Wigan Athletic 1 Leeds United 1: Whites held as Chris Wood strikes 30th goal of season

CHRIS WOOD became only the sixth player in Leeds United's history to net 30 goals in a season but the Whites had to settle for a 1-1 draw in their Championship finale at Wigan Athletic.
Leeds United's Chris Wood has scored 30 goals this seasonLeeds United's Chris Wood has scored 30 goals this season
Leeds United's Chris Wood has scored 30 goals this season

After Kemar Roofe and Pablo Hernandez both wasted very early chances for Leeds, Wigan took a sixth-minute lead when Michael Jacobs played in Ryan Tunnicliffe who rounded Rob Green and passed home into an empty net.

But Leeds levelled five minutes after the break when Wood fired home his 30th goal of the season from the penalty spot and only the crossbar denied Roofe two minutes later.

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Leeds almost took the lead after just two minutes when Hernandez fed Roofe whose low shot was deflected just wide of the post.

Hernandez then squandered an even better opportunity two minutes later when the Spaniard blasted wide from inside the area after a fine through ball from Eunan O’Kane.

And Leeds were punished just two minutes later when a Jacobs pass caught the Whites ball-watching, allowing Tunnicliffe to take the ball round Green and fire home into an empty net.

Leeds gradually got back on top and Wood was denied what looked like an obvious penalty when the striker was hauled down by Jacobs.

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But Green was then forced to rush off his line and smother the ball at the feet of Omar Bogle who was played in and looked poised to make it 2-0.

Hernandez then wasted a Whites counter at the other end before Green was again forced to rush off his line and smother the ball at the feet of Tunnicliffe who became the latest Latics player to break through one-on-one.

Leeds continued to search for an equaliser but Lewie Coyle was unable to convert a free header from a corner and the first half finished with Gaetano Berardi blazing over the bar.

But Leeds continued on the front foot immediately after the restart and the Whites were awarded a penalty three minutes into the second half when O’Kane went sprawling over in the area under pressure from Tunnicliffe.

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Wood stepped up to take the spot kick and confidently slotted home his 30th goal of the season.

And only the crossbar denied Leeds just two minutes later when Roofe’s shot from the edge of the area rattled the woodwork and bounced clear.

United were dominating but the Whites had a lucky escape two minutes later when a terrible pass from Vieira let in Bogle who was thwarted by a combination of Green and Bartley and saw his claims for a penalty ignored.

Leeds then continued on the front foot and Roofe should have scored with a close range header.

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Dallas also saw a stinging shot from the edge of the area saved but the Whites had to settle for a share of the spoils and Wigan squandered two good chances in stoppage time when Bogle failed to shoot past on onrushing Green before Max Power volleyed just wide.

Leeds United: Green, Coyle, Bartley, Ayling, Berardi, Vieira (Phillips 77), O’Kane, Roofe, Dallas (Sacko 70), Hernandez (Pedraza 64), Wood. Subs: Peacock-Farrell, Denton, Antonsson, Doukara.

Wigan Athletic: Gilks; Warnock, Burn, Morgan (Bruce 57), Connolly; Hanson; Jacobs (Powell 63), Perkins (Colclough 75), Power, Tunnicliffe; Bogle. Subs not used: Jaaskelainen, James, Byrne, Lang.

Referee: Scott Duncan.

Attendance: 15,280 (Leeds 4,720).