Leeds United vs Birmingham City. Sky Bet Championship.
Elland RoadAttendance36,086.
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Leeds United and Birmingham City at Elland Road on New Year's Day | Goals from Patrick Bamford, Dan James and Crysencio Summerville see Daniel Farke's men to a routine win
Monday 1 January 2024 18:17, UK
Patrick Bamford marked his first Leeds start of the season with the opening goal in a 3-0 win over struggling Birmingham at Elland Road.
It was far from the sort of free-flowing attacking football Leeds have been known for at home this season but it did not need to be against a fairly toothless Birmingham side.
The victory ended a run of two successive defeats for Daniel Farke's side and increased the pressure on under-fire Birmingham boss Wayne Rooney, whose team continue to struggle at the wrong end of the Championship table.
"I'm a fighter and I get football fans' opinions," said Rooney. "I have to draw on my career, my playing career wasn't always about success. I was in a relegation battle with Everton, I believe in myself."
Leeds claimed the lead just after half an hour as Bamford met a Dan James cross from the right with a perfectly timed header.
James doubled the home side's lead in first-half stoppage time when his shot deflected past Birmingham goalkeeper John Ruddy.
Crysencio Summerville picked his spot for the third midway through the second half.
Dion Sanderson got in to block a Bamford shot as the home side threatened inside the first five minutes and was again in the right place to end a run by Georginio Rutter.
Birmingham were using the right wing to good effect and smart link-up play between Jay Stansfield and Oliver Burke almost saw the latter escape into open space and a run on goal.
Leeds were indebted to Joe Rodon's covering interception to end a Siriki Dembele run behind the defence.
Summerville's shot forced Ruddy into the game's first real save after 25 minutes and James' follow-up was blocked by Emmanuel Longelo.
Bamford opened the scoring with a well-placed header after 34 minutes as a James cross from the right picked out the striker and he rose above the Birmingham defence to head home.
Rodon again tidied up at the back to cut off Stansfield's run as Birmingham tried to hit back on the break.
Ruddy got down to hold a James shot but was left helpless as the same player saw his stoppage-time effort deflect in off Lee Buchanan.
Leeds' third-choice goalkeeper Kris Klaesson saved a Dembele shot to maintain his side's two-goal advantage to the interval.
Birmingham should have pulled a goal back early in the second half as Dembele set Juninho Bacuna free with a pass on halfway. The finish was lacking as his chip over Klaesson was off target.
Ivan Sunjic fired just off target as Leeds failed to clear a corner before Bamford's shot came back off the post and James' follow-up hit Buchanan in the face with nearly an hour gone.
Leeds scored their third when Rutter set Junior Firpo away down the left and he pulled the ball back for Summerville to pick his spot from 12 yards.
Ruddy's fingertip save denied Ethan Ampadu an injury-time fourth in what turned out to be a comfortable win for Leeds.
Leeds' Daniel Farke:
"When you head into the fourth game in 10 days on the back of back-to-back defeats, the confidence level you could feel was low in the first 20 minutes.
"We needed to dig in and get the opening goal. Then we controlled the game and didn't allow them to have chances.
"It was a really good performance. A big win today to return to the dressing room with a clean sheet.
"I'm delighted for Patrick. He has had a really difficult time. He had a pretty good pre-season then a long-term injury, he was eight weeks out.
"There was a period where he lost his confidence, but I had a good feeling about today from his performances in training."
Birmingham's Wayne Rooney:
"We've got a very young squad and it's difficult for the players as well. The second half wasn't good enough, but we have to keep fighting.
"It was not the result we wanted. We knew it was going to be a tough game here.
"Until they scored the first goal, I thought we played well. The first goal makes a big difference to the game.
"You can't leave Bamford free in the six-yard box because he will punish you. After they scored the second, I felt if we got the next goal we could get back in the game."
