Ben White assesses promotion picture as Leeds United move five points clear in top two

BEN WHITE said he would happily see Leeds United win 1-0 every week after another single-goal victory sent the Whites five points clear in the Championship's automatic promotion spots.
ON THE MOVE: Jack Harrison and match-winner Pablo Hermandez charge forward as Leeds United defeat Saturday's visitors Reading 1-0 to move five points clear in the Championship's automatic promotion spots. Picture by Simon Hulme.ON THE MOVE: Jack Harrison and match-winner Pablo Hermandez charge forward as Leeds United defeat Saturday's visitors Reading 1-0 to move five points clear in the Championship's automatic promotion spots. Picture by Simon Hulme.
ON THE MOVE: Jack Harrison and match-winner Pablo Hermandez charge forward as Leeds United defeat Saturday's visitors Reading 1-0 to move five points clear in the Championship's automatic promotion spots. Picture by Simon Hulme.

One week after Luke Ayling's strike downed Bristol City at Elland Road, a Pablo Hernandez goal three minutes before the hour proved enough to see off Saturday's visitors Reading as the Whites triumphed 1-0 for the second game in a row.

As was the case in last weekend's clash against the Robins, United again squandered a host of chances in front of goal to put Reading out of sight with 18 shots of which five were on target resulting in just the one goal.

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United almost paid for their profligacy in front of goal in the 93rd-minute when Reading's Liam Moore was only denied by a strong save from Whites keeper Kiko Casilla.

Once again, Marcelo Bielsa's men should have been well and truly out of sight but White played down any concerns of the missed chances as one goal again proved sufficient.

"I'd win 1-0 every week, I wouldn't mind," said Brighton loanee White.

"Obviously we had quite a few chances but we scored one and they didn't.

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"It was frustrating obviously that we didn't score for an hour or so but I was confident that we were going to and the main thing was we kept the clean sheet.

"They only had one chance in the game and it came in the 93rd minute so it was lucky that Kiko was on his toes.

"Keeping them down to a minimum of one chance is good."

Casilla maintained his place in the Whites net with United still awaiting the FA's verdict into his hearing over alleged racism.

The 'keeper's hearing into an alleged remark of a racist nature towards striker Jonathan Leko in the 1-0 defeat at Charlton Athletic at the end of September took place in London last week.

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The Leeds No 1 denies the allegations strongly but the Spaniard would be looking at a ban of several games if found guilty.

But Casilla has now kept two clean sheets in a row with his save after Hernandez's fifth goal of the season sending Leeds five points clear in the Championship's second automatic promotion spot with 12 games left.

White, though, said his men were paying little attention to the table and focused only on continuing their own haul of points.

"I just got told down there to be fair, I didn't actually know," said White shortly after the full-time whistle, asked about the five-point cushion back to third-placed Fulham.

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"But we are all just focused on ourselves, we are looking to get our points up and not worry about anyone else.

"We are just focused on what we are doing and we are really worried about anyone else around us.

"Each week we are trying to get the three points and that's what we will look to continue to do."

United also recorded Saturday's success against the Royals despite losing linchpin holding midfielder Kalvin Phillips to injury midway through the first half.

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Phillips was replaced in the 38th minute by Gjanni Alioski who moved to left back with Stuart Dallas moving from left back to right back as Luke Ayling moved from right back into centre defence.

That meant White stepping forward from centre-back to play the holding midfield role.

"Obviously it's not nice to see him go off because he has such a big part to play in the games but I think we all adapted well and we did good," said White.

"In preparation and during training we always have a back-up plan with positions.

"In training I do some stuff in midfield and we all rotate so we all know or jobs when it comes to it.

"It's not easy but it makes it easier."