Match ends, Leeds United 0, Blackburn Rovers 1.
Sammie Szmodics' late goal gave relegation-threatened Blackburn Rovers a shock victory as Leeds United again failed to take a chance to go top of the Championship.
It was Szmodics' 30th goal of a remarkable season for the Republic of Ireland international - and inflicted Leeds' first home defeat of the campaign.
Keeper Aynsley Pears' long kick was flicked on by Sam Gallagher to Tyrhys Dolan, whose excellent pass put Szmodics through.
Szmodics coolly slotted past keeper Illan Meslier to leave the Elland Road crowd stunned and lift Rovers five points clear of the bottom three.
For the second time in the space of a few days, leaders Leicester losing handed both Leeds and Ipswich chances to go top.
Leeds failed to take that opportunity in midweek, managing just one shot on target during a goalless stalemate at home to Sunderland on Tuesday and Ipswich also drew 0-0 at home to Watford 24 hours later.
The Suffolk side, however, went top after they secured a point in a 1-1 draw at home to Middlesbrough in the 15:00 BST kick-offs.
Following Leicester's 1-0 loss at Plymouth on Friday evening, Leeds were determined not to fluff their lines again.
But Blackburn were also looking to make amends, having been thrashed at 5-0 at Bristol City and they defended well, frustrating the raucous home crowd.
Pears kept out first-half strikes from Willy Gnonto and Connor Roberts, while Ilia Gruev missed a decent chance for Leeds when he headed wide of the near post after good work on the left by Crysencio Summerville.
The visitors were happy to defend in numbers and did not threaten until a counter-attack five minutes before half-time.
Szmodics pounced on Summerville's under-hit pass to Roberts and darted towards the left-hand edge of the penalty area before seeing his low shot pushed away by Meslier.
Although Leeds were straight back on the front foot after the interval, with Gnonto firing just wide, they survived two major second-half scares.
After Meslier gave the ball away with a woeful throw, Joe Rankin-Costello blasted narrowly wide.
And a miraculous piece of defending by Roberts - again after Leeds gave the ball away - then prevented a certain goal.
Szmodics, on the right of the penalty area, centred towards Dolan, who was denied a simple close-range finish by Roberts somehow managing to divert the ball away from him.
Leeds went close on three occasions before Szmodics' winner: Pears denied Junior Firpo, Gnonto was just unable to get a touch at the far post to Daniel James' shot and Patrick Bamford headed a James cross over the bar.
As Daniel Farke's side desperately sought an equaliser, they appealed in vain for a penalty when Bamford went down in the box in the final moments, with a member of the Leeds coaching staff red-carded for his angry reaction in the technical area to the spot-kick not being given.
Leeds boss Daniel Farke told BBC Radio Leeds:
"When you face a side like Blackburn with a player like Szmodics, he showed the quality which we didn't show today and he needed just one chance to score.
"So many balls went through the box, but you also need to show the quality to put the ball in the net.
"If you don't score you have so much more risk. There is also a danger there will be one moment for your opponent and they can score. It's pretty disappointing and frustrating for us.
"We didn't put the ball into the net. If you don't score, you can't win the game.
"It's up to me if we don't score - to find solutions. I have to work with them so that in the next game we create more chances."
Blackburn boss John Eustace told BBC Radio Lancashire:
"I'm very proud. The effort the boys have given me since I came in has been outstanding.
"Without the ball we had a gameplan. We knew they'd take more risks as the game went on and it was a fantastic bit of play to score the goal.
"We've got a quality team. Wednesday [losing 5-0 to Bristol City] was a bit of a blip. It's very evident that we're difficult to play against.
"It's important that we keep working hard, sticking together, and we've got three massive games coming up and know we still need points.
"The only way you get success is if you stick together. We had a really rough time on Wednesday but the togetherness we showed - everyone thought we'd come here and lose - was tremendous."
