Leeds close on leaders West Brom

London: Luke Ayling’s goal against his former club was good enough to give Leeds a 1-0 win over Bristol City yesterday that saw the fallen English giants revive their bid for automatic promotion to the Premier League.

This was just Leeds’ second win in seven league matches and saw them move to within four points of Championship leaders West Bromwich Albion.Victory was made all the better for Leeds by the fact it helped them open up a three-point lead over thirdplaced Fulham, who suffered a shock 3-0 loss at home to bottom-of-the-table Barnsley. Cauley Woodrow opened the scoring against former club Fulham with a 24th-minute penalty before Jacob Brown and Woodrow again were on target at Craven Cottage as Barnsley secured a first win in five league matches.

Only the top two at the end of the regular season are guaranteed promotion to English football’s lucrative top flight and West Brom saw their lead trimmed after they were held to a 2-2 draw by

Midlands rivals Nottingham Forest.

Matty Cash’s added-time equaliser saw Forest secure a draw at The Hawthorns after West Brom had twice led through Callum Robinson and a Tobias Figueiredo own-goal.

But Kyle Bartley’s own-goal and Cash’s late effort saw Forest to a draw.

West Brom manager Slaven Bilic, however, refused to be downhearted after seeing his side drop two points.

“I told the guys I’m going to be disappointed and they’re frustrated, but if we continue like this, with the same patterns, focus, energy and quality, then we really have a good chance to do what we want to do,” he said.

Brentford moved above Forest into fourth place on goal difference a 1-1 draw at Birmingham.

Blackburn closed to within three points of the playoffs thanks a 2-0 win over Charlton.

Elsewhere, Queens Park Rangers came from 2-0 down to win 4-2 at home to Stoke.