Coventry City 0 Leeds United 2 – streets ahead. As much as this was a comfortable away win for Leeds, and how we now need them, Leeds were way off their best. This should have been five goals not two, as shot after shot was saved. Coventry City were repeatedly opened up but that final touch was rusty. What is consistent is the defence in front of Meslier delivering clean sheets. Overall, Leeds were streets ahead of Coventry City – the gulf in the teams was vast.
Coventry under their new manager Frank Lampard have come in to a good run of form, but Leeds form is even better and picking up wins away now as well. Frank Lampard has a good record against Leeds with Derby then Chelsea. So it looked like Leeds would have a tough game on their hands. As it happened Leeds, through patient play, quick interceptions of loose balls, were able to keep control of the balll and Coventry at bay.
Piroe broke the well organised off side trap of five defenders to snap up that vital early goal. Leeds just don’t lose when they go ahead first and this was the case again tonight. Before the half Leeds were two goals up as Bogle slalomed through the Coventry to score. Bogle has grown into being a solid Leeds player. It was a bizarre goal how Bogle ran from near the half way line until he took the ball all the way to the keeper Dovin. Shielded by a defender Dovin fumbled the ball instead of holding it, back into Bogle’s feet who scored the goal he deserved.
Coventry played a high line which James and Solomon were able to exploit with their pace again and again. It should have been 3-0 on the half hour as Ampadu shot a long cross to James breaking the defence but his first touch was a poor lob that the keeper easily collected.
Chances kept come begging as Leeds worked in packs with a golden moment with three Leeds players charging on Dovin who managed to save. It was to be like that all evening as Solomon could not put away his chances.
Apart from one long range shot Meslier had little to do in the first half being protected by Ampadu and Rodon who read all the Coventry moves well. In front of them Tanaka was busy tackling for the ball. Coventry could not get near the Leeds goal.
The second half started with a clear penalty shout as Aaronson was hacked down as he was about to pull the trigger. Baffling. Coventry had a short peroid of Coventry pressure forcing a finger tip save from Meslier from which Solomon raced to the other end and forced a save from Dovin. Leeds kept trying the trick that worked repeatedly against the 7-0 thrashing of Cardiff City with James and Solomon racing to the by line then cutting back into the box for Piroe and Aaronson, but the final touch was missing.
The score could have easily been 5-0. It felt like a drunken hangover from the Cardiff City party. Reinforcements came on but Dovin again saved this time from Ramazani. The match ended firstly with Meslier making a vital save off the cross bar and then in controversy as Gnonto scored but the referee took nearly half a minute to raise his flag for off side.
Elland Road is always full at 36,000 fans. Even weekdays. It is sad to see an in-form Coventry playing at home with acres of space in the seats. In an empty ground at full time the Leeds fans all stayed behind for a rendition of Marching On Together with the players.
Man of the match: Ao Tanaka who was intercepting Coventry moves to keep Leeds moving forward.
