Leeds maintained their automatic promotion charge with a thrilling 4-3 victory over Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium.
Had Leeds lost, the door would have been open for Leicester to seal promotion on Tuesday night with victory against Southampton at the King Power Stadium. But their victory means that can’t happen and the champagne is on ice.
Isaiah Jones put Michael Carrick’s Boro ahead inside 10 minutes, but a Crysencio Summerville penalty and Patrick Bamford’s ninth goal of the season turned the game in Leeds’ favor soon after.
The in-form Emmanuel Latte Lath then equalized on the half-hour mark, before Willy Gnonto headed home to make it 3-2 to Leeds at the break, despite replays showing the Italian had gone astray offside before doing so.
Leeds sat back early in the second half but still managed to extend their lead when Summerville scored a sumptuous second which established a two-goal cushion for the first time.
Latte Lath’s brilliant looping header set up a tense finale, but Boro were unable to force another equalizer that would have denied Leeds a vital three points.
Leeds move back up to second place, one point behind leaders Leicester and one ahead of Ipswich in third, while Middlesbrough’s faint play-off hopes end as they remain ninth, nine points outside the top six with just two games remaining .
How Leeds prevailed in a seven-goal thriller
With three points incredibly valuable to each team’s respective cause, goals were always likely at Riverside. However, few could have guessed how much.
Jones put Middlesbrough in front after pounced on a loose ball when Latte Lath had launched a challenge on Ilia Gruev, but Leeds were level within seven minutes. Georginio Rutter was tripped by Anfernee Dijksteel in the box and Summerville equalized from the spot after Bamford diplomatically handed him the ball.
Former Boro man Bamford got one very soon after. Junior Firpo’s excellent cross found the striker, who ghosted between two central defenders and got the slight connection that put the ball past Seny Dieng and turned the game in Leeds’ favor for the first time.
On the half hour Boro had another in return, when the in-form Latte Lath received the ball from Finn Azaz and held off Ethan Ampadu to score for the fourth game in a row.
And, just for good measure, Leeds took the lead for a second time after 39 minutes, with Gnonto finding himself on the end of Summerville’s ball and pulling back a third. Replays, however, suggested the Italian had strayed offside in the build-up.
Leeds were relatively passive after the break; happy to sit back and let Middlesbrough try and do what they can. They didn’t give their best, but still managed to extend their lead through Summerville, who scored an absolute beauty after some neat interplay down the left.
They looked home and dry after that – until Latte Lath received the ball from Alex Gilbert and headed expertly past Illan Meslier to set up a grandstand finish. Fortunately for the visitors, the damaging eighth goal never arrived.
Carrick reacts to Gnonto’s ‘offside’ goal
Farke: We need to focus on ourselves
And after?
Leeds are back in action on Friday April 26 at 8pm, when they travel to Loftus Road to take on QPRlive of Aerial sports Soccer.
Middlesbrough return at 3 p.m. the next day, Saturday April 27, to face Cardiff at the Cardiff City Stadium.
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