Blackburn 1-2 Leeds: Mirco Antenucci scores again as Leeds move into top-half

Mirco Antenucci scored his fourth goal in three games as Leeds won 2-1 at Blackburn to move into the top half. of the Sky Bet Championship.

An end-to-end first half was tilted in Leeds' favour 11 minutes before the break through Sol Bamba's second goal of the season and Italian striker Antenucci seemed to put the result beyond doubt in the 69th minute by clinically ending a counter attack.

Blackburn were given hope in the final minute as Simeon Jackson fired home his first goal for the club but Leeds held on to end the hosts' four game winning run at home in the league.

It means Steve Evans' side have won two on the bounce away from home, and three successive games in the league for the first time this season.

Paul Lambert was effusive in his praise for Danny Graham in the match programme and the striker went close early on with a planted header that was saved, while Shane Duffy powered a header wide in the 13th minute as Rovers started promisingly.

But Blackburn were indebted to Jason Steele for keeping the scores level 16 minutes in as Alex Mowatt's superb curling free-kick almost 25 yards out was heading in but the goalkeeper produced a flying fingertip save to avert the danger.

Tony Watt saw an improvised header drift wide but Blackburn's best chance of the half fell to Graham in the 32nd minute when he escaped his marker before firing in a low shot 12 yards out that Marco Silvestri did well to parry before the ball was cleared.

And Leeds inflicted the strongest punishment in the 34th minute. Mowatt delivered a brilliant inswinging corner that found Bamba completely unmarked six yards out and the Leeds captain cushioned a volley into the roof of the net.

Graham's hat-trick of chances came five minutes after the break but he headed Elliott Bennett's corner wide when he should have done much better.

Rovers huffed and puffed in the second half without creating anything of note.

They caused a fumble from Silvestri after a testing set piece on 69 minutes but it was cleared and Leeds hit a second through a clinical counter attack which saw Mowatt pick out Antenucci who marched down the left unchallenged before coolly lifting the ball over Steele for his ninth of the season.

All hope looked lost, but in the 89th minute Craig Conway caused havoc with his delivery and the ball fell to Jackson, who saw a point-blank effort brilliantly saved before acrobatically firing in the rebound.

Despite a lengthy period of injury time, Leeds held on for the points.