Magician Farke has all the tricks

Tomasson tips Leeds to go up as they keep pressure on top two

DANIEL FARKE appears to be working his promotion magic again as Leeds maintained their charge for a quick Premier League return.

Clinically taken goals in either half by Dan James and Crysencio Summerville made it six wins out of seven for the Yorkshiremen after a hard-fought Roses battle.

Farke twice guided Norwich to the Championship title and after taking over at Elland Road in the summer, the German has overcome a difficult start to put Leeds hot on the heels of Leicester and Ipswich in the promotion places.

Their momentum is building and Farke said: ‘I was very happy with our performance because I’m very respectful of Blackburn, who are a good side and always play with bravery. I’m especially pleased with the clean sheet.

‘They had a lot of possession, but we did not allow them many chances. We were rock solid and scored two really good goals. We won the ball back and launched quick counter-attacks and they were ice-cold finishes. We are on a very good run, but are not getting carried away.’

Welsh winger James feared for his Leeds future after being loaned to Fulham last season by former boss Jesse Marsch. But Farke has given him his trust and worked on his end product and James has rewarded his manager with seven goals, already taking him past his best for a season of six.

He put his side in control after 27 minutes with a low shot into the far corner after being set up by Georginio Rutter, who made amends for missing an earlier chance.

Blackburn responded well and pressed hard for an equaliser towards the end of the first half. Then, immediately after the break, they had appeals for a penalty waved away by referee Robert Madley after an apparent handball by Pascal Struijk.

Leeds weathered the storm and made sure of the points in the 75th minute when Archie Gray played a one-two with Joel Piroe before sending Summerville clear.

And the winger underlined his confidence by calmly dinking the ball over the advancing Leo Wahlstedt for his ninth goal of the season. Blackburn came close to pulling a goal back late on when Arno Sigurdsson saw his header tipped over by Illan Meslier, but Leeds were worthy winners.

Rovers boss Jon Dahl Tomasson, who watched the game from the stand after his red card at Sheffield Wednesday a week earlier, admitted his team could not match Leeds’s clinical finishing.

‘Overall it was an excellent performance against a Premier League-quality squad and one I expect to win automatic promotion,’ said Tomasson. ‘We all know how good Leeds are in transition and both goals came that way. They are very difficult to deal with.

‘We were much the better side in the second half, we got into more dangerous areas more often than they did, but couldn’t turn it into goals. They were more clinical than us.’