Leeds get back to winning ways and Robinson nets in West Brom’s draw with Notts Forest

Updated Feb 15th 2020, 5:52 PM

LUKE AYLING SCORED against his former side as Leeds eked out a gritty 1-0 win over Bristol City to go three points clear in the Championship automatic-promotion spots.

Luke Ayling celebrates scoring for Leeds.

Source: Tim Goode

The defender lashed home early on but despite dominating the encounter, the hosts could not add to their tally.

Leeds would have been buoyed by leaders West Brom dropping points earlier in the day.

The Baggies were held by Nottingham Forest – and the win for Marcelo Bielsa’s side trimmed the gap between the pair to four points, with Leeds three ahead of third-placed Fulham.

West Brom looked set to extend their lead at the top of the table but Matty Cash unleashed a thunderbolt to the net in injury-time to rescue a draw for Nottingham Forest

Irish striker Callum Robinson had opened the scoring in the 37th minute but it was 1-1 at the break as Kyle Bartley put into his own net to draw Forest level. A second own goal of the game arrived in the 65th minute when Tobias Figueiredo was the luckless player as West Brom went in front 2-1.

That looked set to hand the home side all three points but Forest pounced late on at the Hawthorns and survived more drama when Robinson came close to the match-winner before offside was called.

Callum Robinson opened the scoring for West Brom today.

Source: Nick Potts

The victory was timely for Leeds as other promotion chasing sides did not enjoy a good afternoon with Fulham losing 3-0 to Barnsley, Preston defeated 1-0 at home to Millwall and Brentford drawing 1-1 with Birmingham City.

Leeds made an electric start and skipper Liam Cooper nodded wide from a corner after just two minutes. Helder Costa then saw a near-post effort well stopped by Dan Bentley.

Bristol City were struggling to live with Leeds at times, but their patterns of good build-up play were without any end product – a familiar theme for Leeds this season.

The opener arrived in the 15th minute and it came after a mad scramble in the box.

Leeds were repelled on a number of occasions by excellent Bristol City defending but their resistance was finally broken when the ball fell kindly to Ayling.

Despite being surrounded by a mass of City defenders, Ayling smashed the ball past Bentley.

Leeds thought they had doubled their lead just a couple of minutes after, when Patrick Bamford tapped in after a shot had bounced kindly for him after striking the crossbar.

Undeterred, Bamford then flashed a shot at goal after a superb control and spin.

City started brightly after the restart and were appealing for a penalty after Ayling blocked a shot in the area.

Referee Tim Robinson was uninterested despite the vocal appeals from City boss Lee Johnson and his coaching staff.

Jack Harrison was catching the eye in particular and he whipped in a dangerous centre that only just evaded the onrushing Costa.

Chances were coming thick and fast for the hosts going into the final quarter of the game and when Costa laid it on a plate for Bamford he looked destined to make it 2-0.

Somehow though, he saw his shot from a few yards kept out by the agile Bentley. A minute later Bentley made an even more scarcely-believable save.

Costa latched onto a long pass and rounded Bentley only for the City keeper to somehow stick out a hand and divert it behind for a corner.

Leeds were bossing the match and chances continued to come and go for the Whites.

The impressive Harrison, who was a menace down the left flank all afternoon, thought he was the one to finally seal the second goal but his speculative effort came back off the crossbar.

Substitute Jean-Kevin Augustin, with almost the last kick of the game, placed a shot just wide but the hosts’ profligacy was unpunished as they held on.