MX23RW : Wednesday, August 5 13:20:00| >> :600:87402:87402:
Mar 7, 2020 at 3pm UK at Elland Road
Attendance: 36,514
LeedsLeeds United
2-0
HuddersfieldHuddersfield Town
Ayling (3'), Bamford (51')
FT(HT: 1-0)

Result: Luke Ayling, Patrick Bamford fire Leeds back to top of Championship

Result: Luke Ayling, Patrick Bamford fire Leeds back to top of Championship
© Reuters
United are one point clear at the top.

Leeds returned to the top of the Championship with a rousing 2-0 victory over Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield.

Right-back Luke Ayling set United on their way at Elland Road with a sumptuous volley after just 160 seconds before Patrick Bamford tapped home his 13th goal of the season six minutes after the restart.

The victory means Leeds have now won five consecutive league games without conceding for the first time since December 2009, lifting them seven points clear of third-placed Fulham.

Head coach Marcelo Bielsa could not have wished for a more perfect start from his side, with Ayling volleying home off the underside of the crossbar from 10 yards from the outstanding Jack Harrison's cross.

It was in-form Ayling's sixth goal for the club, with the first three of those spread over 139 appearances, and with the last three coming in his previous five games.

Leeds, though, failed to build on such a solid platform, instead being forced deep on occasion by a Huddersfield side buoyed by last weekend's 4-0 home victory over Charlton.

The Terriers, though, managed just one effort on target in the opening half, with Trevoh Chalobah firing a 12-yard drive against the legs of Illan Meslier after playing a one-two with Fraizer Campbell.

United at least finished the half in the ascendancy, twice coming close to doubling their lead.

Harrison first rifled an angled first-time shot inches wide of the left-hand post in meeting an Ayling cross before a Ben White header to a Harrison free-kick from deep on the left shaved the same piece of woodwork.

It provided the platform for a rampant Leeds assault at the start of the second half, with Jonas Lossl denying Harrison and Bamford in the opening three minutes of the second period, but with the Terriers goalkeeper unable to do anything about United's second goal in the 51st minute.

From captain Christopher Schindler's lunging challenge on Bamford that resulted in the fifth booking of six of what was far from a dirty game, Lossl brilliantly tipped away White's goal-bound header, only for Bamford to end a seven-match drought by poaching the rebound from two yards.

It was almost 3-0 in the 58th minute, with Harrison producing a stunning mazy run that culminated in a left-foot curler that had Lossl beaten, only to strike his right-hand post.

In front of United's biggest home crowd of the season of 36,514, Bielsa's side comfortably saw out the closing exchanges to clinch another vital win in their quest to return to the Premier League and leave Town three points above the relegation zone.

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Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
CLeeds UnitedLeeds46289977354293
4Cardiff CityCardiff4619161168581073
5Swansea CitySwansea461816126253970
6Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest461816125850870
7Millwall461717125751668
8Preston North EndPreston461812165954566
9Derby CountyDerby461713166264-264
10Blackburn RoversBlackburn461712176663363
11Bristol City461712176065-563
RWigan AthleticWigan461514175756159
13Queens Park RangersQPR461610206776-958
14Reading461511205958156
15Stoke CityStoke46168226268-656
16Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds461511205866-856
17Middlesbrough461314194861-1353
18Huddersfield TownHuddersfield461312215270-1851
19Luton TownLuton46149235482-2851
20Birmingham CityBirmingham461214205475-2150
21Barnsley461213214969-2049
RCharlton AthleticCharlton461212225065-1548
RHull City46129255787-3045

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