Bielsa bigs up Kiko as Whites march on to top of the table

LEEDS boss Marcelo Bielsa saluted star shot-stopper Kiko Casilla after his heroics helped his side climb to the top of the Championship.

The former Real Madrid keeper produced two brilliant saves to thwart the Terriers as they looked to pull off a shock.

Second-half goals from Ezgjan Alioski and Pablo Hernandez did the damage as the on-song Whites won a fiery West Yorkshire derby.

“We wish he’d have less to do, but today he had a great impact on the result,” said Bielsa, whose side are now nine unbeaten.

“He made two important saves and made a big impact.”

Alioski rifled the visitors ahead with a sweet left-foot volley five minutes after the break.

It was the Macedonian international midfielder’s third goal of the season and came after Casilla had earlier saved well from Steve Mounie and produced a stunning fingertip block to deny the striker midway through the half.

The Spanish goalkeeper pulled off a brilliant point-blank block to stop Elias Kachunga from equalising shortly after the hour mark.

And with 12 minutes to go Hernandez headed home unmarked at the back post to make sure of maximum points and a first victory over Huddersfield for four years.

The Terriers could have scored late on to leave a frantic finish but leading scorer Karlan Grant somehow headed wide from close-range.

And then substitute Matty Daly dragged a shot just wide of the target as the home side refused to lie down.

Bielsa was happy with another welcome win but not happy with his side’s defending from set-pieces.

He said: “We defended set-pieces badly but our first goal from Alioski made it easier for us to develop the play.

“In the first half we should have created more chances but we had some opportunities and we couldn’t finish them very well.

“We could have scored more goals but we could have conceded a goal as well.

“The second half was different but we had problems in both halves with set-pieces.” Cowley admitted he was “ashamed” of some of his players after their 5-2 mauling at the hands of Bristol City at Ashton Gate, questioning their attitude and effort.

But the Terriers boss was much more impressed with his team despite now having gone five games without a win.

“It’s not terminal here but there is a storm,” Cowley said. “But we have to roll with the punches and get over these disappointments.

“It’s been one of my toughest weeks in football but we did cause them some problems.”