Match ends, Leeds United 1, Cardiff City 0.
LeedsLeeds United1CardiffCardiff City0
Leeds United beat Cardiff City to register their first win at Elland Road since 4 March.
Neither side showed any cutting edge in a dull first half before Sean Morrison saw his header saved by Leeds keeper Marco Silvestri after the break.
Alex Mowatt scored the only goal of the game with a brilliant long-range strike in the 63rd minute.
Home striker Chris Wood should have made it 2-0 but shot wide with the goal at his mercy.
As well as being a first home success of the season, the victory also gave Steve Evans his first win since replacing Uwe Rosler last month.
Whites chairman Massimo Cellino, who has agreed a deal in principle to sell his majority stake to supporters group Leeds Fans United, was not present for the game after vowing on Monday to no longer attend matches.
The first half saw little action, with Leeds winger Stuart Dallas going closest with a shot that was beaten away by Bluebirds keeper David Marshall.
Cardiff carried more of a threat in the second period but found themselves behind when Mowatt struck home a superb effort to give Leeds a first goal from open play since 19 September.
Silvestri saved from Joe Mason and Morrison for a second time before Wood missed a great chance to wrap up the victory when he failed to hit the target having gone round Marshall in the dying minutes.
Leeds head coach Steve Evans:
"At the end of the game I was quite an emotional man, I was welling up.
"If I achieve nothing else I have won a game in charge of a famous football club at Elland Road.
"We were all down after the Blackburn game - it was the worst birthday I have had. I then spoke to the players about having some passion and drive.
"I'm very proud now. I was so down after last Thursday but had to lift them and I told them the minimum we needed was effort."
Line-ups
Leeds
Formation 4-4-2
- 1Silvestri
- 4Wootton
- 5BellusciBooked at 67mins
- 6Cooper
- 28Berardi
- 15DallasSubstituted forByramat 82'minutes
- 8Murphy
- 23L Cook
- 10MowattSubstituted forPhillipsat 87'minutes
- 7AntenucciSubstituted forDoukaraat 90+3'minutes
- 9Wood
Substitutes
- 2Byram
- 11Doukara
- 20Botaka
- 25Buckley
- 27Phillips
- 29Sloth
- 30Horton
Cardiff
Formation 4-4-2
- 1Marshall
- 2Peltier
- 4Morrison
- 16Connolly
- 28Malone
- 11NooneSubstituted forAmeobiat 60'minutes
- 17Gunnarsson
- 7WhittinghamBooked at 20minsSubstituted forPilkingtonat 78'minutes
- 8Ralls
- 10Mason
- 19RevellSubstituted forJonesat 69'minutes
Substitutes
- 9Jones
- 12John
- 13Pilkington
- 20Tamas
- 21Moore
- 22O'Keefe
- 38Ameobi
- Referee:
- Carl Boyeson
- Attendance:
- 17,914
Match Stats
Home TeamLeedsAway TeamCardiff
- Possession
- Home39%
- Away61%
- Shots
- Home10
- Away6
- Shots on Target
- Home2
- Away2
- Corners
- Home3
- Away4
- Fouls
- Home11
- Away9
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Leeds United 1, Cardiff City 0.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Souleymane Doukara (Leeds United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Liam Cooper.
Substitution
Substitution, Leeds United. Souleymane Doukara replaces Mirco Antenucci.
Post update
Attempt missed. Anthony Pilkington (Cardiff City) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Sammy Ameobi.
Post update
Foul by Lee Peltier (Cardiff City).
Post update
Mirco Antenucci (Leeds United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Joe Ralls (Cardiff City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Sam Byram (Leeds United).
Substitution
Substitution, Leeds United. Kalvin Phillips replaces Alex Mowatt.
Post update
Attempt missed. Chris Wood (Leeds United) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is close, but misses to the left.
Substitution
Substitution, Leeds United. Sam Byram replaces Stuart Dallas.
Post update
Foul by Aron Gunnarsson (Cardiff City).
Post update
Lewis Cook (Leeds United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Joe Mason (Cardiff City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Liam Cooper (Leeds United).
Post update
Lee Peltier (Cardiff City) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Post update
Foul by Mirco Antenucci (Leeds United).
Substitution
Substitution, Cardiff City. Anthony Pilkington replaces Peter Whittingham.
Post update
Foul by Matthew Connolly (Cardiff City).
