Huddersfield Town 0-2 Leeds United: Ezgjan Alioski & Pablo Hernandez send Whites top
- Published
Ezgjan Alioski scored his third goal of the season to put Leeds in front at Huddersfield
Leeds United returned to the top of the Championship table after second-half goals from Ezgjan Alioski and Pablo Hernandez gave them victory at West Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield Town.
Alioski opened the scoring shortly after the break, brilliantly volleying into the bottom corner as a half-cleared corner looped to him on the edge of the Terriers' box.
With the game becoming increasingly stretched as the hosts chased an equaliser, Hernandez headed Jack Harrison's cross past Kamil Grabara to make it 2-0.
The result moved Marcelo Bielsa's side above West Bromwich Albion, who face Swansea City on Sunday.
Victory was also Leeds' sixth in a row and extended their unbeaten run in the second tier to nine matches.
Huddersfield, meanwhile, are now winless in five games, as their resurgence under Danny Cowley appears to be grinding to a halt.
The Terriers have been besieged by injury problems, with Demeaco Duhaney drafted in at full-back a week after appearing for non-league Boston United in the FA Cup.
As it was, neither side looked particularly secure in defence as both forward lines wasted a host of opportunities throughout a competitive but at times wide-open derby contest.
Leeds goalkeeper Kiko Casilla produced two particularly important saves either side of half-time, first keeping out Steve Mounie's glancing header and then stopping Elias Kachunga's effort from point-blank range.
At the other end, Mateusz Klich struck the foot of the post after a well-worked corner routine and Helder Costa twice blazed over from inside the area.
Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa:
"We defended set-pieces badly, but our first goal from Alioski made it easier for us to develop the play.
"In the first half we should have created more chances, but we had some opportunities and we couldn't end them very well.
"We struggled with our last pass when we arrived in good positions, but it's good to have chances rather than not.
"The second half was different, but we had problems in both halves with set-pieces."
Huddersfield manager Danny Cowley:
"We tried to hurt them in the spaces behind and I thought we showed good penetration at times.
"But we weren't able to get good value for chances which we needed to.
"It's been a learning curve in football because Marcelo Bielsa is a pioneer in football.
"It's not terminal here, but there is a storm. But we have to roll with the punches and get over these disappointments."
