Leeds maintained their automatic promotion charge with a thrilling 4-3 win over Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium.
Had Leeds lost, the door would have opened for Leicester to seal promotion on Tuesday night with a win against Southampton at the King Power Stadium. Their victory, however, means that cannot happen and the champagne is on ice.
Isaiah Jones put Michael Carrick’s Boro in front inside 10 minutes, but a Crysencio Summerville penalty and Patrick Bamford’s ninth goal of the season turned the game in Leeds’ favour shortly afterwards.
The in-form Emmanuel Latte Lath then buried an equaliser on the half-hour, before Willy Gnonto swept home to make it 3-2 to Leeds at the break, despite replays showing the Italian had strayed offside before doing so.
Leeds sat back early in the second half, yet still managed to extend their lead when Summerville curled home 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 not able to force another equaliser that would have denied Leeds three vital points.
Leeds move back up to second, one point behind leaders Leicester and one ahead of Ipswich in third, while Middlesbrough’s faint play-off hopes end as they stay ninth, nine points off the top six with only two games left to play.
How Leeds came out on top in seven-goal thriller
With three points incredibly valuable to each team’s respective cause, goals were always likely at the Riverside. Few could have guessed how many, though.
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Isaiah Jones taps into an empty after a ball played through by Luke Thomas takes a deflection and causes confusion between Joe Rodon and Leeds’ goalkeeper Illan Meslier
Jones put Middlesbrough in front after pouncing on a loose ball when Latte Lath had drawn a challenge from Ilia Gruev, but Leeds were level inside seven minutes. Georginio Rutter was tripped by Anfernee Dijksteel in the box and Summerville whipped the equaliser from the spot after Bamford had diplomatically handed him the ball.
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Crysencio Summerville dragged Leeds back level after Middlesbrough’s Anfernee Dijksteel brought down Georginio Rutter in the penalty area
Ex-Boro man Bamford had one of his own very shortly afterwards, though. Junior Firpo’s excellent cross found the striker, who ghosted between two centre-backs and got the slight connection that took the ball past Seny Dieng and turned the game in Leeds’ favour for the first time.
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Patrick Bamford guides the ball into the net from close range to give Leeds a 2-1 lead at Middlesbrough
On the half-hour, Boro had another one back, when the in-form Latte Lath received the ball from Finn Azaz and held off Ethan Ampadu to score for the fourth game in succession.
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Emmanuel Latte Lath scores with an incredible strike from the edge of the penalty area to level things up at the Riverside again
And, just for good measure, Leeds edged in front for the second time after 39 minutes, with Gnonto getting on the end of Summerville’s ball and tucking away a third. Replays suggested, however, the Italian had strayed offside in the build-up.
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Wilfred Gnonto gives Leeds the lead going into the break but there is question marks over whether the goal should’ve stood due to offside
Leeds were relatively passive after the break; happy to sit back and let Middlesbrough try and do what they could. They didn’t look at their free-flowing best, yet still managed to extend their lead through Summerville, who curled home an absolute beauty after some neat interplay on the left.
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Crysencio Summerville grabs his second of the match and Leeds’ fourth of the game with a wonderful curling effort into the right corner to beat Middlesbrough’s Seny Dieng
They looked home and dry after that – until Latte Lath got on the end of a lofted ball from Alex Gilbert and expertly looped a header over Illan Meslier to set up a grandstand finish. Fortunately for the visitors, the damaging eighth goal never came.
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Emmanuel Latte Lath scores his second of the match with a looping header to catch out Leeds’ goalkeeper Illan Meslier.
Carrick reacts to Gnonto’s ‘offside’ goal
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Michael Carrick believe Wilfried Gnonto’s goal should not have stood and was a ‘swinging point’ in the match
Farke: We have to concentrate on ourselves
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Daniel Farke says Leeds can only focus on themselves and not on the teams around them in the table
What’s next?
Leeds are back in action at 8pm on Friday April 26, when they travel to Loftus Road to take on QPR, live on Sky Sports Football.
Middlesbrough return at 3pm the following day, Saturday April 27, when they take on Cardiff at the Cardiff City Stadium.
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