Leeds 3 – 1 Hull City

Late Crysencio Summerville and Dan James goals saw Leeds end a dramatic day in the Championship with a 3-1 win over Hull City to lift them up to second.

After Ipswich’s 97th-minute winner to keep them top of the table, Leeds’ weekend looked likely to end as a damp squib until Summerville was bundled over by Regan Slater in the penalty area three minutes from time.

The hosts had struck first with a rare goal from Sam Byram, who nodded in after Summerville had been denied, but they were made to pay for a succession of missed chances after that.

Patrick Bamford somehow skied an effort over from four yards before Hull equalised from their first chance when Fabio Carvalho got across his man to turn Tyler Morton’s cross past Illan Meslier.

The visitors played their part from then on but Leeds continued to squander opportunities, and substitute Mateo Joseph was left with his head in his hands when he struck the base of the post from close range.

Eventually, it needed a rash intervention from Slater to hand Leeds the chance to return to the automatic promotion places, and after wrestling the ball off Joel Piroe, Summerville beat Allsop to restore Leeds’ advantage from 12 yards.

James then secured three points with a spectacular third from almost the half-way line in the final seconds with Allsop still upfield from a Hull corner.

The Late Late Show with Leeds United…

After Leicester and Ipswich had won on the same matchday for the first time in almost a month, Leeds knew only three points would keep them inside the automatic promotion spots.

They began as though it was top of their minds, and raced into an early lead when Byram bundled in the rebound after Allsop had palmed Summerville’s angled drive into his path.

That was the first shot on target of the game, and it remained that way until Hull’s equaliser though Bamford should have hit the target, if not scored, when he spooned James’ low cross over the bar on the slide.

He looked bewildered as he sat in the Hull goal net, as well he might.

In a strange first half, Hull dominated possession while badly lacking a natural striker until Carvalho showed his predatory instincts to get across Ethan Ampadu at the near post and finish off Morton’s cross.

The visitors would have deserved their equaliser come the break but for a flurry of last-gasp Leeds chances in the dying moments of the half.

Georginio Rutter seized on a poor Lewie Coyle clearance and twice tested Allsop, before Bamford inadvertently blocked Summerville at the third attempt and was flagged offside to let Hull off the hook.

The visitors returned for the second period with renewed vigour, and Jaden Philogene finally burst into life when he bent a low effort inches past the far post with Meslier stretching.

As they continued their bright start to the half, Abdulkadir Omur wasted the Tigers’ best chance of the game by firing wide when totally unmarked inside the box.

Joseph replaced the wasteful Bamford with 18 minutes remaining and soon weighed in with his own near miss when he turned Junior Firpo’s square ball onto the woodwork from six yards.

It looked as though that would be the latest in a line of misses Leeds would be made to rue. But they did not let their heads drop, and got their reward when Summerville was bundled over by Slater just inside the area.

Substitute Piroe looked to take the penalty at first, but was left bewildered when it was taken off him by his forward partner.

“I felt good in the game, we had a few chances and I thought this one is mine,” Summerville later told Sky Sports. “I took it, so I’m happy with the goal today.”

He put the added pressure of his personal intervention behind him to beat Allsop from 12 yards and finally put Leeds back in the driving seat, before the goal of the game rounded off victory in added time.

Allsop went forward for a last-minute Hull corner and after Leeds eventually cleared, James tried his luck from just inside the opposition half and saw his 45-yard effort bounce into the empty net for a stunning third.

That set the celebrations off all around Elland Road with victory – and a place back in the automatic spots – finally secured.

Farke: We had to be pragmatic with fatigue

Leeds manager Daniel Farke told Sky Sports:

“For many of my lads it was a third game in six days, many played on Tuesday or Wednesday for their national teams. You have to be pragmatic, dig in and grind out results.

“I’m pleased especially with our second half, and that we didn’t lose our nerve after a tricky first half. Hull are a good possession side, if you go into their traps and open spaces up, you can concede and you have to be patient.

“It’s a well-deserved win, but it was a tight game. We started really well, went into the lead and had that big chance for a second, you have to be effective against a brave side. There are many players who want to have the ball, Liam Rosenior is doing a really good job.”

Rosenior ‘so proud’ of Hull performance

Hull head coach Liam Rosenior told Sky Sports:

“The result’s tough to take, I had a group of players who gave the shirt everything tonight.

“They came here, to take on a team and went man to man, created some really good moments. It summed up a lot of our season, getting into really good positions and not seeing it through. It’s reflective of that, but in positive ways as well – I’m so proud of them.

“For that group of players to take the ball the way they did, we’re trying to build something long-term in our style of play, going man-for-man without any cover away from home which they’ve done so many times, there’s a lot of positive aspects. If we keep that level of performance, who knows? We still believe.”