RESULTS AND FIXTURES
PATRICK BAMFORD capped a dramatic Leeds fightback as Marcelo Bielsa’s men eased their promotion jitters.
The striker scored twice as the Yorkshiremen grabbed three goals in 18 second-half minutes to wipe out Millwall’s 2-0 lead.
And a second win in nine games following a miserable five-week run puts Leeds back on top of the Championship, with faltering West Brom losing at Cardiff.
This season there is an air of desperation at Elland Road, a feeling among the fans that it is now or never to get back to the Premier League promised land.
Yet it was those nerves that fuelled this dramatic turnaround.
Leeds kicked off in the midst of a mini-crisis on the field and it immediately worsened.
Before last night only Luton had taken fewer points than Leeds since mid-December. And, since Gary Rowett took over as boss at the end of October, no-one has earned as many Championship points as Millwall. And in a blistering first 22 minutes, the Lions demonstrated that they won’t give up easily on their play-off dreams.
From a corner, Jed Wallace picked out Shaun Hutchinson at the back post and the big defender powered home a header for his fourth goal of the season.
Millwall doubled their lead in the 22nd minute when referee Darren England awarded a penalty after Jon Dadi Bodvarsson went sprawling in the box.
Leeds were adamant the ball had gone out of play before the incident but Wallace ignored their protests to rifle a perfect penalty into the bottom corner.
Leeds looked down and out but, fuelled by perceived injustice, they came out punching after the break. Pablo Hernandez’s corner was hooked goalward by Jack Harrison and Bamford tapped in
Hernandez’s deflected skidding shot made it 2-2, and somehow you knew a Leeds winner was coming. Luke Ayling sped down the right to cross for Bamford to head in his second, his 12th of the season, at the back post.
MOTM
PATRICK BAMFORD (LEEDS)
LEEDS:
MILLWALL:
REF:
ATT:
CARABAO CUP SEMI-FINAL
SECOND LEG
ASTON VILLA (1) 2 LEICESTER (0) Targett 12 Iheanacho 72 Trezeguet 90 Att: 39,300 Agg: 3-2; Aston Villa win 3-2 on agg.
SKY BET CHAMPIONSHIP BLACKBURN (2) 2 QPR (1) Armstrong 10 Hugill 22 Lenihan 30 Att: 11,505 BRENTFORD (0) NOTTM FOR (1) Lolley 14
Att: 12,274 0 1 1 1
SKY BET LEAGUE TWO BRADFORD (1) 1 CHELTENHAM (0)1 Donaldson 11 (pen) May 84
Att: 12,731
0 SALFORD (1) 4 Rooney 32, 52 (pen) Hunter 55 Touray 88
Att: 3,444
3 SWINDON (0) Jaiyesimi 48 Att: 3,258
L ORIENT (0)
Att: 3,249
CAMBRIDGE (0)
COLCHESTER (0) Norris 74 Robinson 85, 89 2 1 0
MATCH STATS