Impressive Leeds stroll to easy win at Cardiff

Patrick Bamford's goal was his third in three games in all competitions

Leeds United impressively brushed aside a meek Cardiff City to keep pace with their rivals for automatic promotion in the Championship.

Cardiff goalkeeper Jak Alnwick made several saves to prevent the visitors from adding to their tally, while James struck the bar in the second half and Crysencio Summerville hit a post from his penalty.

Leeds eventually scored a third goal - which was still scant reflection of their vast superiority - as Georginio Rutter applied an emphatic finish to an incisive late counter-attack.

Daniel Farke's side remain fourth in the Championship table, but stay within four points of Southampton, who have overtaken Ipswich Town in second place.

Cardiff, who were booed off by their fans at the final whistle, slip to 12th, but are still only three points adrift of the play-off spots.

With leaders Leicester losing at Coventry earlier on Saturday and Ipswich not playing until later that evening, this was an opportunity for Leeds to apply pressure on two of the teams above them - and they seized it with a convincing display.

Farke's men were quick to assert their authority, monopolising possession and barely giving their opponents a whiff of the ball.

Such was Leeds' early dominance that, even after only 13 minutes, there was an air of inevitability about their opening goal.

The visitors carved Cardiff open on the left and Summerville fired a low cross which hit the sliding Bamford, bounced off Junior Firpo and back to Bamford, who poked in despite being sprawled on the ground.

Leeds' second goal came from a similar position, with Cardiff's Manolis Siopis giving possession away to Glen Kamara before Summerville's shot was saved by Alnwick but only as far as James, who tapped in.

Cardiff's keeper kept the score respectable as he saved from Bamford and Rutter but the one-sided nature of the contest prompted a smattering of jeers from the home crowd which became a fully-fledged chorus of boos by the time the half-time whistle blew.

It was hard to blame the Bluebirds' supporters. It is one thing to be outplayed by a better side, quite another to offer such limp resistance in response.

The travelling Leeds fans, meanwhile, were enjoying themselves and almost had a third goal to cheer four minutes into the second half when Summerville's whipped effort dipped just wide.

The Dutchman then had an even better opportunity to score when Leeds were awarded a penalty after Rutter was fouled by Mark McGuinness - but his spot-kick hit the base of the post.

It was left to Rutter to finally net the third goal Leeds more than deserved, powering in a firm finish after a swift counter-attack involving James, Summerville and Bamford.