THE VERDICT: YEP jurors breathe sigh of relief after Leeds United '˜get the job done' at Bolton

And while there were a couple of scares to endure – notably towards the end of a weather-ravaged encounter – most fans returned home satisfied, pronouncing the performance and outcome: job done.

DAVID WATKINS

I don’t get many predictions right so I’m going to milk this one! There is no such thing as an easy Championship game and almost all of them turn on a mistake or a moment of magic.

I did wonder if we would find the moment of magic without Samu Sáiz but I should have remembered that Pablo Hernandez usually provides at least one in every game: a clever little ball prodded through a defender’s legs into the path of Patrick Bamford and the £7 million man provided the clinical finish.

I think Marcelo Bielsa will probably describe the victory as “efficient”; we prevented the home side from making even a single attempt on target while we fashioned four from our 12 attempts. Leeds bossed the possession to the tune of 70 per cent as we so often do and it was just a matter of finding that breakthrough moment.

Five wins on the bounce since 2009, top of the table again with one game left to the all-important halfway point in the season. Is it too much to ask for to get at least a point from Villa Park? I don’t think so!

Man of the match: Pablo Hernandez.

ANDY RHODES

Well, we can all breathe a sigh of relief after Saturday’s positive result for Leeds United at Bolton.

It wasn’t exactly convincing but it wasn’t half important in terms of the promotion race.

It was one of those games you can file under ‘must win’ if you want to be competing for the top two places in the Championship.

That being said, both sides looked average before the introduction of Jack Clarke who again made the difference for Leeds.

His direct running unlocked the door that Gjanni Alioski and Lewis Baker couldn’t.

His performance will lead to a few suggesting he can replace the outgoing Samu Saiz.

At times Clarke looked like his spitting image and it was his initial hard work that led to the winner.

The goal will also do a world of good to Patrick Bamford after a long spell on the sidelines, and he’ll now be pushing for a start.

On paper this was one of the Championship’s easier games, up next is one of its hardest.

Man of the match: Jack Clarke.

KEITH INGHAM

Leeds beat Bolton Wanderers 1-0 at the University of Bolton Stadium to climb to the top of the Championship. Norwich City drew 2-2 at Bristol City and are one point behind Leeds.

With Samuel Siaz seemingly on the way out of the club, Marcelo Bielsa brought in Lewis Baker into midfield for the game against struggling Bolton.

Tyler Roberts was brought into the 18, while there was no place for Izzy Brown who Bielsa feels needs a little more time to get back to match fitness.

Patrick Bamford was again amongst the substitutes after his midweek hat-trick for the under 23s.

Leeds started strongly and had three opportunities to score – Hernandez, Klich and Roofe kept out by Alnwick in the Bolton goal. The miserable weather made conditions hard in the first half for both teams to control the game.

As in recent games, Jack Clarke was introduced in place of Baker and the youngster had the Bolton defence in retreat as his direct runs made life difficult for them and easier for Leeds to dictate and win it.

Noone gave the host’s something to cheer when he found space to curl an effort just wide of a post. Leeds introduced fit-again Patrick Bamford for Kemar Roofe just after the hour mark and within 10 minutes the returning striker had given Leeds the lead.

Clarke ran at Bolton’s defence before feeding Klich and Pablo Hernandez who delightfully found Patrick Bamford. The striker flashed the ball past Alnwick to score on his return to first-team action.

Leeds had a late scare when Phillips clashed with Noone in the penalty area but the referee waved away the penalty claims of Bolton. Klich nearly doubled Leeds’ lead but Alnwick palmed his effort away from the goal.

Bolton’s last effort to deny Leeds the three points was Lowe’s effort that went wide of the post.

Leeds’ last five games have only seen one goal conceded and that itself is remarkable considering that the defence is missing Ayling, Berardi and Cooper. The five-game winning run is the best since 2009.

Man of the match: Patrick Bamford.

MICHAEL GILL

Freezing horizontal rain was never going to make this game a classic – and so the first half proved.

A more boring, turgid display could not be imagined. Hoofball from Bolton and a slow build up from Leeds which was far removed from the halcyon days of the quick attacks that left the rest of the Championship reeling at the beginning of the season.

In the second half , the ineffectual Lewis Baker was replaced by Jack Clarke who put some snap into the proceedings. Before very long, a tired-looking Kemar Roofe made way for Patrick Bamford and three minutes later a great Bielsa-ball move culminated in an inch-perfect pass from Pablo Hernandez finding the ex-Middlesbrough man who put the chance away calmly.

Man of the match: Adam Forshaw.

United played some nice football but were not without a scare or two, especially when Bolton’s keeper Alnwick tried a speculative pitch-length shot which certainly woke BPF up from his soggy slumbers.

Pretty game? No.

Job done? Yes.

SHAUN SMITH

There was a bloke in the Leeds end with his shirt off. It wasn’t pretty but we toughed it out and on the pitch it was exactly the same.

The conditions reminded me of Moby Dick and that Pablo Hernandez can actually function in the middle of a blizzard makes one admire him even more. It was cold enough to cryogenically extend his career.

Meanwhile, Samuel Saiz was reportedly on a plane to Spain rather than in the rain and one suspects he would have hardly shone in these conditions. With Lewis Baker failing to impress, Marcelo Bielsa may be tempted to listen to arguments about recruiting. Patrick Bamford adds culture and has the touch to link play but Hernandez needs creative reinforcements. Jack Clarke can open a can with a dink of his shoulders and Jamie Shackleton makes the game look easy. Leeds looked a tad over-confident at the back and Bolton’s only chance was if they were gifted a goal.

Those conditions were tough and to ‘win ugly’ will please many fans as much as a glittering performance.

Man of the match: Jamie Shackleton.

MATTHEW EVANS

It wasn’t Stoke and it wasn’t a Tuesday night but it was cold and it was wet and it was almost certainly the best chance that Marcelo Bielsa has had so far to show that he has a squad capable of matching the travails of the Championship season.

Putting aside our ongoing injury crisis, the weather was a real leveller in a first half that never really got going. It was almost like going back in time and watching a performance under Neil Warnock, Brian McDermott or David Hockaday.

Fortunately, we were much better after the break and began to make our quality tell. The introduction of Jack Clarke at the break, replacing a lacklustre Lewis Baker, made a big difference before our second substitute, Patrick Bamford, took the points home with almost his first kick. We looked far more likely to score with the two subs on the pitch but this was a game that was also won in defence and Pontus Jansson was a rock.

Man of the match: Pontus Jansson.