WIGAN LEEDS UNITED WHAM BAM Patrick’s double puts Leeds top of the table
PATRICK BAMFORD settled it against 10-man Wigan – with no repeat of the Latics’ backfrom-the-dead win at Elland Road last Good Friday.
Back then, Wigan had Cedric Kipre sent off early on – and though Bamford scored, Wigan were shock 2-1 winners, derailing United’s promotion push.
Yesterday, at the DW Stadium, United’s 5,300 following might have feared an ‘action replay’ after Wigan’s Joe Williams ( left) was given his marching orders for a second yellow after just 21 minutes.
As on Good Friday, Bamford scored – but there was to be no shock repeat of a Wigan comeback against the odds.
Even so, it took 65 minutes before Bamford added another goal to definitely seal victory, putting Marcelo Bielsa’s side top of the league and unbeaten this season.
Bielsa admitted that the memory of last season’s WIGAN LEEDS 2 ........ Shots on Target .........6 2 ........ Shots off Target ........ 11 6 ................Corners .................6 17 ................. Fouls .................. 19 0 ............... Offsides ................. 3 53.8 . Passing Success ...86.8 171......... Total Passes ......... 561 23.7 ........Possession ........ 76.3 52.5 . Territorial Adv%... 47.5 amazing defeat by Wigan was at the back of his mind after Williams was sent off, adding: “I was reminded of that day, but a lot more happened today for us, and I feel a lot happier than back then.
“We are top of the league and that is very positive for us. When you are up there it is not decisive at this moment in the season, but it is important.”
Wigan boss Paul Cook – booked himself for the second home league game running – complained about inconsistency in refereeing, adding: “I’m not saying the ref cost us the game but you need consistency.
“There should have been three yellows either side of Joe Williams’ first booking. But Joe stepped beyond it today and his sending off cost us.
“Last year’s result at Elland Road was a bit freaky really, but at least we again showed a great work effort against one of the top teams in the league.”
Wigan looked to be handling the setback of losing a player so early in the game, but an unlucky 13 minutes later, Bielsa’s side were on the score sheet, courtesy of a giftwrapped chance that Bamford converted.
From a perfect cross into the Wigan goalmouth by Mateusz Klich, Adam Forshaw thumped his header against the near post, which then rolled cross the face of goal, for Bamford to simply tap home.
Yet Leeds struggled to make their superiority count before Bamford scrambled home his second from a tricky Douglas corner – and the fans sighed with relief.
With better finishing, Leeds could have settled it well before the sending-off. Early on, a Kalvin Phillips free-kick flashed across goal, with no player able to put it home.
Bamford spurned several chances, Forshaw was unlucky, and Pablo Henandez had a free-kick saved – but Leeds did enough.