Leeds United 3 Ipswich Town 2: Whites showed grit and resolve - YEP jury
GARY NEWBOULD
United overcame a typically rugged and robust Ipswich Town team on Saturday afternoon to remain top of the Championship.
The home side were quickly on the front foot creating several openings with some fluid football with Pablo Hernandez and Eunan O’Kane regularly at the heart of all things good.
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Hide AdThe opening came when a great through ball from Connor Shaughnessy found Pierre Michel Lasogga. Following the goal, United strangely went into their shell and on the half hour mark the visitors levelled the scores for United’s first home league concession of the season.
The Whites responded immediately when Kelvin Phillips equalised and just after the hour mark the Ipswich keeper Bialkowski made a complete howler from a corner to provide the home side with a two-goal lead that should have made the game safe.
However, Wiedwald made his own mistake to make the final quarter of the game far too interesting. United showed plenty of resolve to secure another valuable three points.
Man of the match: Eunan O’Kane.
MIKE GILL
Nobody expected this one to be easy but Lasogga gave United the perfect start on 13 minutes when he put away a fine through ball from Conor Shaughnessy.
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Hide AdSeventeen minutes later, McGoldrick headed the equaliser. United came up with the perfect response. After mass panic in the Ipswich penalty area, Phillips managed to scramble a shot home only two minutes later.
Ipswich clearly hadn’t come to capitulate and kept up the pressure.
Goalkeeper Felix Wiedewald was almost caught out when playing the ball out from the back.
Whilst it is accepted that this is how Leeds play, the goalkeeper must accept that sometimes you just have to hoof it.
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Hide AdIn the second half, Ipswich keeper Bialkowski managed to fumble a Hernandez corner into his own goal. This should have eased the pressure but shortly after, Wiedwald spilled one of his own into the path of Garner. This set the game up for a nervy finish but Leeds prevailed, just.
Man of the match: Luke Ayling.
KEITH INGHAM
Leeds held on to the first place in the Championship thanks to a 3-2 win over a very determined Ipswich Town side at Elland Road.
Cardiff City also won to leave both clubs on the same points, setting up a tasty affair this coming Tuesday in Cardiff.
Leeds went ahead through Pierre-Michel Lasogga in the 13th minute, the German striker latching on to a superb ball from Conor Shaughnessy.
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Hide AdIpswich were level just after the half hour mark, McGoldrick heading the ball past Wiedwald.
Within minutes, Leeds were ahead again, Phillips rounding the Ipswich Town keeper and scoring from an acute angle to make it 2-1 at the break.
Ipswich had the the chances to equalise early in the second half but failed to take the chances they created. Leeds increased their lead in the 67th minute when Bialkowski dropped Pablo Hernandez’s corner over his goal line. Garner gave the visitors hope with less than 20 minutes to play but Leeds hung on for a valuable win and three points.
Man of the match: Eunan O’Kane
DAVID WATKINS
Leeds got the all-important win against Ipswich Town to confirm our status as Championship pace-setters.
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Hide AdNo one expected it to be easy having seen the way Millwall performed last week and Ipswich lived up to their billing as another no nonsense physical side.
Gifting Ipswich two goals made it more difficult than it ought to have been but the quality Leeds have proved decisive.
A Pablo-like pass from Conor Shaughnessy set up Lasogga for a clinical finish; a lovely solo effort from Kalvin Phillips; and an astute piece of thinking from Pablo himself direct from a corner was enough to offset slack marking and a piece of sloppy keeping from Leeds.
Ipswich are the first side in the top six we have faced so to come out on top suggests this Leeds squad is capable of going all the way.
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Hide AdA decent result from Tuesday night’s clash at third-placed Cardiff City will confirm there is no better side in the Championship.
Man of the match: Kalvin Phillips
MATTHEW EVANS
This was a hard won victory that, while never looking straightforward, was well deserved in the end.
Conor Shuaghnessy’s pass from back to front to set up Pierre-Michel Lasogga’s opener was a thing of beauty and, up to that point, it had been all Leeds. You could have been forgiven for expecting a Burton-style thrashing until it became clear that United wanted to slow the game down and retreat into their own defensive third.
Immediately, United were under pressure from Ipswich’s pressing and their own stupidity with the ball. The expectation of the sell out crowd felt like it was going to cripple us and would have done to previous Leeds sides.
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Hide AdThankfully, despite some mixed defending, United managed to take the points through a superb burst from Kalvin Phillips and a bizarre direct corner from Hernandez that set us up for the victory without ever putting us out of sight. Mick McCarthy said he was pleased with his side’s performance, the fourth opposition manager in a row to make such a comment.
Man of the match: Luke Ayling