Stoke City 1-0 Leeds United: Patrick Bamford penalty miss & Pascal Struijk own goal cost Whites

Leeds substitute Patrick Bamford won a penalty, which he then struck over the bar while the score was 0-0

A Pascal Struijk own goal and Patrick Bamford’s missed penalty brought Leeds United’s three-match winning streak to a shuddering halt as Stoke City secured much-needed back-to-back Championship victories.

The Potters failed to capitalise on their first-half dominance against a lacklustre Leeds and looked to be heading for defeat when Ben Pearson clumsily brought down Bamford, just three minutes after the England striker had gone on as a substitute.

Bamford, without a goal since April, took the spot-kick himself but fired high over the bar.

The misery was complete for the travelling fans when Ki-Jana Hoever whipped a corner to the near post and Stoke defender Wesley’s header cannoned off the bar, struck Struijk on the shoulder and bounced in.

Alex Neil’s team was in a precarious position last week, perched just above the relegation zone, but a weekend win over Sunderland and this victory has seen them jump to 17th, just four points off the play-off positions.

They deserved the victory for an enterprising first-half display in which they pinned Leeds back, with Ryan Mmaee, twice, and Andre Vidigal both finding goalkeeper Illan Meslier perfectly positioned to keep out chances created by the attacking instincts of Hoever down the right flank.

Leeds reminded the home side of their attacking prowess in a brief burst of action, as Georginio Rutter fed top scorer Joel Piroe and Mark Travers was forced to save with his legs.

From the resulting corner Travers had to be sharp again to keep out Rutter’s header.

Leeds stepped up a gear in the second half as manager Daniel Farke flexed his squad muscles by sending on Crysencio Summerville, Bamford and Daniel James.

Jaidon Anthony’s jinking run into the box ended in a finish that did not match his trickery, and Rutter scuffed two decent chances as Stoke, for a change, were pegged back.

The game turned on a five-minute spell as Bamford’s penalty miss was followed by Struijk’s misfortune, with Hoever capping a fine game by producing a vital block on Summerville as the clock ticked down.

Stoke boss Alex Neil told BBC Radio Stoke:

“We were really good. In the first half there was a spell of about 20 minutes when we were really on top, but the goal wasn’t quite there.

“In the second half the penalty let us off the hook, one of the rubs of the green that we’ve missed, and then we got the goal.

“To have two solid performances against two teams that are really good at this level, I was really pleased, especially as we are a brand new side. We’re moving in the right direction.

“After Bamford missed the penalty the fans really rallied and you could see how that affected the players, that extra 10% came from the stands.”

Leeds manager Daniel Farke told BBC Radio Leeds:

“Sometimes there are days when you are not there at your best and at these moments you have to dig in. I feel we did this because we showed steel, we defended really well and didn’t allow many chances.

“Then step by step we pulled the game more and more on our side, especially in the second half.

“We created more chances and weren’t able to convert them and then obviously you have to be clinical.

“The biggest chance was the penalty and you could feel in one or two moments that they used this altruism to create two set-pieces, and from the second they were able to score.”

Line-upsStoke

Formation 4-2-3-1

1Travers

17Hoever23McNally5Rose15Thompson

6Burger4Pearson

27Léris12Johnson7Cunha Vidigal

19Mmaee

Substitutes

Leeds

Formation 4-2-3-1

1Meslier

22Gray14Rodon21Struijk25Byram

4Ampadu44Gruev

29Gnonto7Piroe12Anthony

24Rutter

Substitutes

Referee:Paul Tierney

Attendance:25,871

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