Snooper troopers
BIELSA BOYS ARE SPY AND MIGHTY
DERBY might have claimed the moral victory in Spygate – but Leeds got the three points.
If the shameful or farcical, depending on your point of view, events of the last two days have proved anything, it is that Marcelo Bielsa is prepared to win at all costs.
He will feel the means justify the ends after Leeds completed the double over Frank Lampard’s Derby to open up a five-point lead at the top of the Championship.
While Lampard still moaned about Bielsa’s behaviour after he apologised for having one of his staff spy on Derby, he can have no complaints about this defeat.
His promotion-chasing Rams were well beaten and, if anything, the furore over the row inspired Leeds to end their three-match losing streak in fine fashion. Kemar Roofe inflicted more pain on Derby as he bagged the opener to add to his double in Leeds’ 4-1 win at Pride Park in August in Lampard’s first home game in charge.
But the real star for Leeds was Jack Clarke, 18, who dazzled on his full league debut.
He had a hand in both goals and Derby could not cope with the winger’s direct running.
After the storm which preceded this game, there was more controversy inside the first minute when Leeds wrongly had a penalty scrubbed because of an incorrect offside call. Ref Andy Davies over-ruled his decision to award a spot-kick for a foul by Andre Wisdom on Ezgjan Alioski because his assistant Daniel Leach already had his flag up for offside against the Macedonian.
Lampard would probably have felt that was karma for Bielsa and Leeds.
Punch
Yet it just seemed to motivate the hosts, who took the lead in the 20th minute through a wonderful piece of skill by Clarke.
Derby’s ex-Leeds goalkeeper Scott Carson only half-cleared Pablo Hernandez’s corner with a punch and the ball fell to the teenager on the right.
He danced past Craig Bryson before crossing for Roofe to score his 14th Championship goal of the season at the near post.
Clarke is the latest talent to roll off the production line of Leeds’ academy and he went close to a second when he neatly lifted the ball over Max Lowe in the box and shot wide.
Leeds played like demons, typified by Luke Ayling throwing himself to block Mason Mount’s shot as if his life depended on it.
They were better than Derby in every department and scored a second in the 47th minute with Clarke again doing the damage.
Carson was caught out by his deep cross from the right and could only touch it to Alioski at the back post and he knocked it back in for Jack Harrison to score from close range.
Derby could offer nothing in response and the home fans inside Elland Road chanted Bielsa’s name in delight.
For Lampard it was a bruising, if unsavoury, lesson in the art of winning.