Leeds United 2 Sheffield United 0: Rare feat strike as dominant Whites move into automatics — YEP 18/10/24
By Lee Sobot
Leeds United took on Sheffield United in a Friday night
Championship Yorkshire derby at Elland Road.
A very rare feat strike helped Leeds United return from the
October international break in style as a 2-0 win at home to Sheffield United
sent the Whites into the Championship’s automatic promotion places.
Leeds' failure to score from corners has been very well
documented of late but the hoodoo finally ended in Friday night's Yorkshire
derby as Pascal Struijk powered home a Joe Rothwell delivery.
His strike looked set to be the only goal of the game but
Leeds put the gloss on an excellent display with a second goal in the 89th
minute through substitute Mateo Joseph who was played in by Joel Piroe and
applied a clinical finish to put the Blades to bed.
The Blades initially began brightly but Leeds gradually got
going and the lively Largie Ramazani saw a shot from a tight angle clip the
outside of the post with 24 minutes on the clock.
A few minutes later, Ramazani's attempt to find the bottom
right corner from the edge of the box was only kept out by a fine save from
Blades keeper Michael Cooper who tipped the ball wide.
Cooper and United then got lucky five minutes before the
break when the keeper's clearance deflected to Brenden Aaronson whose attempt
to catch out the stranded Cooper was deflected wide for a corner.
Similarly, Leeds were unable to capitalise on Blades striker
Kieffer Moore miscontrolling in his own half, his heavy touch falling to Willy
Gnonto who found himself crowded out as he made his way towards the box.
With Leeds well on top, the half then ended with another
chance squandered as a cross from Junior Firpo picked out Brenden Aaronson who
sent a volley from the middle of the box over the bar.
Another Aaronson volley from inside the area five minutes
into the second half also soared over the bar and into the stands as another
opportunity went begging, the ball dropping into his path after a Gnonto
knockdown to a Firpo cross.
But a big block from Joe Rodon saved Leeds just after the
hour mark as the Blades began to threaten, Ollie Arblaster seeing his strike
from the edge of the area fly off the Whites centre back and whizz just wide.
Whites boss Daniel Farke then made a double change in the
68th minute as wingers Dan James and Manor Solomon made their returns from
injuries in replacing Aaronson and Gnonto as Leeds prepared to take a corner.
Rothwell took the corner and sent a low delivery through the
area and Pascal Struijk arrived on the scene to smash home a first-time finish
and send Elland Road wild with the Whites having finally scored from a corner.