James' quick start propels Leeds back to the summit

A night when visiting fans had reason to lament the absence of VAR was more uncomfortable for Leeds than it should have been but still ended with Daniel Farke's team top of the Championship.

- Louise Taylor

Farke was furious to see two "goals" from first Ao Tanaka and then Patrick Bamford disallowed for imaginary offsides, but his players somehow weathered a late attacking storm from Michael Carrick's play-off-chasing Middlesbrough to move ahead of Burnley on goal difference.

It took only two minutes for Carrick's high defensive line to look foolhardy rather than brave as Leeds assumed a morale-boosting, nerve-assuaging lead.

If Junior Firpo's initial through pass was good, Manor Solomon's expert dodging of Anfernee Dijksteel bewildered the rest of Boro's backline. The resultant confusion left a stretching Dan James to evade his supposed marker, Samuel Iling-Junior, and flick the resultant low, hard cross beyond Mark Travers.

The Tees had still been glistening in glorious April sunshine when the Leeds team bus pulled into the Riverside and the visiting fans waiting to greet them muttered nervously about a demoralising run of one win in the previous six games.