By Heck, that’ll do for Whites
PAUL Heckingbottom tasted victory over former club Barnsley as Leeds came out on top in a Yorkshire derby.
Tom Pearce’s opener for the Whites was cancelled out by Paudie O’Connor’s own goal before Ezgjan Alioski’s seventh of the season proved decisive.
And Leeds assistant head coach Jamie Clapham – who moved to Elland Road from Oakwell in February with Heckingbottom – felt that their past added to the encounter, with the Whites’ management team now clear over what needs to be done to their squad over the summer.
“It added to the game today, obviously because of who it was, where we’d come from. It was only something that you’d expect but I’m sure Paul’s delighted with the three points, as I am,” he said.
“We didn’t get the results early on. I think the performances were there but unfortunately, individual errors have cost us a few results.
“As we’ve gone along, we’ve made decisions on players and given players opportunities, taking people out, putting people back in.
“We have a full view now of what we feel the squad’s capabilities are and where we need to go in the summer.”
Leeds attacker Alioski pounced on Matt Mills’ early error but lifted the ball over an onrushing Adam Davies and wide to let the defender off the hook.
The Whites drew first blood when Pearce intercepted a stray 17th-minute ball from Bradley Potts and charged through to the edge of the box to slam a low effort past Davies.
Alioski’s close-range effort from a 20th-minute corner was charged down by Davies while Adam Hammill’s low cross moments later evaded all, Bailey Peacock-Farrell showing sharp reflexes to keep the Whites lead intact.
But the Tykes equalised when Zeki Fryers darted down the left wing in the 36th minute and his cross missed Pontus Jansson, with O’Connor’s attempted clearance diverting home past Peacock-Farrell.
Connor Mahoney drifted into the Leeds box and the defence stood off him to curl a dangerous stoppage-time effort, which Peacock-Farrell tipped around the post.
But the Whites retook the lead when Kemar Roofe outmuscled Mills in the 50th minute and delivered a low cross for Alioski to bury from close range.
The Tykes thought they had equalised when Mahoney’s low 54th-minute cross was tucked home by Oli McBurnie, only for the offside flag to be raised.
Barnsley could have leveled when Hammill’s right-wing delivery was met by substitute Kieffer Moore, who fired across goal.
With the Tykes still in the drop zone, boss Jose Morais felt pointed to their midweek clash against Nottingham Forest as a ‘must-win’ encounter.
“It’s a result that could have been a different result. I was expecting more. It was possible to have more and we didn’t get more,” he said.
“At this moment, Bolton is the team that is closer and my belief is that we definitely have to win the next game.
“Winning this game; we will be in a good position and after that, we can control in terms of making the same results as the ones that are in the direct fight.
“It is a must-win game – definitely.”