Dicko strike puts dent in Leeds’ hopes

LEEDS saw their five-month stay in the Championship’s top six come to the most abrupt of ends against Wolves as Nouha Dicko’s winner left them outside the play-off equation at its most crucial juncture. Their fate remains in their own hands — courtesy of rivals Sheffield Wednesday facing Fulham on the final day — yet this was not a result in isolation. Indeed, if Fulham are the division’s coming team, Leeds appear to be its going one. Although they are sixth and seventh respectively, separated by goal difference, this extended the Yorkshire club’s end-of-season malaise to two wins from eight matches. With three fixtures remaining apiece, Wednesday, in fifth, are two points further on. However, Leeds manager Garry Monk insisted a team hunted for so long would enjoy becoming the hunters over the final three games of the campaign. ‘There are no excuses. It was the worst possible time to come up with one of our worst 45 minutes of the season,’ he said. ‘We can’t afford any more periods like that. Now we have to go on the hunt. These will be the biggest games of the players’ lives.’ At the start of March, Leeds retained genuine aspirations of mounting a late-season automatic promotion bid. Now they are on the outside the play-off picture. Wolves’ prowess away from home has seen their superiors come unstuck on several occasions. And the eliminators of Stoke and Liverpool from this season’s FA Cup once again revelled in silencing one of England’s most vociferous stadiums. A warning was provided early on when goalkeeper Rob Green had to come to the rescue after a defensive mix up. Leeds had only conceded two first-half goals at Elland Road all season, but Wolves always looked good value to make that three, and did so in the 38th minute as Pontus Jansson’s adventure was punished. Haring upfield, the Swede coughed up the ball and Ben Marshall threaded it through the gap he had left in the Leeds defence, for Dicko to slot home. With Fulham and Sheffield Wednesday both winning, Leeds were suddenly the odd-ones out and could not change that unwanted position during a tetchy second half. Richard Stearman survived a strong penalty appeal for handball, Souleymane Doukara forced Wolves goalkeeper Andy Lonergan to tip over the top and Kourtney Hause headed off the line for Wolves. ‘Every time the big games have come around we have turned up,’ said Wolves manager Paul Lambert. If Leeds did not know that already, they certainly do now.