Line-ups
Leeds
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Meslier
- 33RobertsSubstituted forByramat 67'minutes
- 14Rodon
- 4Ampadu
- 3FirpoSubstituted forAnthonyat 88'minutes
- 22Gray
- 44GruevSubstituted forBamfordat 67'minutes
- 29GnontoSubstituted forJosephat 80'minutesBooked at 90mins
- 24RutterSubstituted forJamesat 68'minutes
- 10Summerville
- 7Piroe
Substitutes
- 6Cooper
- 8Kamara
- 9Bamford
- 12Anthony
- 20James
- 25Byram
- 28Darlow
- 30Gelhardt
- 49Joseph
Blackburn
Formation 3-4-2-1
- 1PearsBooked at 85mins
- 17CarterBooked at 28mins
- 5Hyam
- 16S WhartonSubstituted forMcFadzeanat 45'minutes
- 2Brittain
- 11Rankin-Costello
- 6TronstadBooked at 47mins
- 3Pickering
- 10DolanBooked at 42minsSubstituted forChriseneat 84'minutes
- 8SzmodicsSubstituted forTelalovicat 90+6'minutes
- 9Gallagher
Substitutes
- 12Wahlstedt
- 14Koumetio
- 18Markanday
- 21Buckley
- 22Gilsenan
- 30Garrett
- 33Telalovic
- 45Chrisene
- 55McFadzean
- Referee:
- James Bell
- Attendance:
- 36,518
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home75%
- Away25%
- Shots
- Home19
- Away3
- Shots on Target
- Home5
- Away2
- Corners
- Home12
- Away1
- Fouls
- Home5
- Away15
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Leeds United 0, Blackburn Rovers 1.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Crysencio Summerville (Leeds United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Booking
Mateo Joseph (Leeds United) is shown the yellow card.
Post update
Corner, Leeds United. Conceded by Semir Telalovic.
Substitution
Substitution, Blackburn Rovers. Semir Telalovic replaces Sammie Szmodics.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Sam Byram (Leeds United) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked.
Post update
Ethan Ampadu (Leeds United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Sam Gallagher (Blackburn Rovers).
Substitution
Substitution, Leeds United. Jaidon Anthony replaces Junior Firpo.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Joël Piroe (Leeds United) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Ethan Ampadu.
Post update
Foul by Junior Firpo (Leeds United).
Post update
Sam Gallagher (Blackburn Rovers) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Booking
Aynsley Pears (Blackburn Rovers) is shown the yellow card.
Post update
Attempt missed. Patrick Bamford (Leeds United) with an attempt from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Junior Firpo with a cross.
Substitution
Substitution, Blackburn Rovers. Ben Chrisene replaces Tyrhys Dolan.
Post update
Attempt saved. Patrick Bamford (Leeds United) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Junior Firpo with a cross.
Goal!
Goal! Leeds United 0, Blackburn Rovers 1. Sammie Szmodics (Blackburn Rovers) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Tyrhys Dolan with a through ball.
Substitution
Substitution, Leeds United. Mateo Joseph replaces Wilfried Gnonto.
Post update
Corner, Leeds United. Conceded by Hayden Carter.
Comments
Join the conversation
Glad to see they had good away support and I hope they stay up. Should be safe after this result.
Well played Blackburn, been a couple games of giant killers there. Hopefully the rest of the result go both our clubs ways and we can both feel a bit more relaxed in a safer position.
Unbelievable, chance to go top Again and we blow it AGAIN!!!!
These had 5 shipped past em midweek by using width and what do we do again pass sideways and backwards slow it down, allow them to get in shape
Absolutely clueless going forward
Scared to attack at times
Forwards can't score, defenders can't defend.
Southampton 3 in hand could be up on Leeds at this rate
Play offs are pointless as leeds couldn't win promotion on a number of occasions last time.
Pitiful performances last 3 games
Some teams and players thrive on pressure (Blackburn),some teams and players crumble under it(Leeds).
Leeds gotta get over it fast and win their next few games.
The Championship is a wonderful league but it kicks like a mule.
What next.