Leeds United Jury: Long-awaited penalty rounds off another valuable Whites victory

David Watkins

QPR was always going to be a tough test but Leeds made it tougher!

A misjudgement by Kalvin Phillips, a clever touch by Nahki Wells to nick the ball off the stooping head of Pontus Jansson and fire past Bailey Peacock-Farrell midway through the first half, opened the scoring.

Kemar Roofe could have had three before, on the stroke of half time, he had a fourth opportunity and, with more luck than judgement, steered the ball into the bottom corner.

The second half was similar to the game at Bramall Lane – Leeds dominated but it was going to take either a bit of magic or a mistake to win it.

This time QPR pressed the self-destruct button when Toni Leistner swatted the ball away from Roofe and Leeds got that long-awaited penalty and Roofe put it away clinically.

It’s encouraging the way the rub of the green is going for us this season; the harder we work, the luckier we get.

Long may it continue!

Man of the match: Kemar Roofe

Matthew Evans

United came good in the rain to win against the odds.

A fourth win on the bounce, the referee from the Birmingham game, most of the defence missing, a goal behind in the first half and even being awarded a penalty – this was a match that threw up all the surprises.

Academy youngster Jamie Shackleton filled in with ease at right-back in the absence of both Luke Ayling and Stuart Dallas.

With captain Liam Cooper also on the sidelines, Kalvin Phillips’ move from the midfield to centre-half upset our balance a touch.

But Leeds still looked clearly the better side for almost the entire 90 minutes.

It’s true that we’ve come close to dropping points in all four games since the West Bromwich Albion capitulation – but that’s what promotion campaigns are made of.

There is much gnashing of teeth about Norwich’s continued success – but there are two automatic places up for grabs and that gap back to third looks pretty sweet right now.

Man of the match: Adam Forshaw

Andy Rhodes

Well, it’s safe to say we could all breathe a sigh of relief after closing out Saturday’s game against QPR. It wasn’t as pretty as we’ve come to expect, but it wasn’t half important.

Leeds are beginning to make a habit of grinding out results and picking up important points, and with four wins from four, everyone will be hoping that this is the start of a breakaway run.

Despite dominating for large spells, they had to work for the points, showing the character to come from behind and see the game out in the closing stages.

Marcelo Biesla will have Bailey Peacock-Farrell partly to thank, while Kemar Roofe again showed that his goals will be crucial this season.

He even had the confidence to take control of the penalty from Pablo Hernandez. With it being Leeds’ first in 58 games, there must have been some serious pressure to score it.

The win will set United up nicely as they get closer to Christmas. They just need to keep the momentum up.

Man of the match: Kemar Roofe

Keith Ingham

Leeds maintained their second place in the Championship thanks to a 2-1 win over QPR, they could even have gone top but for a late winner for Norwich who beat Bolton Wanderers 3-2.

Rangers took the lead through Nakhi Wells who beat the on-rushing Bailey Peacock-Farrell with a smart shot.

United levelled when Pablo Hernandez’s ball into the box was finished off by Kemar Roofe. Leeds dominated the early exchanges in the second half with Hernandez firing over and they didn’t have long to wait to take the lead when Leeds were awarded their first penalty in 58 games.

Fans held their breath as Roofe placed the ball on the spot, took a few steps back and put the ball into the corner of the net. Leeds then had a couple of late scares before the referee blew the whistle.

As in the games with Bristol and Reading it was a hard- earned three points, but Leeds are getting into a good habit of getting wins even when they aren’t playing their best football.

Man of the match: Kemar Roofe

Shaun Smith

Scoring just before half-time to bring the game even always is a psychological advantage. In truth, the game should have been over before it really began. Kemar Roofe had chances aplenty before burying the equaliser.

With that goal a second seemed inevitable and indeed duly happened but the way it happened was one of those rare moments in the universe like a blue moon or a sighting of Halley’s comet.

Some of the younger fans wondered what was going on. What was this strange ritual where Leeds seem to have been awarded a free shot on goal.

It was left to the older heads to explain that this was in fact the stuff of folklore – a penalty.

Roofe vaguely recalled a game he had played on the computer and strode up and duly stuck it in the corner of the net.

On the way home I heard a young lad ask: “Will we get another penalty one day, Daddy?”

The father looked at his shoes and then at the boy.

“Perhaps son, when your my age, perhaps.”

History is being written in LS11, one win at a time.

Man of the match: Adam Forshaw

Mike Gill

A fourth win in a row for United keeps them in second place – but it is pleasing to see a gap opening up between the Championship’s top two and the chasing pack.

This game was never going to be an easy one but when Pontus Janssen headed the ball into the path of former Huddersfield Town striker Nakhi Wells – who went on to score – it was beginning to look like an even tougher challenge for the Whites.

The home side had started brightly enough but chance after chance went begging.

After the goal, they faltered a bit before leading scorer Kemar Roofe put them level on the stroke of half-time.

United started the second half like a house on fire and were awarded that rarest of commodities: a penalty.

Roofe put it away securely after having a brief conversation with captain for the day, Pablo Hernandez.

Somehow the Whites found themselves under the cosh again but held out to the nail-biting finish.

Man of the match: Jamie Shackleton