David Prutton salutes 'monumental' Leeds United feat after chase from West Brom and Brentford

DAVID Prutton feels the Championship's best two teams have sealed automatic promotion to the Premier League with Leeds United's ten-point margin back to West Brom a "testament" to the Whites.
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Championship winners Leeds and runners-up West Brom are counting down the days to Premier League football following an automatic promotion race that went down to the wire for the second spot.

West Brom eventually hauled themselves over the line in second place after a 2-2 draw at home to Queens Park Rangers on the final day as third-placed Brentford suffered a 2-1 reverse at home to relegation battling Barnsley.

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After an epic tussle during a spell in which Brentford won eight games in a row, Slaven Bilic's Baggies ultimately sealed the runners-up spot by finishing two points ahead of Brentford who only edged third place on goal difference ahead of fourth-placed Fulham.

CLEAR BEST: Leeds United celebrate promotion to the Premier League as Championship champions after finishing ten points clear of second-placed West Brom. Picture by Tim Goode/PA Wire.CLEAR BEST: Leeds United celebrate promotion to the Premier League as Championship champions after finishing ten points clear of second-placed West Brom. Picture by Tim Goode/PA Wire.
CLEAR BEST: Leeds United celebrate promotion to the Premier League as Championship champions after finishing ten points clear of second-placed West Brom. Picture by Tim Goode/PA Wire.

Scott Parker's Cottagers hold a 2-0 lead going into Thursday night's play-offs semi-final second leg against Cardiff City and Brentford will now look to overturn a 1-0 deficit against Swansea City in their play-offs semi-final second leg at Griffin Park tonight (kick-off 7.45pm).

But Leeds and West Brom are already up with former Whites midfielder and Sky Sports presenter Prutton hailing the achievements of both sides and in particular United for finishing ten points clear.

Prutton told the YEP: "As much as we looked at the games and the different runs of form when they kind of faltered at the same time, I don't think you can come away from Leeds and West Brom being the best two teams on their day.

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"We know how good Brentford are and that late surge almost got them automatic.

"They have still got a wonderful chance and it would be a wonderful story if they got into the Premier League.

"But at West Brom you have got Pereira, Diangana, Grosicki, the strikeforce that they have got and the defensive solidity that they have shown.

"It would take a hard heart and a cynic to begrudge them a place back in the Premier League because of how brilliant they have been at times and I think it's testament to how good Leeds have been that they have had a team that good behind them pushing them all the way and that's spurred them on.

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"I have used the analogy before of Liverpool and Man City and obviously that's a bit of a leap of faith with the players involved with the greatest respect and the achievements of both teams in recent seasons.

"But they have kept each other honest, absolutely honest, and pushed each other all the way."

Prutton added: "You look at who is there on merit and who deservedly goes up and then you can look at the teams who have faltered and gone down.

"Hull City's decline has been shocking and saddening really and it's miraculous what Barnsley have done.

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"But there are other teams that need to have a good look at themselves - Boro, Stoke et cetera, Huddersfield, they have been messing around near the bottom all season and really shouldn't be.

"There'll always be a presumption that Leeds should have gone up anyway as they should have gone up last season.

"But that really does discount what an absolutely monumental achievement it has been and it's just really good to see."

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Thank you Laura Collins

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