned, and possessed of finesse in abundance. Be it the spirited defensive showings delivered by Lewie Coyle, Luke Ayling, Kyle Bartley, and Gaetano Berardi, or the industrious energy of midfield messrs Liam Bridcutt and Ronaldo Vieira, or be it the guile and innovation of our forward line, you cannot say anything even remotely censorious of that performance.

And that is precisely the manner in which a Leeds United team should play, and superlatives must also be given to the coaching staff who have performed miraculous wonders this season to instill a profound sense of pride back into this football club. The work of Garry Monk and Pep Clotet, on an inconsequential budget comparative to our play-off rivals, cannot be effusively praised enough. At long last, there is genuine pride to be taken in being a Leeds United fan, for the first time in many a year, and maybe, with unrelenting endeavour and a dash of luck, we may secure what would be a historic return to the Premier League.

Photo: Action Images

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