Does anyone want promotion?
Wasteful Leeds frustrate Farke as they blow the opportunity to hit the top
AS THE Leeds supporters filtered out of Elland Road after their first home defeat all season, the Blackburn fans kept behind in the away end in the John Charles West Stand began their rendition of ‘Leeds, Leeds are falling apart again’.
It felt apt after John Eustace’s side pulled off a staggering heist to strengthen their survival hopes and inflict yet another shock in this most dramatic of promotion races, as Daniel Farke’s men blew the opportunity to go top of the Championship.
With two defeats in their past three matches, having previously won 41 points out of a possible 45 since the turn of the year, automatic promotion to the Premier League is now out of their hands after the Championship’s top scorer, Sammie Szmodics, scored his 24th league goal of the season, with eight minutes to go in West Yorkshire. Not since Alan Shearer in 1995-96 has a Rovers player achieved that.
‘What went wrong? We didn’t put the ball in the net,’ said Leeds boss Farke. ‘Szmodics showed the quality we didn’t show. He needed just one situation to score. It’s disappointing and frustrating.’
Farke’s side had 75 per cent possession and 19 attempts but could find no way past Aynsley Pears in the Blackburn goal. Pears was forced into saves by Crysencio Summerville, Wilfried Gnonto and Connor Roberts but the chance of the half went to Ilia Gruev, who fired wide when he was teed up on a plate by the ever-threatening Gnonto.
At the other end, Blackburn waited 41 minutes for their first attempt on goal but it forced the save of the game as Szmodics was denied by the outstretched left hand of Illan Meslier.
Leeds notched up a gear in the second half as Gruev tested Pears before Gnonto smashed an effort wide, but it was the visitors who should have broken the deadlock.
Szmodics knocked the ball across goal for Tyrhys Dolan to tap in but, somehow, Roberts got back in time to ensure the ball did not end up in the back of the net.
Yet in Szmodics, Blackburn have a killer centre-forward. From a goal-kick, Sam Gallagher’s flick on was helped on by Dolan into the path of Szmodics, who finished first time.
It was the icing on the cake on a resolute Blackburn performance that was packed with spirit and one which left Eustace delighted, just days after his side fell to a 5-0 defeat at Bristol City.
‘I’m so proud of our effort,’ the head coach said. ‘Football’s an emotional game and we have to stick together. We had a rough time on Wednesday and everyone thought we’d come here and lose but that togetherness showed,’
‘Without Sammie’s goals this season, we really would be in trouble. He’s been magnificent and again, his work rate off the ball was outstanding.’
Farke added: ‘It’s up to me if we don’t score — to find solutions. I have to work with them so that in the next game we create more chances.’