Leeds Utd Match Zone

Own Goal Denies Leeds First Away Win Of 2018

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Reading and Leeds United battled out a 2-2 draw at the Madejski Stadium on Saturday.

Pontus Jansson and Pablo Hernandez goals either side of half time saw Leeds come from behind to go ahead after trailing to a Jon Dadi Bodvarsson strike but they couldn`t hold on for a win as a Eunan O`Kane own goal shortly after Leeds had gone ahead meant the points were shared.

Leeds head coach Paul Heckingbottom made five changes to the side that lost against Wolves in midweek with Laurens De Bock, Matthew Pennington, Pablo Hernandez, Ezgjan Alioski and Caleb Ekuban all coming into the starting eleven.

Alioski had a couple of early chances for Leeds with the winger firing wide with his first effort before forcing Reading keeper Anssi Jaakkola into a good save.

Reading went ahead on 16 minutes when Bodvarsson broke clear and he drilled the ball under Peacock-Farrell in the Leeds goal.

Former Leeds loanee Modou Barrow was a constant threat down the Reading left and his low ball into the middle saw Peacock-Farrell make a close-range save to deny Bodvarsson a second and from the follow up, Matthew Pennington blocked a George Evans goal bound effort.

Peacock-Farrell kept Leeds in the game again soon afterwards when he made another good low save to deny Barrow this time after he had got in behind the Leeds defence.

The young keeper was again showing his ability in the Leeds goal after recently being called into the side and he made another fingertip save to deny Evans effort from the edge of the area.

Leeds were hanging on but they enjoyed a good finish to the half and could easily have gone in ahead having been very much second best for the first 30 minutes.

Hernandez fired over before Ekuban saw his effort go agonisingly wide of the post. Leeds levelled two minutes before the break when good link up play between Samu Saiz and Adam Forshaw saw the latter set up Jansson who turned the ball home.

Alioski then had a great chance to put Leeds ahead moments later when he glided through the Reading defence before having his first effort saved by Jaakola and with the keeper beaten, he then hit the post from a tight-angle with his second effort.

Leeds continued where they left off from the first half and they went ahead ten minutes after the break. Hernandez scored with a trademark finish as he curled the ball home from the edge of the area.

Leeds joy was shortlived and two minutes later, O`Kane could only turn a Leandro Bacuna shot past Peacock-Farrell.

Alioski almost restored Leeds lead when Jaakola kept out his effort from just inside the area at full stretch.

Leeds almost won the game in bizarre circumstances when substitute Pierre-Michel Lasogga charged down a Jaakola clearance but his effort hit the inside of the post before being claimed by Jaakola on his line but the two teams had to settle for a point apiece in the end.

Teams

Reading
Jaakkola, Gunter, Moore, Evans (Edwards 63), Bacuna, Ilori, Clement (Swift 63), Kelly Bodvarsson, Aluko, Barrow

Subs not used
Mannone, Blackett, Loader, Smith, Holmes

Leeds United
Peacock-Farrell, Berardi, Pennington, Jansson, De Bock, O`Kane, Forshaw, Hernandez (Dallas 85), Saiz, Ekuban (Lasogga 77), Alioski

Subs not used
Wiedwald, Anita, Phillips, Vieira, Pearce
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