Sam Greenwood bags notable double as five-star Leeds United under-23s sign off in style

LEEDS United's title-winning under-23s fittingly capped a stunning season with a five-star performance against Burnley under-23s at Thorp Arch.
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Mark Jackson's side approached Monday's contest having already sealed promotion to the top level as Premier League 2 Division Two champions.

Steve Stone's Burnley side arrived fighting for a play-offs place but Leeds blitzed the Clarets 5-2 as Sam Greenwood bagged a brace of spot kicks to outgun the absent Joe Gelhardt and become top scorer for the season.

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Cody Drameh, Crysencio Summerville and Niall Huggins also netted as Leeds sealed an amazing 18th win of the season and finished the campaign unbeaten at home.

TOP SCORER: Leeds United under-23s forward Sam Greenwood, left. Photo by Charlotte Tattersall/Getty Images.TOP SCORER: Leeds United under-23s forward Sam Greenwood, left. Photo by Charlotte Tattersall/Getty Images.
TOP SCORER: Leeds United under-23s forward Sam Greenwood, left. Photo by Charlotte Tattersall/Getty Images.

Jackson was able to name a strong side that featured the club's record signing Rodrigo.

The Spaniard returned from a muscular injury for Marcelo Bielsa's Whites as a second half substitute in Saturday's 2-0 Premier League loss at Brighton.

And Rodrigo provided the assist for Drameh's opener after stellar work from another first team squad member in Gaetano Berardi.

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Berardi produced a no nonsense tackle to win the ball in the middle of the park and then fed Rodrigo who played in Drameh down the right.

Drameh then produced a clinical low finish that whistled past Clarets keeper Marc Richter to give Jackson's side a 22nd-minute lead.

After a quiet opening 15 minutes, Rodrigo caused plenty of bother and saw several other efforts blocked or saved.

Burnley rallied in the closing stages of the first half but the Leeds defence dug deep in front of Kiko Casilla in goal.

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Rodrigo, Berardi and Leif Davis were then taken off at the break as Summerville, Jamie Shackleton and Stuart McKinstry were introduced.

An excellent lunge from Charlie Cresswell prevented Burnley from netting a tap in and minutes later Leeds doubled their lead as Huggins netted from an acute angle from Summerville's cross/shot.

A Cresswell header from a corner then hit the post but Burnley pulled a goal back as a free-kick was deflected to Anthony Gomez who fired past Casilla.

The woodwork then denied Greenwood whose header from a corner hit the crossbar.

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Greenwood fired wide just after and both sides then exchanged chances in a frantic second half.

Leeds then won themselves a penalty as Summerville used his lightning pace to beat Clarets keeper Richter to a Liam McCarron long ball.

Summerville and Greenwood both wanted to take the spot kick and captain Cresswell was called over as Greenwood took the ball.

Summerville would not leave the scene and was subsequently booked but Greenwood kept his composure to slam home the penalty into the bottom left corner.

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Back came Burnley and the Clarets pulled a goal back as Max Thompson netted from close range from a corner.

But Leeds responded with a rapid double salvo as Summerville firstly got his goal by racing on to a Shackleton through ball and taking out both the goalkeeper and defender with a superb chip to leave himself with a tap in.

Minutes later, Greenwood was bundled over in the area and the Whites forward stepped up to take his second spot kick which was blasted past Richter.

Still Leeds poured forward and Greenwood saw an effort deflected wide in search of his hat-trick.

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The scene was then perfectly set for Greenwood to bag his hat-trick as Leeds were awarded a late free-kick on the edge of the box but alas his effort was whipped over the bar.

Leeds United: Casilla, Drameh, Davis (McKinstry 46), Casey, Cresswell, Berardi (Shackleton 46), Huggins, Jenkins, Rodrigo (Summerville 46), Greenwood, McCarron. Subs not used: Caprile, Kamwa.

Burnley: Richter, Burton, Glennon, Benson, Spencer-Adams, Nartey, Tucker (Costelloe 53), Gomez, Harker, Richardson, Thompson. Subs not used: Allen, Armstrong, McGlynn, Rooney.

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Thank you Laura Collins

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