Piroe, Byram and Anthony fire Farke's side into play-off spots - Mail 23/9/23
Leeds 3-0 Watford: Joel Piroe, Sam Byram and Jaidon Anthony fire Daniel Farke's side into play-off spots with three second-half goals at Elland Road
Leeds United put on a vintage second-half performance
against Watford
By NICK EMMS
Daniel Farke celebrated his first league victory on home
soil after second-half goals from Joel Piroe, Sam Byram and home debutant
Jaidon Anthony gave Leeds United a comfortable win.
Farke’s men had drawn their previous three home games this
season but this victory, following recent away wins at Ipswich and Millwall,
underlined their Championship promotion pedigree.
Leeds had been frustrated by Watford until the 67th minute
when Piroe fired home from Dan James’ right-wing cross and Byram bulleted home
a header from a corner three minutes later.
In the closing stages, Leeds substitute Anthony raced clear
to produce a superb finish on his home debut as Watford were eventually ripped
apart.
Leeds were playing their third game in six days after away
trips to Millwall and Hull City but went close to scoring three times during
the opening seven minutes in front of a crowd of 36,236.
First, James played a one-two with right-back Jamie
Shackleton before slicing a left-foot shot wide of Daniel Bachmann’s goal.
Moments later, Piroe found Ethan Ampadu on the edge of the
18-yard box and his sweetly-struck shot forced Bachmann into a fine save.
Leeds continued to pour forward and the lively James found
Georginio Rutter with a neat pass, leaving the club-record signing with a
golden opportunity on the edge of Watford’s six-yard box.
Rutter’s first-time effort was repelled by Bachmann but it
was a major opportunity spurned.
Rutter had the ball in the net in the 20th minute, firing
home clinically from 14 yards, but an offside flag had already been raised against
the Frenchman.
Seven minutes later, Bachmann excelled again, this time
diving to his right to keep out Crysencio Summerville’s 12-yard strike with the
outside of his right foot.
Eight minutes before the break, Leeds were furious to be
denied a penalty by referee Jeremy Simpson.
James latched onto an excellent pass from Piroe and bore
down on goal before appearing to be shoved in the back by Jamal Lewis as he
shaped to shoot.
As the Welshman hit the turf, Elland Road screamed for a
spot-kick but Simpson ignored the home claims.
Farke was beside himself in his technical area but Ismael
made a triple substitution at the break, switching to three at the back.
In the 58th minute, a neat touch from Rutter found
Summerville, who skipped past Ryan Porteous and hit a low shot from 18 yards
straight into Bachmann’s midriff.
But nine minutes later, Leeds finally made the breakthrough
as good work from Rutter found James in space on the right flank.
He delivered a superb cross to Piroe, who volleyed home clinically left-footed from inside the six-yard box at the far post.
Three minutes later, Byram connected superbly with James’
right-wing corner and planted a header past Bachmann.
He celebrated wildly and with good reason – it was his first
goal since returning to Leeds in the summer, his previous strike for the Whites
coming at Nottingham Forest in December 2015.
There was still time for Anthony to break clear from
Rutter’s superb pass and hit a curling right-foot shot into the far corner.
