LEEDSKIKON
Keeper Casilla is the hero
LEEDS boss Marcelo Bielsa saluted Kiko Casilla after the keeper’s heroics helped his side climb back to the Championship summit.
Second-half goals from Ezgjan Alioski and Pablo Hernandez did the damage as the on-song Whites won a fiery West Yorkshire derby.
But former Real Madrid keeper Casilla produced two brilliant saves to thwart the Terriers as they looked to pull off a shock.
A sixth successive victory made sure Bielsa’s promotion-hungry team leapfrogged arch-rivals West Brom at the top.
“We wish he’d have less to do, but today he had a great impact in 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 a sweet left-foot volley five minutes after the break. It was the Macedonian international’s third goal of season and came after Spanish keeper Casilla had earlier saved well from Steve Mounie and produced a stunning fingertip block to deny the striker midway through the half.
Casilla pulled off a stunning point-blank block to stop Elias Kachunga from equalising shortly after the hour mark.
And that save allowed Hernandez to head home unmarked at the back post, also for his third goal of the season, to make sure of 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 closerange. And then substitute
Matty Daly frustratingly dragged a shot just wide of the target as the home side refused to lie down.
Bielsa was happy with another win but not satisfied with his side’s defending from set-pieces.
He said: “We defended setpieces badly, but our first goal from Alioski made it easier for us.
“In the first half we should have created more chances, but we had some opportunities and we couldn’t end them very well.
“We could have scored more goals, but we could have conceded a goal as well.
“We struggled with our last pass when we arrived in good positions, but it’s good to have chances rather than not.
“The second half was differwith ent, but we had problems in both halves with set-pieces.”
Terriers boss Danny Cowley was impressed with his team despite five games without a win, including their 5-2 mauling at the hands of Bristol City last time out.
“It’s not terminal here, but there is a storm,” said Cowley. “We have to roll with the punches and get over these disappointments.
“It’s been one of my toughest weeks in football, but I’m proud of my players because we changed the style and the system. We only had 11 senior players, so that’s why we did it.”
HUDDERSFIELD: Grabara 6, Hadergjonaj 6, Stankovic 7, Schindler 7, Duhaney 6, Bacuna 7, Hogg 7, Koroma 6 (Harratt 72, 5), Grant 7, Kachunga 7, Mounie 7 (Daly 83).
Subs not used: Coleman, Edmonds-green, High, Austerfield, Jackson.
LEEDS: Casilla 9, Alioski 8, Berardi 6, Ayling 7, Dallas 6, White 6, Harrison 7, Klich 7 (Casey 86), Hernandez 8, Costa 6 (Douglas 87), Bamford 6 (Nketiah 77).
Subs not used: Miazek, Hosannah, Gotts, Clarke.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Kiko Casilla. The on-song shotstopper made two superb saves.
REFEREE: Gavin Ward 7.