Leeds close on automatic promotion spots as Bamford downs Norwich
Leeds climbed to within two points of the Championship’s automatic promotion places with a 1-0 win against Norwich at Elland Road.
Patrick Bamford scored the game’s solitary goal with a thumping first-half header and that was enough for Leeds to secure their fifth successive win in all competitions and keep the pressure on their promotion rivals. Norwich were not without chances – Gabriel Sara’s first-half effort was the best of them – but they slipped to their first defeat in six games and failed to climb into the playoff places.
In a fixture brought forward because both sides are in FA Cup action at the weekend, there was little to excite the crowd in the opening quarter of an hour. But Bamford changed that in the 16th minute after a concerted spell of home pressure as his fourth goal in five games put Leeds ahead.
Georginio Rutter and Daniel James combined on the edge of the box and the latter provided a pinpoint assist to the far post, where Bamford expertly headed back across a flat-footed Angus Gunn and into the far corner.
Norwich, the Leeds manager Daniel
Farke’s former club, did not stir until Josh Sargent’s shot was blocked in the 35th minute and the captain, Kenny McLean, then blazed a golden chance over the crossbar. But Leeds’s dominance was not reflected in chances and Norwich served another warning just before the break when Sara mishit Jack Stacey’s cross to the back post.
Jaidon Anthony replaced James at the break and helped to set up Crysencio Summerville, who fired an early second-half chance off target before Norwich stepped it up. The Canaries appeared to be gaining momentum, but Leeds pounced on a misplaced pass from Sara and it took a last-ditch block from McLean to deny Anthony in front of goal.
Summerville’s cross, after racing on to Junior Firpo’s precision pass, deserved better than Bamford’s wayward effort and Rutter was denied by Gunn’s outstretched boot as Leeds chased a killer second goal. But it did not come and Norwich threatened an equaliser on the counterattack when Adam Idah, on as a substitute, was brilliantly thwarted by the 17-year-old Archie Gray.
It was end-to-end action in the closing stages. Summerville’s shot curled just wide and Firpo’s low effort was saved by Gunn before the final whistle was met by huge roars of relief from the home fans as Leeds held on.