Leeds United were forced to work hard for their victory this evening at home to Barnsley. The win puts the Whites five points clear of West Bromwich Albion (who face Huddersfield Town on Friday), and a whopping six clear of third placed Brentford - meaning should West Brom fail to win tomorrow, Leeds would be finally be promoted to the Premier League after 15 years away from England's elite tier.
The loss for Barnsley means the Tykes' relegation is all but confirmed, as they find themselves four points from safety with only six left to claim.
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Story of the match
Nerves the main factor
Both sides were feeling the pressure of the fixture in the opening few phases of play. An early corner for Leeds United put pressure on the Barnsley defence, but nothing came from the chance.
It was in-fact the away side who carved out the first real opportunity of the game. A beautifully slipped in ball from Cauley Woodrow towards Jacob Brown wasn't capitalised on by the forward, who saw his attempt go wide of Illan Meslier's goal.
After the first 15 minutes, Leeds United began to show some of the form which has seen the Whites push their way to the top of the league. A wicked ball into the area from Mateusz Klich put the Barnsley defence into panic stations; something they didn't quickly recover from.
In the 28th minute, Patrick Bamford was played through by a defence splitting pass, which saw the forward cut the ball back across goal, and Barnsley defender Michael Sollbauer was the unfortunate man to touch the ball into his own net - 1-0.
On the stroke of half-time, Leeds looked to double their lead. Lovely build-up play from Leeds saw Jack Harrison play the ball across the face of goal and it required Jordan Williams to make a last ditch clearance to stop the approaching Helder Costa from adding a second for Leeds.
Tykes given no reward for their efforts
It would be difficult to say Barnsley look like a bottom of the table side. Gerhard Struber would have been delighted with his side's response to his half-time team-talk. The Tykes showed their desire to get onto level terms quickly - chances from Conor Chaplin and Callum Styles were spurned. The closest chance fell to Woodrow, who drew a fingertip save from Meslier with just 15 minutes remaining.
Leeds looked to secure the victory through Stuart Dallas in the final knockings. A ball through from Patrick Bamford sent Dallas on his way, but a solid save from Jack Walton denied Leeds the cushion they desperately wanted.
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Takeaways
No matter how you look at it, Leeds United have one foot in the Premier League door. The Whites have had years of near misses and heartache - but after 15 years of hurt it looks like the Whites will return to England's elite.
Marcelo Bielsa was questioned by many Leeds fans last season when he gave the order to allow Aston Villa to score following a dubious goal his side scored whilst a Villa player was down injured. However, after a season of top quality football, Leeds United are now once again on the brink, and all will be forgiven as Bielsa steers his Whites towards the Premier League.
The defensive rigidness of the Leeds back line, was necessary against a gung-ho Barnsley outfit, who never gave up throughout the entire fixture. Gerhard Struber and fans alike will have no issues with their side's efforts this evening, as they went blow-for-blow with top of the table - with the goal the only taint on what was otherwise a superb and commendable performance.
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Standout players
Despite leaving the field of play early due to injury, Helder Costa once again showed his classy ability for Leeds United. The attacking winger showed his threat going forward, having an influence in Leed's first goal, by putting pressure on Barnsley defender Michael Sollbauer who eventually turned the ball into his own net.
Barnsley's Cauley Woodrow ran himself into the ground this evening, having a part to play in many of Barnsley's brighter moments, however, the former Fulham forward couldn't stop his side moving even closer to relegation to League One.
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What's next?
Leeds now know that one more point will secure Premier League football at Elland Road next season. If West Brom fail to defeat struggling Huddersfield tomorrow (Friday) evening, then Bielsa's men will be promoted as early as then.
Barnsley will be relegated to League One should they fail to win against play-off hopefuls Nottingham Forest at Oakwell on Sunday. However, the Tykes could be relegated as early as Saturday should results elsewhere go against them.
Next match:
Sunday 19th July
14:00 - Derby County vs Leeds United
15:00 - Barnsley vs Nottingham Forest