BOSS BIELSAHAILS BAMFORD
Striker hits the winner on his return
MARCELO BIELSA saluted Leeds’ match winner Patrick Bamford as his £7 million striker returned from injury to shoot his side to the top of the Championship table with a win at Bolton.
Bamford hadn’t featured for the first team since August and his 66th-minute strike was his first league goal since his summer move from Middlesbrough.
“He can be very important (for us),” said Bielsa after Leeds’ fifth successive win over their relegation-haunted hosts.
“For him, it is good for his confidence. He has worked very hard to gain his full fitness. And it’s important to have two important strikers in our team.”
Leeds weren’t at their best and Bielsa agreed: “It was hard win, but a deserved one.
“We had the possession, but we didn’t have the chances to score. With that possession we might have thought we would have created more chances but it wasn’t the case.”
Leeds went close to taking the lead in the third minute, but were denied by keeper Ben Alnwick’s fingertips.
Ezgjan Alioski’s left-wing cross was headed towards goal by Pablo Hernandez, only for Alnwick to save at the expense of a corner.
But Leeds’ attempts to fashion more opportunities were restricted by Wanderers’ hurry-scurry approach and the driving wind and rain.
And it was a half hour before the visitors threatened again.
Alnwick once more came to Wanderers’ rescue with a save from Mateusz Klich’s effort that had direction, but little power.
Leeds began the second half playing towards their 4,577 fans in a crowd of 17,484 as they went in search of a fifth successive victory.
They also made the game’s first change taking off Lewis Baker for Jack Clarke.
However, it took the 60th-minute introduction of Bamford for Kemar Roofe to bring the Leeds travelling army back to full voice.
Bamford had missed more than three months of Leeds’ increasingly promising campaign with knee ligament damage.
A midweek hat-trick for the Under-23’s against Burnley was enough to earn him a place on Bielsa’s bench.
And he rose to the occasion with a neat right foot finish from 10 yards after a good approach by Hernandez to add to his League Cup goal against Bolton four months earlier.
Wanderers introduced all three substitutes in the closing 20 minutes as they looked to salvage a draw.
And with nine minutes remaining the home side believed they should have been awarded a penalty.
Instead, referee Robert Jones ruled Kalvin Phillips’ challenge on Craig Noone was a fair one.
Jack Hobbs saw a header cleared by Barry Douglas to deny Bolton an equaliser while Alnwick prevented Leeds doubling their advantage by saving Klich’s long range drive.
Bolton manager Phil Parkinson was disappointed with the result and the lack of a late penalty for a foul on Craig Noone.
But he insisted: “The lads gave absolutely everything. I feel for them and they left nothing in the pitch at all
“Leeds are a good side but we pressed them terrifically well.
“We restricted them to very few chances. When we closed them down and nicked the ball off them we lacked that bit of quality to go and hurt them.
“But I can’t fault the lads in terms of commitment.
“They are like me, they are disappointed the ref has decided not to give another stonewall penalty.
“When you are on a difficult run you need the referee to make big decisions.
“I am sure you have all seen it from the stand but when you see it on the TV monitor you realise we are unfortunate.
“Noone nicked the ball on the blind side of the defender and the lad saw him coming and he has just caught him.
“But the difference can sometimes be a £7 million player coming off the bench producing one moment of quality.”