Leeds United U21s promoted after thumping Nottingham Forest at Elland Road - Leeds Live 15/5/23
Leeds United U21s sealed their spot in next season's Premier League 2 Division 1 by beating Nottingham Forest in the play-off final at Elland Road
Leeds United U21s will be playing top flight football next
season after winning their Premier League 2 Division 2 play-off final 3-0
against Nottingham Forest. It’s been a season to remember for the Whites, who
have achieved their ultimate goal of winning promotion back to Division 1 at
the first time of asking, following last year’s relegation.
Despite topping the division for much of the season, United
were pipped to the only automatic promotion spot last month by Southampton.
However, Paco Gallardo’s side have cruised through the play-offs, seeing off
Aston Villa and Forest at Elland Road to seal their spot amongst English
football’s elite academy sides, with a sizeable crowd in to see the win over
the latter.
Leeds were completely dominant from the off against
Nottingham, who had seen West Brom off in comfortable fashion to reach the
play-off final and Georginio Rutter, in the U21s line-up for the second week
running, gave them the lead by scoring his first goal in Leeds colours.
The club record signing was one of the Whites’ most
dangerous throughout the contest and he was allowed to sweep home Mateo
Joseph’s cross in the 20 th minute. Leeds doubled their lead through Jeremiah
Mullen, who found the back of the net with a goal of the season contender.
Unmarked at the back post, the centre-back was allowed to
catch Charlie Allen’s deep free-kick with a sweet right-footed volley into the
bottom corner. And, after maintaining their grip on the game in the second half,
Leeds bagged a third through Kris Moore’s whose booming header from close range
was unstoppable.
It was a fitting end to a season for Leeds, who have seen
the likes of Mateo Joseph, Darko Gyabi, Sonny Perkins and Archie Gray emerge
and make names for themselves with their performances in the side. The Whites,
who were coached by now first-team coach Michael Skubala until February,
established their promotion credentials early in the season by winning eight of
their first nine league games.
That ensured Leeds were the team to beat in the division and
in the New Year Nottingham Forest, Norwich City and West Brom did exactly that.
However, after losing their lead in the table, the U21s rallied under the
guidance of Michal Pujdak and Gallardo to end the season with a record of one
loss from their last 10 games, including their play-off successes, to seal
their place back in the top flight.
