Leeds slim play-off hopes hit

Leeds suffered their first ever defeat at the Riverside Stadium as their slim play-off hopes took a huge hit at Middlesbrough.

Middlesbrough won 1-0 with a goal from Curtis Main with only eight minutes remaining and despite being reduced to ten men with five minutes remaining, when Main was sent off, Leeds could not find a way back into the game.

Middlesbrough had a good early chance but Rhys Williams failed to trouble Paddy Kenny when well placed to put the home side ahead.

Leeds had some good early chances, Luke Varney, Steve Morison and David Norris all having good chances.

Ross McCormack had the best chance of the opening 30 minutes but his effort was cleared off the line by former Leeds defender Jonathan Woodgate after McCormack had gone around Luke Steele in the Middlesbrough goal.

Middlesbrough had a good chance to open the scoring on the stroke of half time when Faris Haroun got in behind the Leeds defence but Kenny was out quickly to deny him.

A fairly open first half finished goalless.

The second half so few clear chances until the final quarter.

Grant Leadbitter came close when his free kick went just wide with Kenny beaten. Moments later, Kenny had to be at his best to keep out a couple of efforts in quick succession.

Morison had the best chance for Leeds minutes later but he could only divert his header straight at Steele.

Middlesbrough took the lead with less than ten minutes remaining when Curtis Main headed home an Ishmael Miller cross.

Neil Warnock responded with a double substitution, Rodolph Austin and El Hadji Diouf both coming on.

Main went from hero to villain minutes later when he picked up his second yellow card of the evening for a deliberate handball.

Habib Habibou came on for Leeds in the final minute and he almost scored within seconds of coming on, Steele making a great save to deny his header.

Despite five minutes of added time, Leeds couldn`t find a way past a stubborn Middlesbrough defence.

Teams

Middlesbrough
Steele, Parnaby, Friend, Bikey, Woodgate (Halliday 66), McEachran (Miller 74), Williams, Leadbitter, Haroun, Main, Carayol (Bailey 88)

Subs not used
Leutwiler, Ledesma, Smallwood, Jutkiewicz

Leeds
Kenny, Byram, Peltier, Lees, Warnock, Green (Diouf 84), Norris (Austin 84), Brown (Habibou 89), Varney, McCormack, Morison

Subs not used
Ashdown, Pearce, White, Tonge

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