Leeds United got their play-off push back on track with a 3-0 win over Preston North End at Elland Road.
Leeds came into the game on the back of back-to-back defeats but goals from Kemar Roofe, Pablo Hernandez and Souleymane Doukara ensured Leeds bounced back against an inform Preston who still harboured hopes of a late play-off push.
The game could have been different had Tom Barkhuizen taken his early chances.
Rob Green denied Barkhuizen in the opening minutes and he then fired another effort just wide after getting in behind the Leeds defence.
Leeds slowly grew into the game and Roofe scored his third goal of the season after 18 minutes. Roofe linked up with Chris Wood and his deflected shot left Chris Maxwell stranded in the Preston goal.
Wood then had an effort dubiously disallowed. Wood fired home only for the referee to adjudge he was offside despite his assistant not raising his flag.
Hernandez doubled the lead for Leeds on the stroke of half time. Roofe provided a pinpoint pass as he dissected the Preston defence and Hernandez`s outstretched leg steered the ball past Maxwell.
Leeds started the second half brightly and Wood saw another effort cannon back off the bar and Kyle Bartley saw his header cleared off the line.
Preston missed a great chance to get back into the game in the final 20 minutes when Barkhuizen saw another effort come back off the crossbar after Green couldn`t hold a long-range effort from Aiden McGeady.
Any hopes Preston had of getting back into the game were finished inside the final ten minutes when Alex Baptiste was shown a straight red card after appearing to stamp on Hernandez whilst the Spaniard was on the floor.
Leeds substitute Doukara missed a good chance to add a third when Maxwell denied him but he made no mistake in injury time when he found himself one-on-one with the Preston keeper and he fired home to cap off a perfect response from Leeds.
Teams
Leeds United
Green, Ayling, Bartley, Jansson, Berardi, Roofe (Dallas 70), Phillips, Vieira, Pedraza, Wood (Doukara 80), Hernandez (Taylor 88)
Subs not used
Peacock-Farrell, Coyle, O`Kane, Barrow
Preston North End
Maxwell, Vermijl (Johnson 61), Clarke, Baptiste, Huntington, Cunningham, Pearson, McGeady, Gallagher (Beckford 72), Robinson (Makienok 72), Barkhuizen
Subs not used
Lindegaard, Spurr, Browne, Horgan
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