Leeds 4 – 0 Ipswich
Leeds emphatically narrowed the gap between themselves and the automatic promotion places to seven points with a crushing 4-0 win over Ipswich.
Pascal Struijk put the hosts in front with a simple header, and ex-Leeds defender Leif Davis turned a Crysencio Summerville cross into the back of his own net to double the lead with less than half an hour gone.
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Summerville then won and converted a penalty before the break, with Joel Piroe ending a four-game barren spell shortly after it to add the gloss.
Leeds’ first win in three games sees them move to 45 points at the halfway point of the season, seven behind Ipswich and 10 behind leaders Leicester ahead of their match against Rotherham later on Saturday.
How Leeds fired a warning to the top two
The stakes were high ahead of this mouthwatering pre-Christmas encounter. Leeds could inch that bit closer to the top two with a win, but Ipswich could shut that door – perhaps completely – if they succeeded. Within minutes, it was clear which way things were going to go.
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A fast start from Leeds has become commonplace – and they were ahead after just eight minutes when Struijk headed in from a yard or two out after Vaclav Hladky had saved Piroe’s connection on a flat, pacey corner from the left.
It was two with less than half an hour played. Summerville’s run from halfway saw him ease past several Ipswich defenders, with his square ball finding Davis – who left for Portman Road in July 2022 – with a touch inadvertently diverting the ball into the back of his own net.
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Conor Chaplin’s stinging drive seconds after the restart cannoned off the outside of the post as Ipswich looked for an instant equaliser, but the league’s top scorers reached the end of the half without mustering a single shot on target.
That left the door open for Leeds to add a third before the break, courtesy of Summerville’s emphatic penalty, after Davis’ foul on the Dutchman.
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Momentum did not wane at the break. Piroe drifted in off the right and crashed a shot off the underside of the crossbar within two minutes of the restart before getting in on the act with two neat touches and a clinical finish after a rapid counter.
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Georginio Rutter came close to capping a brilliant performance with a goal of his own when his effort hit Massimo Luongo and bounced off the top of the bar, but, by that point, it did not matter – the job was done.
The managers
Leeds’ Daniel Farke:
To follow…
Ipswich’s Kieran McKenna:
To follow…
What’s next?
Both teams are back in action, live on Sky Sports Football, on Boxing Day.
Leeds travel to Deepdale to face Preston at 12.30pm, with Ipswich hosting current leaders Leicester at Portman Road at 7.45pm.
The Super 6 Christmas Rollover hits a whopping £1,000,000! Play for free, entries by 3pm Saturday.