Leeds United boss weighs in on Crysencio Summerville and Joel Piroe penalty debate after win over Hull City

With the game level at 1-1, Summerville was felled in the box by Tigers midfielder Regan Slater and the referee pointed to spot. Joel Piroe is Leeds’ usual penalty taker but Summerville made it clear he wanted the responsibility.

After a brief argument, Summerville took the ball and steered home to give the Whites the lead. Victory was later made sure of in stoppage time, when Daniel James scored a stunner from distance.

Speaking after the game, Farke said: “It was difficult. “The problem was I don’t like it for players to take a penalty when they’re just 30 seconds on the pitch. I never believe in bringing players on just for penalties because you need to have at least a few touches.

“There was confusion because Joel was just 30 seconds on the pitch and it was definitely the right decision that Cry took over and rightly took it - and thank God he scored!”

Leeds had a gruelling international break, from which a number of players returned with issues. Farke once again had to deal with fitness issues as Leeds locked horns with play-off hopefuls Hull.

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He explained: “We had many players on the pitch with problems. Glen Kamara played while ill. He had a cold, but we were thin on central midfield options, so I wanted him to go through this game. Cry Summerville had some problems, Joe Rodon couldn’t train because he had a back spasm. He played with pain-killers.

“Sam Byram told me at half-time, ‘boss I can’t sprint anymore.’ I told him 80 per cent then, you have to keep going. So many problems today and the main problem was we played a really good side. A really good possession side. If you analyse their results against the top sides, they never lose.”

Hull’s head coach Liam Rosenior has not overseen a league victory since February 20 but was left proud by his side’s gutsy performance at Elland Road. He said: “I’m so proud of the lads today. They represented everything I want to see in a football team. To come here, go a goal down and play our way back into it in that atmosphere in a game of such importance, to play with such control.

“The dominance, we were the better team first half, probably the better team overall I thought, although statistically they had more shots. But in terms of the control, the set-up, the energy, the press, we were outstanding today. We had those moments, it just didn’t happen for us.”