Leeds moved to the top of the Championship for 24 hours at least after getting the better of Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield with a 2-0 win at the John Smith’s Stadium.
Goals from Ezgjan Alioski and Pablo Hernandez in the second half means Marcelo Bielsa’s men leapfrog West Brom, who host Swansea on Sunday, in the table.
However, Danny Cowley and his players will feel they could have got something out of the game as they were guilty of lacking composure in front of goal.
Huddersfield and Leeds have had contrasting fortunes this season but both sides were evenly matched in the first half and had good chances to break the deadlock.
The visitors almost scored when a clever short corner went to Mateusz Klich, whose effort cannoned off the post on 15 minutes.
Kiko Casilla was then called into action moments later as he tipped Steve Mounie’s header over the bar.
Leeds were nearly in just before the half hour mark but Hernandez’s clipped ball heading towards Patrick Bamford was brilliantly intercepted by Jon Gorenc Stankovic.
But the best chance of the half fell to the Terriers, with Luke Ayling bailing out Casilla when he cleared Karlan Grant’s goalbound effort away after the goalkeeper made a mess of a long ball.
Marcelo Bielsa’s men upped their level after the break and took the lead in spectacular style.
A corner was only half-cleared by Huddersfield and Alioski’s left-footed volley went through a crowd and into the net.
Leeds smelled blood and Bamford was unlucky not to have doubled their lead. He put the ball in the net but Stuart Dallas was ruled offside in the build-up. Replays show that the Northern Irishman was actually onside.
And this could have proved very controversial as Huddersfield failed to equalise with a huge chance – Casilla somehow denying Elias Kachunga from point blank range.
But Leeds didn’t mess about after that and the victory was sealed on 77 minutes when Hernandez nodded home Jack Harrison’s delicious cross from the left.
Huddersfield will rue some of their missed opportunities with Grant and Matty Daly putting good chances wide before the end of the game but Leeds were good value for their win.
