LEEDS RETURNED TO the top of English football’s second-tier after coming back to two goals down to win a dramatic match with Millwall 3-2 at Elland Road.
Ireland’s Alex Pearce and Jayson Molumby played the full game for Millwall while Aiden O’Brien was among the subs.
Leeds appeared destined for a fourth straight defeat in all competitions when visitors Millwall led 2-0 at the interval.
But Marcelo Bielsa’s side hit back after the break with three goals in 15 minutes, Patrick Bamford’s double bookending an effort by Pablo Hernandez.
Bielsa, however, refused to credit his half-time team talk for Leeds’ revival.
“It’s not what I said which provoked the change,” insisted the veteran Argentinian manager.
“Maybe the match looked like it was strange, but it’s a copy of all our matches. A lot of chances to make three goals, the opponent’s goals were similar to what we normally concede.”
Shaun Hutchinson’s header had given Millwall an early before Jed Wallace’s penalty doubled their advantage following Ezgjan Alioski’s challenge on Jon Dadi Bodvarsson.
But then came Leeds’ fightback, with Bielsa’s men leapfrogging West Brom into top spot after the Baggies slipped to a 2-1 defeat by Cardiff.
Callum Paterson scored for Cardiff early in the second half before the experienced Charlie Austin equalised with a penalty following a foul by Jazz Richards on Filip Krovinovic.
Lee Tomlin’s free-kick, however, restored Cardiff’s lead and extended West Brom’s winless league run to seven matches.
Only the leading two clubs at the end of the regular season are guaranteed a place in the lucrative Premier League next term, with the third promotion place decided by play-off matches involving the next four teams in the table.
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