Patrick Bamford nets winner as Leeds beat Norwich to keep pressure on top two

Leeds climbed to within two points of the Sky Bet Championship’s automatic-promotion places with a 1-0 win against Norwich at Elland Road.

Patrick Bamford scored the game’s solitary goal with a thumping first-half header and that was enough to seal Leeds their fifth straight win in all competitions and keep the pressure on their promotion rivals.

Norwich were not without their chances – Gabriel Sara’s first-half effort was the best of them – but they slipped to their first defeat in six games and failed to climb into the play-off places.

In a fixture brought forward because both sides are in FA Cup action this weekend, there was little to excite the crowd in the opening quarter of an hour.

But Bamford changed that in the 16th minute after a concerted spell of home pressure as his fourth goal in five games put Leeds ahead.

Georginio Rutter and Daniel James combined on the edge of the box and the latter provided a pin-point assist to the far post where Bamford expertly headed back across a flat-footed Angus Gunn and into the far corner.

Norwich, Leeds boss Daniel Farke’s former club, did not stir until Josh Sargent’s shot was blocked in the 35th minute and captain Kenny McLean then blazed a golden chance over the crossbar.

But Leeds’ dominance was not reflected in chances and Norwich served another warning just before the break when Sara mis-hit Jack Stacey’s cross to the back post.

Jaidon Anthony replaced James at the break and helped set up Crysencio Summerville, who fired an early second-half chance off target before Norwich stepped it up.

The Canaries appeared to be gaining momentum, but Leeds pounced on a mis-placed pass from Sara and it took a last-ditch block from McLean to deny Anthony in front of goal.

Summerville’s cross, after racing on to Junior Firpo’s precision pass, deserved better than Bamford’s wayward effort and Rutter was denied by Gunn’s out-stretched boot as Leeds chased a killer second goal.

But it did not come and Norwich threatened an equaliser on the counter-attack when substitute Adam Idah was brilliantly thwarted by 17-year-old Archie Gray.

It was end-to-end action in the closing stages. Summerville’s shot curled just wide and Firpo’s low effort was saved by Gunn before the final whistle was met by huge roars of relief from the home fans as Leeds held on.