It is no longer in their hands but Leeds retain real hope of securing automatic promotion after reclaiming second place in the Championship following a timely return to form on Teesside.
Given that Michael Carrick’s much improved Middlesbrough are nobody’s pushover these days, Daniel Farke’s side needed to rediscover the ruthlessness that had deserted them in recent weeks. To the relief of the travelling fans, Crysencio Summerville, Patrick Bamford and Wilfried Gnonto obliged with potentially vital goals in a thrillingly compelling game that showcased the second tier’s often underrated appeal.
While a restorative win featuring stellar performances from Archie Gray, Summerville and Bamford leaves Leeds one point behind the leaders, Leicester, and one ahead of Ipswich, their rivals both have a game in hand.
“Firstly, it was a good advertisement for the Championship,” said Farke. “Compliments to Middlesbrough, it was a tight game, they tried everything and their mentality was great but we showed steel and resilience. We have our confidence back. We just have to concentrate on ourselves now.”
Isaiah Jones’s duel with Junior Firpo always promised to intrigue and, sure enough, that subplot did not disappoint. Tellingly, Jones had already enjoyed some early success against Farke’s left-back when the Middlesbrough winger shot his side into a seventh-minute lead.
As Illan Meslier and the excellent Emmanuel Latte Lath collided, Firpo hesitated momentarily, permitting Jones to pounce on the loose ball. The frown lines on Farke’s forehead deepened but his team responded and won a penalty when Anfernee Dijksteel sent Georginio Rutter crashing as he strove to make amends after being tricked by the Frenchman’s quick feet.
Summerville settled visiting nerves thanks to a textbook conversion before Bamford further banished memories of Leeds’s collection of a solitary point in their previous three games by scoring against his old club.
The visiting centre-forward enjoyed two successful spells at the Riverside and had already started to drag Carrick’s defenders out of position when he reminded his former public of his ability.
As Firpo, often better at attacking than defending, unleashed a clever looping cross, a just onside Bamford timed his run to perfection, catching a flat-footed rearguard cold before using the top of a knee to direct the dropping ball beyond Seny Dieng.
As Boro fans wondered why Dieng had not come for the cross, the visiting fans broke into an ironic version of “Leeds are falling apart again”.
It tempted fate as Latte Lath, a man of the match contender, shimmied his hips, conjured some space and sent a sublime shot swerving beyond Meslier from 18 yards after the impressive Finn Azaz had seized possession.
It was easy to see why Boro were unbeaten in their previous nine games and are deeply frustrated to have left a spring renaissance too late to make the playoffs.
Yet Leeds’s desperation to secure automatic promotion felt palpable and they hit back when an arguably offside Gnonto lashed a rising shot past Dieng after catching Dijksteel daydreaming.
Summerville supplied the assist yet Gnonto had much to thank Gray for after his elegant advance through midfield confounded Carrrick’s team. Gray is good at right-back but central midfield is surely his natural home.
Bamford used to joke that the Teesside air suited him and Dieng needed to keep out his curling shot as Leeds ended the first half on top, if not exactly in control.
By way of emphasising the latter point Boro began the second period in thoroughly dominant mode, leaving their guests struggling to string two passes together.
It took a counterattack to change the narrative. When Summerville collected Firpo’s pass he accelerated with menace and, having dropped a shoulder while manoeuvring the ball from his left to right foot, directed an imperiously curling shot well out of the goalkeeper’s reach.
With Joe Rodon and Ethan Ampadu wrongfooted, Latte Lath reduced the deficit courtesy of a fabulously looping headed finish to ensure a nail-biting finale.
“I enjoyed it,” said Carrick. “But Leeds’s offside goal is a massive, massive decision and not just for us. In the bigger promotion picture, two other teams have been affected. It’s big.”
