Kemar Roofe strike sends Leeds to Championship summit

Kemar Roofe TEAMtalk

Leeds moved to the top of the Championship table after Kemar Roofe scored their winner in a 2-1 victory at Wigan on Sunday.

Wigan were hoping to send Dave Whelan and grandson David Sharpe out in style, with the club being taken over by International Entertainment Corporation.

And despite taking the lead through Reece James inside six minutes, goals from Pablo Hernandez and Kemar Roofe saw Leeds to an away win they undoubtedly warranted.

Wigan were quickly into their stride and took the lead with virtually their first sight of goal.

Joe Garner was felled by Liam Cooper 30 yards from goal, and there seemed to be little danger as James lined up the free-kick.

 

You can follow how all the action unfolded at the DW Stadium via our Live Centre.

 

However, the on-loan Chelsea right-back curled a magnificent set-piece over the wall and past the despairing dive of Leeds goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell.

Credit to the visitors, though, who were back on level terms within three minutes.

Mateusz Klich got himself free down the left-hand side, and his cross was finished off perfectly by Hernandez.

Leeds then gradually gained a stranglehold on the game, with former Wigan man Adam Forshaw absolutely running the show in midfield.

A great strike from Forshaw forced a brilliant save from Christian Walton, who then had to tip over a speculative cross from Ezgjan Alioski that was probably missing the far post, but the goalkeeper could not take any chances.

Hernandez was also seeing plenty of the ball for Leeds, and he worked a decent shooting opportunity for himself with some clever footwork, but his shot was weak.

It almost worked in Leeds’ favour, with Roofe attempting to take advantage, but he could not quite get a foot on the ball with only the goalkeeper to beat.

Hernandez sent another curling shot just over the bar before the break, and Wigan would have been delighted to be all-square at the halfway mark.

Pablo Hernandez TEAMtalk

However, that only remained the case for a further 39 seconds of the second half, when Leeds were gifted the goal that saw them take the lead.

An awful mix-up at the back between Cedric Kipre and Walton allowed Roofe to walk the ball into the net with embarrassing ease.

Wigan, missing a number of first-team regulars through injury, were up against it now, and had to be content with playing on the break as Leeds enjoyed more and more of the ball.

On one rare Latics foray, Josh Windass found himself temporarily one-on-one against Forshaw who, in the blink of an eye, was joined by seven of his colleagues to snuff out the danger.

But the visitors were managing to control the game well, without really doing too much in he final third.

They came within inches of finding a third goal in stoppage time, with Hernandez taking delivery of a neat back-heel from Forshaw, only to fire against the far post.

The rebound fell to substitute Jason Shackleton, who fired wide of the mark from right in front.