Contrast in confidence evident as Leeds United look up while Hull City eye danger

After three 1-0 wins, the Whites’ confidence was high enough to withstand – maybe even be inspired by – the loss of goalkeeper Kiko Casilla to suspension.

Without a Championship victory since New Year’s Day, the Tigers’ spirit was able to overcome the loss of a goal early in the first half, but not another in the second.

While George Long was being heroic in the Hull goal, it looked like another Leeds scoreline would not reflect the football until at last Marcelo Bielsa found a striker who, for five minutes on Saturday at least, gave his side the cutting edge it too often lacks.

Leeds have laid on many a 4-0-quality exhibitions under Bielsa, but only twice this season and three times overall has that been the margin on the scoreboard. They met a down-on-their-luck Middlesbrough in November and the same was true of a Hull side struggling to overcome huge personnel losses, some self-inflicted.

Hull’s best period came when they turned the game into a stalemate. At no stage could they test 19-year-old Illan Meslier, who found out the previous evening he would start Saturday’s game and in all likelihood the next seven because an independent panel decided on the balance of probability they did not believe Casilla’s protestations – which continued on Twitter after the verdict – that he had not used racist language towards Charlton Athletic’s Jonathan Leko.

Meslier looked composed and confident, dealing well with one horrible backpass, but had just two saves to make. Kevin Stewart’s shot from outside the area was neutered by a deflection, Josh Magennis did well to head a corner goalwards from slightly behind him, but could only direct it at the Frenchman. Within seconds, Pablo Hernandez scored the floodgates-opening goal.

“There were a couple of times when the ball came into the box and he was very confident,” said McCann of Meslier. “He’s a good keeper.

“We were aware of it (being his Championship debut) but it’s very easy saying put balls over the top of him, the game doesn’t always go the way you think it’s going to. There were a couple of occasions where we could have been a bit more physical with him but that wasn’t the reason why we lost.”

A hammering looked on the cards when, with eight minutes gone, Hernandez followed Luke Ayling’s goal, looping off Callum Elder and past a stranded Long, by crashing a shot against the crossbar.

But Hull got to grips with their diamond formation and when Bielsa took out left-back Stuart Dallas and put him in as an extra central midfielder, it further gummed up the works. There was space wide, but both sides put dangerous crosses over without a touch, and when Hull got within sight of Meslier’s penalty area, they could not find the right pass.

At only 1-0 at the interval, they had hope. Hernandez ended it two minutes after the break when Helder Costa laid Jack Harrison’s cross back to him.

“It just kind of killed us, we were always chasing the game then and it left gaps for them to exploit,” commented centre-back Sean McLoughlin.

For a long time, though, Long made it all look very Leeds – plenty of possession without landing punches.

He made a good low save from Costa and tipped Harrison’s effort around the post after each winger made space for themselves, then flew through the air to keep out the volley when the latter found the former.

Harrison was outstanding in the second half, and his shot against the post was far more in keeping with the narrative than the brilliant turn and strike against Meslier’s upright Hull substitute Norbert Balogh produced in the 68th minute.

Bamford stabbed wide at a free-kick and generally looked out of sorts again. The focus all season has been on whether young loan strikers – first Eddie Nketiah, now Jean-Kevin Augustin, unfit at the weekend – could displace him, but Bielsa has always maintained Roberts was an option, too.

Injuries have made it hard for the 21-year-old to prove him right.

By the time Roberts came on, the gaps in Hull’s team were gaping, and although Harrison, Costa and Mateusz Klich had generous room to work in, their sweeping 81st-minute counter-attack was still breathtaking. Dallas and Roberts both chased Klich’s lay-off, the latter winning. Four minutes later, Roberts headed in a cross by the Pole and the flattening of Hull ended.

Leeds look over their mid-season wobble and ready to step up.

“I think they’re a Premier League team,” said McCann admiringly. “The way they play, the way they pass, their confidence on the ball, their energy’s good, they’re just a very good team. They grind away at you and keep pressing you. They’re confident, we weren’t.”

There is a gap in quality as well, widened now Jarrod Bowen and Kamil Grosicki no longer wear amber and black, but those last four words were Saturday in a nutshell.