Patrick Bamford on Barnsley's grit, Leeds United's celebrations and potential promotion at Derby County

As the full-time whistle sounded at Elland Road, Leeds United's Patrick Bamford and his team-mates knew they had been in a battle.

Statistically, it was the Championship's best side entertaining the division's worst - but what transpired was a gritty Yorkshire derby decided by an own goal.

Bamford admitted afterwards that the affair with Gerhard Struber's Barnsley outfit was a slog of an encounter that had left the Whites shattered in the changing room.

Marcelo Bielsa's men had relinquished their usual control, and had to show another side of their game as Leeds fought hard for a vital three points that put them within touching distance of Premier League football for the first time in 16 years.

The celebrations post-match signalled that the job was almost done - just one point now separates the Whites from the promised land and all that it brings.

Owner Andrea Radrizzani hugged his players as they entered the tunnel, while sporting director Victor Orta interrupted Bamford's post-match debrief from afar as he flicked through the Whites songbook.

"I think today was more like relief," Bamford said of the scenes at full-time.

"I think we actually have to give Barnsley a lot of credit. We were saying in the changing room that we're not sure how they're bottom of the league.

"They came here and really stuck it to us. We struggled, that's probably the worst game in terms of trying to imprint our style on the opposition since I've been here.

"I think that's because of them. They played really well. Obviously they defended well when we had to but we weren't able to exploit the spaces like we would do so I think at the end it was more like a relief.

"The lads were all shattered at the end, as you could see.

“I think we’d have liked a much easier game. No games are easy at this stage. They’re fighting for their life. We knew that before the game. We expected a tough game but probably not as tough as that.

"It was a slog but three points is what matters."

It was Bamford who helped break the deadlock as his low ball into the Tykes six-yard box was turned home by visiting defender Michael Sollbauer into his own net.

"I felt like we didn’t have a lot of the ball - I don't know what the stats were," Bamford continued.

"It was very open. They had chances and it’s just one of them. We defended quite well when it came to it. We deserved the win but we had to work for it.

"I was going to shoot after I tried to cut it back and Ty [Tyler Roberts] shouted to square it so I tried so I just smashed it across the box.

"Fortunately it went in, I'd love to say it was my goal but they all count."

United could now end their Football League nightmare at Derby County on Sunday.

Some would say it would be a poetic end to this chapter of the club's history, to celebrate on the pitch against the team who caused so much heartbreak in the play-offs a little over 12 months ago.

Leeds, though, may well be promoted without kicking another ball if West Brom or Brentford drop points ahead of the trip to Pride Park.

“I think some would say it’s written in the stars," Bamford smiled.

"No matter where it is it’ll be good to go up. The way we have looked at it, before this game it was six points to be champions - not just to go up.

"There’s not many times in your life you get to say you've won, you've come first in a league.

"That's the main aim. I think going up as champions makes it so much better."