Leeds United Under-21s will have to go through the Premier League 2 Division 2 play-offs if they are to be promoted this season. Paco Gallardo’s Whites missed the opportunity to top the table and claim the only automatic promotion spot on Friday afternoon as they lost 2-1 against West Bromwich Albion at the Baggies’ training ground.
United’s defeat means Southampton are promoted automatically, while Leeds finish second and join West Brom, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa in the play-offs with one more spot in top flight to be claimed. Aston Villa will be Leeds’ play-off semi-final opponents and the Whites will have to dust themselves down and turn their attentions to that one quickly after the heartbreak of missing out on the title.
The play-off semi-final will be a one-legged affair, with Leeds as the highest seed hosting Villa. Should they get past the Villians, they would host a one-off final against either Forest or the Baggies, with dates to be confirmed in due course.
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Leeds were relegated from the top flight last season and they have had their hearts set on bouncing back at the first time of asking this time around. They can still do that under the stewardship of Gallardo, but they know the play-offs will be anything but straightforward.
The young Whites travelled to the West Midlands knowing just a point would be enough for them to leapfrog the Saints and finish the campaign on top of the table, but a late winner from Eseosa Sule saw to their chances. They got off to the worst start possible, too, as they fell behind to a Layton Love effort in the opening few minutes.
The visitors were the better side, though, and after spurned chances from Mateo Joseph and Sean McGurk, they found the equaliser through Sonny Perkins, who has been one of the brightest performers in white this season. Seeing his initial shot blocked, Perkins was on hand to turn Charlie Allen’s ball back into the box home.
Perkins should have had another at the start of the second half, firing over from close range, while Archie Gray also wasted a fine opportunity to put his side in front. Sule’s late effort came as a real body blow for the Whites, but they still had opportunities to equalise with Diogo Monteiro striking the crossbar deep into stoppage time.
Ultimately, Leeds didn’t have enough at West Brom, but they know they still have the opportunity to end what has been a special season on a high.
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