Reds concede late goals in derby defeat

It was an entertaining and even Yorkshire derby with both sides having plenty of chances, but it was the visitors who struck in the 83rd minute before adding a penalty soon after. 

The Reds could have been ahead at that point after being the better team in the second half but suffered a second successive home defeat and have now not won in seven games in all competitions. 

Leeds went to the top of the Championship with that win while Barnsley remain fourth bottom with five points from seven league matches. 

Jordan Williams, Alex Mowatt, Jacob Brown and Cauley Woodrow all returned from injury and were put back into the team in place of the suspended Ben Williams as well as benched trio of Mike Bahre, Conor Chaplin and Mamadou Thiam. 

Brown played on the right wing with Luke Thomas moving to the left and Mallik Walks joining Woodrow up front in a 4-4-2. Jordan Williams, usually a right-back, played at left-back. 

The Reds played well in the first half, pressing their high-flying visitors – who looked rattled – and seemed confident and creative going forward while creating almost as many chances as Leeds who had some big opportunities just before the break. 

The visitors almost took the lead in the fourth minute when Jamie Shackleton’s throughball released Patrick Bamford on the right wing and he went clean through but Brad Collins made a good one-on-one save from a tight tangle. 

But the Reds had their first shot on target in the seventh minute when former Leeds player Wilks wriggled into the box from the right and had a 15-yard shot which goalkeeper Kiko Casilla dived to his right to push away. 

Barnsley had another huge chance in the 21st minute when a good move, started by a marauding run by Halme, ended in Alex Mowatt playing Thomas clean through on the left of the box but Casilla made a good one-on-one save with his left leg. 

Bamford had another opportunity in the 36th minute when he was played in on the left of the area but his first touch took him wide and his effort from a tight angle was saved by Collins. The visitors had a better chance seconds later when Barnsley could not clear their area and Jack Harrison squared for Pablo Hernandez who was unmarked 12 yards out but blazed over the bar. 

Wilks had his second chance of the game on the stroke of half-time as he was played in by Mowatt on the left of the box but fired his 12-yard shot across Casilla and inches wide of the right post. 

Leeds still had time to miss another glaring opportunity as Kalvin Phillips’ corner from the right went through everyone and fell to Harrison five yards out on the left of goal but he hit the left post with the net gaping. 

Leeds started the second half on top and, for the third time, Bamford tested his former Chelsea team-mate Collins but his tame effort from the right of the box was easily held.

But, for the next half an hour, Barnsley were the better side and could have taken the lead. Brown almost broke the deadlock with a curling left-footed 25-yard effort which Casilla tipped over the bar. 

The Whites thought they had taken the lead in the 49th minute when half-time substitute Helder Costa’s low cross was tapped in by Bamford but the goal was ruled out for offside. Ezgjan Alioski and Bamford then both headed well wide from inside the box. 

Wilks had his third chance of the game in the 55th minute when the ball broke for him and he burst into the box on the left but could only hit the side netting 12 yards out. Seconds later, Woodrow looped a difficult headed chance into Casilla’s arms from a left-wing cross. 

Wilks then brilliantly turned Liam Cooper just inside the Barnsley half and burst past Phillips as he advanced into the box but Casilla came out and smothered his attempted shot. Woodrow, after a fine exchange of passes with Mowatt, tried his luck from 30 yards and Casilla had to fling himself to his right to push the ball away from the bottom corner. 

Mads Andersen had a superb chance in the 72nd minute when he met Mowatt’s right-wing corner but his wayward header six yards out hit the hand of his team-mate Halme and a free-kick was given.  Collins then made his best save of the game in the 74th minute as Stuart Dallas volleyed from 15 yards and the goalkeeper got down well to his right to keep the ball out. 

Andersen and Halme then challenged for a Woodrow cross after going up the pitch for a corner and one of them could have headed home eight yards out. 

The first goal came in the 83rd minute when Phillips’ right-wing free-kick was fired home by substitute Eddie Nketiah who slid in at the back post from ten yards out. The second goal came just minutes later when Halme was judged by the linesman to have fouled Nketia in the box and Mateusz Klich scored the resulting penalty. 

Barnsley team: Collins; Cavare, Halme, Andersen, J Williams 7 (Pinillos 70mins); Brown 8 (Bahre 78), Sibbick, Mowatt, Thomas 7 (Thiam 66mins); Wilks, Woodrow.  Subs: Walton, Green, Oduor, Chaplin.  Yellow cards: Sibbick.

Leeds team: Casilla; Dallas, White, Cooper, Alioski; Shackleton, Phillips, Klich; Harrison (Costa HT), Bamford (Nketiah 70mins), Hernandez  Subs: Meslier, Douglas, Roberts, Nketiah, Berardi, Gotts.  Goals: Nketiah 83, Klich 88 (pen).