Leeds United 2 Hull City 0: Mateo Joseph's split-second ruthlessness makes the difference for Whites — Yorkshire Post 31/8/24

By Stuart Rayner

Sometimes the lack of ruthlessness from both Leeds United and Hull City can leave you frustrated but Mateo Joseph produced a killer touch to set his team on the way to a 2-0 home win at Elland Road.

As can often be the case there, Leeds had plenty of attacks without working the goalkeeper enough in what had become a very open game in the West Yorkshire sunshine.

For all the huff and puff, though, you would not have put your house on someone scoring.

When debutant Manor Solomon put a 65th-minute cross over, Leeds' 20-year-old centre-forward decided to do something about it.

The cross was heading harmlessly into the Ivor Pandur's arms and as he waited for it, Joseph ran across his man and the Croatian to poke the ball in at the near post.

You will never see it on a goal of the month compilation but for a proper No 9 it was a great finish by a player in his first full season of being asked to take real responsibility. Even before his first goal of it, he had looked up to it.

Joel Piroe added another on the counter-attack but really it was that second or two of football, but that made the difference between the two Yorkshire clubs, inflicting a first Championship defeat on Tim Walter's Hull.

It had not looked like a game of fine margins until 22 minutes in, something remarkable happened.

Hull won a free 20 yards from the halfway line and Pandur waved his team-mates upfield so he could punt it long.

It happens all the time at most clubs, but rarely at Walter's Tigers, who seem almost fanatically committed to over-playing from the back.

Pascal Struijk actually won the header from Pandur's punt and within no time Willy Gnonto had a goal disallowed from offside at the corner the counter-attack reaped.

But suddenly a Leeds team who had had things all their way had something else to think about. A couple of minutes later Illan Meslier was tipping the ball over his crossbar after Chris Bedia outmuscled Joe Rodon from another route one delivery.

More often than not Hull continued to tippy-tappy it about, their players popping up in unexpected positions, but the variety in their game was refreshing and needed. Despite the scoreline, this more varied approach should be their blueprint when they re-emerge from the international break at home to Sheffield United.

Leeds will probably be thinking they should have got a goal or two up before the penny dropped but their lack of ruthlessness showed itself again.

Ilia Gruev forced the first save of the game after five minutes but it was not difficult for Pandur, and there should have been more of them.

Hull do not have a monopoly on fluidity, and regularly tucking Gnonto – who signed a new four-year contract that morning – in from the right allowed Jayden Bogle to bucaneer down the right, hitting a shot into the side-netting when the Italian played him in on the overlap.

Gruev curled a free-kick over.

But as Hull got more physical, Leeds and their fans got more agitated, Rodon booked after pulling Marvin Mehlem back, although as referee Gavin Ward indicated, it was not just for that.

Most of their good chances involved Millar, who shot just over after a 33rd-minute right-to-left move which showcased what Walter is trying to achieve finished at his feet.

Solomon, the only starting debutant the afternoon after deadline day started his second half with a blocked shot, Brenden Aaronson putting the rebound at Pandur. Millar's ball to Mehlem at the other end would have been an excellent one but for Meslier's quick thinking.

Too many of the shots at either end were not demanding enough, the final ball not accurate enough.

Joseph changed all that, turning a poor ball into a good one.

And when Hull piled down their right in search of an equaliser in the 82nd minute, Leeds hit them with a devastating counter-attack, Junior Firpo picking out the second of the men free at the far post. Substitute Piroe did the rest.