Bristol City 0 Leeds United 1: Patrick Bamford hands Whites the spoils at Ashton Gate

Marcelo Bielsa named an unchanged line-up for the fourth time in a row with the Argentine's bench also remaining the same.

The game got off to a quiet start as the early exchanges passed without incident until Gjanni Alioski picked out the run of Luke Ayling with an inch-perfect crossfield ball in the ninth minute.

United's right-back met the delivery in the air with a cushioned header across the face of goal with Patrick Bamford on hand to tap home past Max O'Leary.

As the striker slid to meet the ball he collided with the frame of the goal with the 25-year-old visibly struggling after the knock to his knee that hampered the celebrations.

City responded as Liam Cooper gave away a cheap corner with a stray backpass but Adam Webster was unable to work Jamie Paterson's set-piece on target.

Leeds started to settle into the game with Lee Johnson's men struggling to get a foothold in the match as the home crowd grew frustrated.

Jack Harrison flashed an effort wide of the mark while Bamford saw another shot blocked from outside the box.

The former should've doubled the advantage just after the half hour mark as Pablo Hernandez found space on the right to whip in a low ball.

Harrison, though, failed to work the chance as Webster recovered to poke the cross against the winger.

Bamford went close again as he continued on despite the earlier knock as he lifted a volley over the bar from an Ayling cross.

As the the first half reached injury-time United were opened up for the first time of the afternoon.

Jamie Paterson found a hole in the Leeds backline as he fed in Marlon Pack with Kiko Casilla racing out of his goal to meet the pass.

The Whites stopper was second to the ball as the midfielder picked out Famara Diedhiou inside the area but Pontus Jansson was in the right place at the right time to crowd out the striker with the goal at his mercy.

After the break the game continued in much the same vein as United saw a penalty appeal turned down by referee Peter Bankes.

Ayling whipped in a ball from the right which hit Tomas Kalas before a scramble saw Bamford's effort blocked behind with United wanted a penalty.

The striker's afternoon was to end early as he was replaced by Stuart Dallas and could be seen applying an ice pack to his left knee on the bench.

Tyler Roberts, who had replaced Bamford up front, saw an effort well saved shortly after following lovely work from Harrison on the left as he broke past two men to feed the forward in.

On the hour mark Casilla was forced into action for the first time in the second period as Paterson again found Pack inside the box but the goalkeeper did well to block the low shot with his legs.

As the game continued it became stretched with Casilla having to avert danger once more as Diedhiou flicked a header to substitute Matty Taylor but the forward failed to lift his effort over the stopper from outside the box.

United's goalkeeper was seeing a lot of the action and came to blows with City captain Bailey Wright.

The pair tangled in the area with the Spaniard taking exception to the challenge from the right-back but a word of warning was enough for the pair.

Johnson's men was spurred on by the incident as they penned the visitors back.

Substitute Barry Douglas produced a strong headed clearance from underneath the bar as Paterson drilled a free-kick in from the left.

It was all the hosts could muster, though, as United held firm to grab a vital three points and leapfrog Sheffield United once again into the automatic promotion spots.

Bristol City XI: O'Leary, Dasilva, Webster, Wright, Brownhill, Diedhiou, O'Dowda, Semenyo, Paterson, Pack, Kalas. Subs: Marinovic, Kelly, Taylor, Eliasson, Hunt, Weimann, Palmer.

Leeds United XI: Casilla, Ayling, Jansson, Cooper, Alioski, Phillips, Hernandez, Harrison, Klich, Roberts, Bamford. Subs: Peacock-Farrell, Douglas, Berardi, Dallas, Shackleton, Gotts, Brown.

Referee: Peter Bankes

Attendance: 24,832 (2,675 - away)