Leeds United have never done things the easy way.
When the clock struck midday on Saturday Daniel Farke’s side were still dreaming of the Premier League – but it was a dream that required them to wish upon a star.
At Elland Road, Leeds had to beat Southampton while hoping results elsewhere went their way. Ipswich, on the other hand, welcomed an underfiring Huddersfield, desperate for a win to keep them in the Championship.
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The tone of the afternoon was set over 200 miles away from Elland Road when Wes Burns rolled the ball past Chris Maxwell to put one foot in the Premier League for Ipswich. There was an audible moan in West Yorkshire, as the news filtered through.
Play-offs again for the Peacocks, who hardly have the best record when it comes to football’s version of the lottery.
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(Image: Getty Images)
(Image: Getty Images)
Farke’s side had started the brighter of the two teams, but they just missed the final killer pass to unlock the Saints’ defence. Will Smallbone was a constant thorn in Leeds’ side, as the Peacocks’ defence failed to pick up the late runs from the midfield.
Southampton opened the scoring as Che Adams showed off his strength before firing a ball across the box to an unmarked Adam Armstrong, his shot too powerful for Illan Meslier. Joel Piroe fired Leeds level three minutes later, but it was all too slow from Leeds.
(Image: Getty Images)
(Image: PA)
It was Smallbone who reinstated Southampton’s lead, again drifting into the box unmarked. Leeds fans headed for the exits, while those who remained flooded the pitch with a chorus of boos.
Like the back end of the season, Leeds just seemed to peter out, even the news of Ipswich’s second wasn’t met with much of a reaction from the deflated crowd. Southampton had the ball in the net again, and there were murmurs of an ironic cheer when it was ruled out for offside.
(Image: Getty Images)
(Image: Twitter / Sky Sports)
In a season that promised so much mere weeks ago, Leeds went out with a whimper – losing to Southampton in a clash that could take place again later this month at Wembley. However, Wembley seems a long way away for a side that has won just once in their last five.
Ipswich have now booked their place at England’s top table, the first time they’ve graced the top flight since 2002.
(Image: Twitter)
There’ll be a sense of Deja Vu in the Leeds camp, five years ago, under Marcelo Bielsa, Leeds ended up in the play-offs during a season they really should have secured a spot in the automatics.
On that occasion, too, Leeds went into the post-season clashes out of form and underfiring.