Sky Bet Championship
Blackburn Rovers 0
Leeds United 2 (James 27, Summerville 75)
Blackburn: Wahlstedt, Brittain, Pickering, Hill (Ennis 80), Tronstad, Szmodics, Wharton, Carter, Leonard (Sigurdsson 45), Wharton (Garrett 80), Moran (Marakanday 84). Subs not used: Hilton, Gamble, Atcheson, Telalovic, Bloxham.
Leeds: Meslier, Gray, Rodon, Struijk, Byram (Spence 70), Ampadu, Kamara, Summerville (Anthony 84), James (Gnonto 70), Piroe (Gruev 89), Georginio (Joseph 89). Subs not used: Darlow, Cooper, Shackleton, Gelhardt, Joseph.
Booked: Moran, Wharton, Carter (Blackburn), Gray, Ampadu (Leeds)
Referee: R. Madley
Venue: Ewood Park
Attendance: 20,963
Goals in either half from Daniel James and Crysencio Summerville saw Leeds United leave Ewood Park with all three points, recording a 2-0 win against Blackburn Rovers.
The hosts started the game brightly, applying a lot of early pressure, but Leeds dealt with a string of corners and a long throw.
Chances were few and far between in the opening 15 minutes. Following this, the league’s top scorer Sammie Szmodics saw a shot blocked after the ball was played to the Rovers captain 25 yards out at a corner, before Crysencio Summerville struck just wide from a Whites set piece, after the ball fell to him 20 yards from goal.
The Whites were inches away from taking the lead in the 19th minute. James was brought down on the edge of the Blackburn box and Joel Piroe’s deflected effort went just to the wrong side of the post.
Summerville then stole possession in the Blackburn box and laid the ball off to Georginio who had a fine opportunity, but he put a dinked attempt wide.
Leeds took the lead in the 27th minute. Georginio drove up the pitch and showed superb strength to shrug off the Blackburn defence before laying the ball off to James who smashed the ball into the bottom left corner, causing electric scenes within the away end of over 7,000.
Three minutes later that lead was almost doubled, James played a lovely ball across the face of the Blackburn goal and Georginio was inches away from a tap-in.
James Hill headed over for Blackburn from a corner in the closing stages of the first half, as the Whites went in ahead at the break.
Half time: Blackburn Rovers 0-1 Leeds United
After the break, Blackburn appealed for a penalty as the ball struck Pascal Struijk in the box, however the referee awarded just a corner and Szmodics stuck wide when the ball fell to him 25 yards from goal.
The dangerous Szmodics then put a dangerous ball across the face of the Leeds goal, before Callum Brittain fired into the side netting.
Leeds nearly doubled the lead in the 73rd minute, Piroe broke forward and teed up substitute Willy Gnonto to strike, but he was superbly denied by Leo Wahlstedt in the Blackburn goal.
The Whites did go further ahead a minute later though, through Summerville. Archie Gray played a lovely one-two with Georginio, before sending the Dutchman into the box and he superbly lifter the ball over the outcoming Rovers goalkeeper and into the back of the net.
Leeds then saw out the rest of the game and seven minutes of added time to come away with a precious three points, ahead of joyous celebrations with the large contingent of travelling support.
Full time: Blackburn Rovers 0-2 Leeds United
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