Manor Solomon and Jayden Bogle in star turns
LEEDS UTD 2
Solomon 4, Bogle 13
PRESTON NE 1
Kesler-Hayden 6
Crisis? What crisis? Just seven days after a 1-1 draw at Luton Town left Leeds United a point outside the top two and fearing another collapse, the Whites planted one foot in the Premier League with victory over Preston North End.
Goals from Manor Solomon and Jayden Bogle, either side of Kaine Kesler-Hayden’s dazzling leveller, earned the Whites a vital victory at Elland Road.
But it was the scoreline filtering through from the Devon that got the most deafening cheer of the afternoon.
Sheffield United’s last-gasp 2-1 defeat at Plymouth Argyle left the third-placed Blades five points behind Championship leaders Leeds with just four games left.
CHEER WE GO: Manor Solomon is mobbed after putting Leeds United ahead 1-0
Burning
And with Chris Wilder’s side facing title-rivals Burnley on Easter Monday, Daniel Farke’s men could potentially be just two wins away from a return to the top flight.
“It is a priceless three points for us,” admitted the German, whose side were a point behind the Blades this time last week.
“We were on it.
“The fire was burning.
“We started on the front foot and we should have scored six or seven goals.
“It must be our highest xG of the season, I think.
Mentality
“I didn’t know the scoreline at Plymouth, but I could sense the reaction from our supporters towards the end.
“It made for a fantastic atmosphere and I think the players fed off that.
“But I also wanted to make sure we didn’t get overexcited or start thinking about what was happening on a pitch somewhere else.
“If you want to win titles and win promotion, you have to have a special mentality – where you play with fire in the heart, stay cool in the head and don’t crack under pressure.
“We showed that mentality today and now we need to show it in the next four game days because nothing is done yet.”
Match action
Back-to-back defeats for Sheffield United had ensured a more buoyant atmosphere than might have been expected at Elland Road, and Farke’s players responded with a blistering start.
Just four minutes had elapsed when Solomon worked a yard of space in the left channel and unleashed a sublime curling effort that sailed into David Cornell’s top corner.
Remarkably – especially in the context of their subsequent impotence – Preston hit back instantly, Kesler-Hayden dancing beyond the dawdling Junior Firpo and bending a beauty of his own past Karl Darlow.
Falling apart? Not this time.
Six minutes later, Solomon was once again given far too much space and time.
Once again, he made Preston pay, delivering a pinpoint cross that the buccaneering Bogle nudged in for his sixth goal of the season.
The Leeds right-back was magnificent, popping up in every position imaginable and perpetually taking the fight to a Preston side who could not cope with his athleticism.
Second half
Sadly, Joel Piroe was rather less impressive.
The Dutch striker missed a succession of chances, hacking high, wide, against a defender’s legs and even crashing one close-range effort against the crossbar as the Elland Road cheered the every move of fit-again substitute Patrick Bamford.
Willy Gnonto also scooped embarrassingly over from eight yards, but it didn’t matter.
With the exception of a long-range sighter from Ben Whiteman, Preston failed to muster any serious threat, leaving Leeds to see out six minutes of injury time amid a carnival atmosphere.
“Leeds are up there in the league and they’re the best team statistically,” said Preston boss Paul Heckingbottom, whose side have now won just one of their past 11 games.
“But that doesn’t mean you just have to roll over.
“We didn’t do that, but we’re really disappointed with the goals because they could both have been prevented.
“Let’s be fair, though.
“They had the better chances and they deserved to win.”
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Star Man – Jayden Bogle (Leeds United)
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