Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa was happy to see his side pick up a “deserved” win on Tuesday night, praising Northern Ireland international duo Bailey Peacock-Farrell and Stuart Dallas for their displays.
Stuart Dallas struck on the hour mark to put Leeds United 1-0 up against a stubborn Reading side, and his goal was enough to seal all three points in front of the Elland Road crowd.
Reading very nearly came away from Leeds with a point, after they were rewarded a penalty late on after Barry Douglas was judged to have fouled Reading’s Josh Sims.
However, 22-year-old Peacock-Farrell spared their blushes on his return to the team after recovering from a knee injury. The shot stopper got down low to stop Marc McNulty’s penalty to see out the 1-0 win for Marcelo Bielsa’s side.
“Generally speaking, we deserved to win,” Bielsa told the club website.
“We would have liked to have finished the game in better conditions, we used our three substitutions and the opponent dared to play more at the end, they didn’t take precautions. For example, one of their centre backs became a number nine and our side was set up to attack.
“Our offensive players had to recover the ball, which is a role they are not used to, so it was hard for us to find a good balance during this period.
“I am very happy for Bailey Peacock-Farrell and I am very happy for the team. You have interventions which resolve games and he had a very big influence in the fact that we didn’t lose two points. His intervention will improve his esteem, especially for a goalkeeper because he allowed us to win the game.
“Stuart is a multi-talented player, he who can play in various positions. He attacks with a lot of surprise and he is strong at defending. He is playing as a full-back as a starter and playing at a good level.”
