Leeds United: YEP jury verdicts: We should fear no-one on form current form

It was inevitable that this game wouldn’t reach the heights of Tuesday’s win in the cup and, while both teams had chances, it looked to be heading for stalemate with a very poor referee and plenty of sloppy play on both sides stifling any chance of a breakthrough.

When the breakthrough did come it was from the unlikely source of Souleymane Doukara, a player who is being gently eased back into the fold by Garry Monk.

Monk is building an impressive record of improving players who weren’t quite reaching their potential previously, and it looks like Doukara could well join Chris Wood, Stuart Dallas and Kalvin Phillips on that list.

Equally impressive is Monk’s record in the transfer market and the speed in which he has used it to build a defence that, at times, appears impenetrable.

A case in point was the last-ditch defending that turned into the attack for United’s second goal in the final minute, attitude and desire that has been lacking for so long.

Pontus Jansson and Kyle Bartley haven’t been short of praise at the heart of the defence but that can mean that the inspired signing of Luke Ayling is overlooked.

Ayling was superb yesterday; chasing, harrying, blocking and breaking forward whenever he could. His play is what United are all about at the moment and it makes you wonder why on earth Bristol City were so happy to let him go.

It’s a very long time since the atmosphere around the club was so positive. Three wins in a week is the perfect set-up to a tricky couple of months that sees us play Newcastle, Liverpool and Aston Villa twice. It’ll be almost like old times.

It starts next week at Norwich who, while no doubt keen for revenge, lost 5-0 yesterday to a Brighton side that we also have to face before Christmas as if to underline the challenge ahead.

Garry Monk says we’ll take it game by game and there’ll be no talk of league tables at Thorp Arch. A sensible approach but, on this week’s evidence, we should fear no-one .

Man of the match: Luke Ayling.

MATTHEW EVANS

A hard-fought three points against a team that gave as good as they got; there is something happening at Elland Road and it needs to be nurtured. The feel-good factor is back and how the 20-odd thousand Leeds fans are enjoying it!

Garry Monk recalled Pablo Hernandez to the starting XI. With Coyle absent injured Berardi took his place on the bench. 0-0 at the break, Leeds had moments but just couldn’t finish them. The second half followed the way of the first, lots of effort but no end product. Sometimes in football you have to win ‘scruffy’ and that’s just what Leeds did. A superb ball from Hernandez found substitute Sully Doukara who was felled in the penalty area, Chris Wood coolly despatched his 10th goal of the season, , then, after a goalmouth scramble in injury time, substitute Alex Mowatt threw his body to block a goal-bound shot, the ball broke to the other end and found Doukara who was felled again in the area, but he regained his feet to score the second.

A superb week for Leeds, two Championship wins and a epic EFL Cup win, two clean sheets and seven games without defeat at Elland Road.

If Carlsberg did great weeks this would surely be up there. Leeds move up to ninth.

Man of the match: Luke Ayling, superb but Kyle Bartley and Sully Douk