Leeds United vs Wolverhampton Wanderers. Sky Bet Championship.
Elland RoadAttendance27,883.
Monday 27 October 2014 14:27, UK
Substitute Leon Clarke scored an 85th-minute winner to give Wolves a come-from-behind 2-1 victory at Leeds that ended the brief reign of home boss Darko Milanic.
Clarke capped a fine comeback with a tap in after a flowing move, completing the turnaround after James Henry had cancelled out Mirco Antenucci's opener.
Wolves go third in the table as a consequence under the steady stewardship of Kenny Jackett, while the man in the opposite dugout was later dismissed by Massimo Cellino.
United appointed Slovenian Milanic as their new boss on September 23, despite the clamour for trigger-happy owner Massimo Cellino to appoint Neil Redfearn, who took 10 points from 12 while in caretaker charge. Milanic failed to win any of his six games in charge.
Redfearn sat with Cellino in the stand for this game and has now been elevated to head coach.
Leeds were their own worst enemies, shutting down as an attacking force in the second half to the extent where their fans implored them to go forward. They did not heed it and Wolves deservedly took advantage.
It was a surprising outcome considering how dominant Leeds were in the first half.
They pressed Wolves high up the pitch and had Alex Mowatt shown better composure when hitting towards a half-open goal after Carl Ikeme pushed away Steve Morison's cross-shot, they would have been ahead.
Mowatt and Morison would combine to great effect in the 18th minute, though, setting up Antenucci's opener. A loose ball fell to Mowatt in the centre circle, he floated a brilliant ball wide to Morison on the right and after bringing it out of the sky he fed Antenucci who scored in the only place he could, low from the edge of the box into the bottom left corner.
It was the well-travelled Italian's fourth of the season and Mowatt would have joined him on the scoresheet six minutes later had he not mis-hit Morison's excellent cross into the ground from six yards.
The absence of striker Bakary Sako was clearly hindering Wolves but they at least got going slightly before the break, with Marco Silvestri dealing with shots from Michael Jacobs and Henry, while Dave Edwards hooked wide.
Wolves sent on Clarke at half-time in order to beef up their attack but it took until the hour for them to muster another attempt and it was their best yet, with Silvestri having to be at his very best to claw away a Nouha Dicko header from a free-kick.
There was little the keeper could do in the 66th minute, however. Giuseppe Bellusci inadvertently bundled the ball into the path of Henry who put his laces through it from six yards out and found the roof of the net.
Substitute Rajiv Van La Parra then spurned a great chance to put Wolves ahead, but somehow shoved wide on the stretch with the goal open and Silvestri on the floor.
There was only one side winning at this point and Clarke should have been the man to take the glory as he found space just inside the area, but he hit low and left to Silvestri who would have been beaten anywhere else.
He did not have to worry about the keeper for his clincher, though. Van La Parra's delightful through ball put Matt Doherty in and he drew Silvestri before squaring for Clarke who did the rest.
