Three points from Leeds United tonight against Sheffield Wednesday would not only give the Whites the Yorkshire bragging rights, but would see them open a three-point lead at the top of the Sky Bet Championship.
It was a game of half-chances and missed chances for Leeds in an opening 45 they dominated yet failed to score in. In the end it was a 45th-minute, 30-yard lashed thunderbolt of a worldie from Adam Reach that saw the Owls fly to their half-time 1-0 up.
There was no shame in going in a goal behind to Reach’s looped volley, a volley that travelled over the despairing stretch of Bailey Peacock-Farrell and rebounding in off the inside of the far post.
In a way it shocked the travelling legion of Leeds United fans, who’d seen their side in the ascendency and knocking on the door so many times in an entertaining half. They would have been left hoping that their side would stop knocking on the door and smash it down in the second half.
As it was, Wednesday sat back in the opening exchanges of the half, content to let Leeds come at them. It was this approach that was to lead to their undoing, the invitation to attack proving just the incentive Leeds needed.
A great ball in from the influential Samu Saiz to the feet of Tyler Roberts was played back by the young Welsh international to Matuesz Klich. The ball back to Klich’s feet from Roberts gave the Polish midfielder time and space on the ball.
WATCH: Mateusz Klich draws Leeds level with a sensational curling effort from distance! 👌
We are being absolutely spoiled for brilliant goals at Hillsborough tonight! 🙌
Watch it live on Sky Sports Football and Main Event or follow it here: https://t.co/nkLjsf4thA pic.twitter.com/mRDuKuIGSn
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) September 28, 2018
📸 | The away support are bouncing as @Cli5hy races over to celebrate with them after grabbing the equaliser in tonight’s Yorkshire derby
1-1 | #LEESHF pic.twitter.com/Ol1fY21nVK
— Leeds United (@LUFC) September 28, 2018
Moving it to his right, Klich created the opening he was looking for and bent a peach of a shot beyond the dive of Cameron Dawson in the Wednesday goal. It was a level below Reach’s opener for the home side, but it had a class of its own all the same.
It was a goal that brought fans to their feet in the stadium, as it no doubt did at many homes of those watching on Sky Sports. It was also an equaliser that brought many out on Twitter to comment. Here’s what some of them said, the first comment by a footballing legend:
Got what they deserve Leeds & a great goal from Klich quality strike
— Chris Kamara (@chris_kammy) September 28, 2018
Beautiful. Polish. Motherflipper.
— RiotBadger™ (@riotbadger) September 28, 2018
Well, that’s certainly more from Klich…….. #lufc
— EastStandUpper (@EastStandUpper) September 28, 2018
Klich Klich Boom! What a goal!
— Tomi Oladipo (@Tomi_Oladipo) September 28, 2018
Tony Yeboah would have been proud of that.
— Noel Butler (@Noel_Butler1) September 28, 2018
What a season he is having …… 👍🏻👏🏻👊🏻 Please don’t get injured!
— Mr P (@Wibbleboy) September 28, 2018
Klich is the player that Leeds fans pretended Forshaw was last season
— Nathan (@Nathjj97) September 28, 2018