Leeds United left dancing to Preston's tune as young guns taught Yuletide lesson - Joe Donnohue's Verdict

Gone are the days of teenagers reaching into their stockings on Christmas Day and plucking from the depths a 'Now That's What I Call Music' CD. Of the 5,700 away fans at Deepdale on December 26, there will have been several who can recall that exact memory from their formative years. It was a different kind of blast from the past they were dealt on Boxing Day this year as Leeds, buoyed by their recent exploits against Ipswich Town, faltered away to one of the division's poorer attacking sides - their wounds largely self-inflicted. Now That's What I Call The Championship.

United fans have their own, much simpler phrase for this sort of thing: 'Leeds, that'.

Illan Meslier's needless sending off, Liam Millar's persistent threat going unaddressed and Preston creating two goals from open play despite boasting the league's third-worst Expected Goals figure in that particular regard - it was all so predictable, as was Daniel Farke's decision to name an unchanged starting XI for the third game in succession.

The Leeds manager's reluctance to draw on options within his squad throughout this season has struck a discordant note with supporters when things have gone awry, as they did in Lancashire. After defeating Ipswich emphatically last weekend, Farke repeated the assertion he would need to utilise his full squad during the busy festive period but selected the same line-up three days later at Deepdale.

'If it isn't broke, don't fix it', is one school of thought - Leeds had dismantled one of the league's best, most organised teams at Elland Road days prior. But, early on in their latest encounter, the team were struggling to ignite. This was in part due to the rough-and-tumble nature of Preston's defensive approach, dampening the spark of Leeds' exciting attackers, as well as a match official who sought to penalise only the more industrial challenges flying in, courtesy of North End's backline.

That is where the mitigating circumstances end, however, as Leeds' defeat was mostly of their own volition. A drab first-half almost burst into life with left-winger Millar's rasping effort from the edge of Meslier's penalty area, if not for the Frenchman's fingertip save. That was Millar's second such attempt from an almost identical position during the opening 45 minutes, the other whistling past the post. Meslier, for the most part, was hardly in the game, until he became protagonist and - 'tis the season - pantomime villain seven minutes into the second half.

Clutching a deep cross to his chest, Meslier reacted to what he perceived an unfair aerial challenge by Preston's Ben Whiteman. An initial coming together, in which the Leeds 'keeper appeared to lash out first with his right elbow, was followed by a gentle butting of heads, not uncommon in the game. The pair were separated by striker Milutin Osmajic, who shoved Meslier and for his trouble received a rugby league-style hand-off to the face in full view of referee Josh Smith.

Smith produced a straight red card, deeming Meslier's infraction to be violent conduct. All the while, Osmajic writhed around on the turf, in anything but agony. Deputy goalkeeper Karl Darlow's first act on his league debut for the club was to pick Alan Browne's header from the back of his net, as less than five minutes after his introduction, Leeds were a man down and a goal down.

The 60-minute mark passed with Leeds looking just as competitive and threatening as they had with eleven men on the pitch, although that was admittedly not a high bar to clear. Substitutions made by Farke, in addition to the raucous thousands behind Preston 'keeper Freddie Woodman's goal, seemed to galvanise the team in the face of adversity.

Their equaliser came seven minutes before the end of regulation time after substitute Mateo Joseph's flick around the corner with his back to goal, fed speedster Dan James, who was felled inside the Preston area by Ali McCann. As with the red card, Smith had no hesitation and pointed to the spot. Up stepped Pascal Struijk, much to the bemusement of many in the away end, bearing down on the spot-kick taker as he placed the ball. With Joel Piroe and Crysencio Summerville no longer on the pitch at this point, the responsibility from 12 yards fell to the skipper, who converted his penalty with a coolness matching his off-field demeanour. One apiece.

But, this is the Championship, let's not forget - there has always to be a twist in the tale, like digging into a stocking to find yet more socks or another can of Lynx deodorant.

Canadian winger Millar had given young Archie Gray twisted blood all afternoon and had more than one sight at Meslier's goal during the first half. As the clock ticked down, the midfielder, whose cross from the left-hand side had earlier been turned in by Browne's header, repeated his signature move. Getting away from Gray proved to be the easy part, shifting his body one way then the other, leaving the 17-year-old dancing to his tune, before Millar unleashed a curling effort from 25 yards. Darlow was unable to repeat Meslier's first-half fingertip stop as the ball sailed into the net.

Farke was quizzed at full-time on whether he was tempted to change Gray, having watched the teenager struggle through the 90 minutes. He acknowledged it was not the youngster's finest display but the sending off had left him limited options, especially when chasing the game, nor did he wish to apportion any blame for the game's result to his goalkeeper or right-back. The introduction of a more experienced head, Sam Byram perhaps, might have changed things, as it did against Cardiff City on the opening day when the 30-year-old replaced a toiling Leo Hjelde at left-back. Ultimately, we'll never know.

What we can surmise, though, is United were on the receiving end of a decidedly 'Championship' sequence of events. Questionable officiating, a game-changing red card and at the end, Leeds fans going home with a familiar feeling in the pit of their stomachs, all of which compounded by Southampton's subsequent 5-0 demolition of Swansea City, meaning Leeds slip to fourth in the table.

This season has largely been far removed from the years of disappointment in this division and woe of recent campaigns; it must be reiterated one result does not define an entire 46-game schedule. Track 23 on the Leeds United 2023/24 album was a chart-topper, but probably not a favourite of Ed Sheeran's, while Track 24 failed to live up to expectation. The message from Farke remains the same: only after all 46 have been played will a final verdict on this particular record be cast.