Ready to raise the Roofe on our second go

GOAL hero Kemar Roofe says Leeds were stinging after blowing their big shot of automatic promotion.

For so long it looked like they would waltz back into the big time leaving the others to scrap it out but they got pipped at the post.

Roofe admits they had to shake off the hangover quickly to get focused for the play-offs.

They’re not at Wembley quite yet but his 55th-minute goal gives Marcelo Bielsa’s men a massive advantage going into Wednesday’s second leg at Elland Road.

Roofe said: “We’ve dusted ourselves down. We can’t feel sorry for ourselves. We’re in the play-offs which is still a massive achievement.

“We were always going to be disappointed because we put ourselves in a good position but we’ve got another chance.”

Roofe’s finish was clinical but the curling centre pass from Jack Harrison to set him up will live in the memory.

Well, that and referee Craig Pawson’s bizarre decision to over-rule himself after awarding Derby a 77th-minute penalty when Jayden Bogle went tumbling under a Harrison challenge.

Pawson pointed to the spot and then conferred with his linesman before deciding that he hadn’t seen what he first thought. Derby’s players were fuming, not least because the Leeds men surrounded the referee to state the case for the defence.

Rams boss Frank Lampard said: “I thought the referee was the boss out there. It’s astounding – really strange.”

The game had a spikiness from the start when the impressive Stuart Dallas made the first of about four bookable challenges.

Kelle Roos made a couple of great saves and Bogle only needed a touch from a yard out to give Derby the lead.

But the attitude of Dallas and Co swung it as the Whites made it clear they weren’t messing about before Roofe’s winner.