Roofe’s hat-trick points Leeds towards the next round after Newport briefly threaten shock
KEMAR ROOFE’S superb hat-trick against League Two Newport County helped fire Leeds United into the third round of the Carabao Cup at Elland Road.
Newport had taken the lead in the 33rd minute when captain Joss Labadie let fly from 25 yards and his shot squirmed under the body of goalkeeper Rob Green on his first start of the season.
But Roofe drew United level one minute before the break when hammering home from a Stuart Dallas corner before firing United ahead just four minutes after the interval, this time from a cross by Dallas.
Two minutes after Roofe had hit the crossbar with a lovely lob, the forward completed his treble with a brilliant bicycle kick in the 65th minutes.
Substitute Samuel Saiz then powered home United’s fourth with 12 minutes left before Ronaldo Vieira brought up the Whites’ nap hand in the 89th minute.
Whites head coach Thomas Christiansen had given full debuts to Eoghan Stokes and Madger Gomes and Gomes went close when dragging a long-range effort just wide.
Green saved United in the ninth minute, palming a low effort from Sean Rigg just wide.
After Shawn McCoulsky’s fierce volley was headed off the line by Vurnon Anita, Newport took a 33rd-minute lead.
There appeared little danger as Labadie had a crack at goal from 20 yards, but the ball squirmed underneath Green and into the net.
Leeds, though, drew level a minute before the interval when Roofe fired home from close range after Conor Shaughnessy’s free header had been punched off the line by Joe Day.
Within four minutes of the second half Leeds were in front.
A clever pass from Luke Ayling fed Dallas whose cross from the left was deflected into the path of Roofe, who volleyed a nononsense finish past Day.
Newport went close to equalising immediately when a long shot from Lamar Reynolds trickled just wide before Roofe’s delicious lob from 25 yards dropped on to the crossbar.
Just two minutes later he produced a superb overhead kick from Ayling’s cross to net his third goal of the game.
Christiansen sent on Saiz and within 14 minutes of going on he bagged United’s fourth as the Whites piled forward and the ball broke to the Spaniard, who smashed the ball home from just inside the box.
Both sides had plenty of chances in the final 10 minutes, but it was United who scored a fifth when Vieira converted with a smart finish in the 89th minute that went in off a post. Leeds United: Green, Ayling, Borthwick-Jackson, Shaughnessy, Anita (Cooper 60), Klich, Vieira, Gomes, Dallas, Stokes (Saiz 65), Roofe (Alioski 75). Unused substitutes: Peacock-Farrell, O’Connor, Phillips, Wilks.
Newport County: Day, Demetriou, White, O’Brien, Pipe, Willmott, Dolan, Labadie, Rigg (Tozer 73), McCoulsky (Noble 54), Reynolds (Quigley 66). Unused substitutes: Bittner, Butler, Bennett, Cole. ■ Record signing Chris Wood is available to make his Burnley debut in tonight’s Lancashire derby with Blackburn at Ewood Park.
The New Zealand striker has moved to Turf Moor from Leeds for a fee that could rise to £17m and can still feature in the Carabao Cup, having been an unused substitute for the Whites in the first round.