Goals from Scott Arfield, his second in four days, and Sam Vokes, playing against a former club, gave us this latest win on the road and it was every bit as good as any we've seen recently.
I took my place inside Elland Road yesterday and, as I always do there, I looked across to the corner stand at the Geldard End where I was sat when we won 4-1 in 1974. We've not had too many good days there so it is always nice to recall the best of the lot.
Yesterday, alongside that, they stuck the 1970 Eddie Gray goal against us on the big screen. Good as it may have been, I'm a bit sick of seeing it now, and there was no forgetting our last appearance there back in April this year. We lost 1-0 in what was quite frankly a horrible performance that deserved absolutely nothing.
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| Sam Vokes scored the second against the club where he was on loan in 2009 |
It left us, despite having 54 points, staring down the gun barrel of relegation. Incredibly since that day we've now played six league and cup games on the road and won all but one of them.
It's an amazing run, and right now a real pleasure to report on, and this latest win came after another outstanding performance. It was fully deserved with only the mindless home fans I had the misfortune to encounter as I left thinking otherwise.
Yes, we had some defending to do in the latter stages of the game but there is no doubt that only one team merited the three points, a fact accepted even by beaten manager Brian McDermott after the game.
For a time in the early afternoon I wondered whether I was going to make it. I was on the supporters' club coach that had set off in good time but hit some long traffic queues on the M62. We, or our driver, took the decision to leave the motorway and crawl, instead, along the A62 and we eventually arrived at the ground with around fifteen minutes to spare.
Ahead of last week's derby, Blackburn manager Gary Bowyer spoke of the importance of starting the game on the front. They didn't; we did, and we did again in this game, taking the game to Leeds right from the start.
Paddy Kenny scrambled one ball away and then was forced into an excellent save down to his left hand post to deny Sam Vokes who turned and shot from just inside the penalty area.
It wasn't one way traffic. Luke Varney might have done better with a header, but we were very much in command and it was no surprise when we took the lead after Danny Ings collected the ball in the centre of the pitch and played it out to Kieran Trippier on the right.
The link up between Trippier and Michael Kightly was a feature yesterday. This time Kightly made the run wide, allowing Trippier to cross low. Vokes tried to hit a shot on the turn but didn't get the best of contacts. It deflected towards the far post where Sam Byram looked to get the first touch ahead of Arfield.
The ball fell loose. Arfield was first onto it and turned to slot the ball home at the near post from the narrowest of angles. He led the charge over towards the Burnley fans before admiring his efforts as he watched the action replay on the big screen.
We got a reaction from Leeds, as expected, but it was frantic and the only real opportunity they created was when a shot from Michael Tongue fell perfectly for Varney in front of goal. He did well but Tom Heaton was equal to it with a good stop to his right.
I felt, such was our first half performance, that we deserved a bigger lead than 1-0, and we got it with half time beckoning. Again it came from the right. On this occasion Trippier took a throw in short to Kightly whose cross was perfect for the head of Vokes.
Just as had happened earlier in the game, Kenny, down to his left, parried the header, but there was no escape for the Tyrone Dobbs look-a-like goalkeeper this time. Vokes was onto the ball in a flash and hit a shot across Kenny and into the far corner for that precious two goal lead at half time.
On the subject of Coronation Street, Tyrone was replaced by Craig Tinker, actor Colson Smith, at half time. He didn't go in goal but was on the touchline making the half time draw. I'm sure we can do better than that for the return fixture. Chesney?
Some of Burnley's play in the first half had been breathtaking but in the second half we certainly had some defending to do, particularly in the latter stages. In the first 25 minutes of the second half I don't think I can recall any occasion when we looked as though we might be in any sort of trouble.
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| Tom Heaton made two excellent saves |
The best chances during that period came our way when Kenny came to the home side's rescue twice, tipping over from Ings and then denying Dean Marney with another fine save.
They were good saves, but then Heaton was forced into the save of the match to deny El Hadji Diouf. I'm still not sure how he got to the close range header, let alone save it, but it was a top class save that kept our two goal lead intact.
Leeds made changes including the introduction of the Oldham battering ram Matt Smith, but it was another substitute Dominic Poleon who struck the first blow against us.
It looked a shocking late challenge from where I was as he went in on David Jones, leaving the Burnley midfielder on the ground for several minutes before being stretchered off.
I felt the departure of Jones was a major influence in the change of the game. It's certainly not a criticism of David Edgar, his replacement, but Jones and Marney had been outstanding in the midfield.
With Smith on the pitch it was clear what the Leeds tactics were, to lump it up at every opportunity. It meant the ball was going into our box possibly a little too often for comfort. And, with just over ten minutes remaining it worked as Smith climbed up to head home a Diouf free kick from the left.
The nerves started to jangle a bit. With the likely lengthy stoppage time we could still be looking at around twenty minutes to defend what was now just a one goal lead.
It was a matter of defending as they pumped the ball in but defend it we did and to the extent that I don't think Leeds ever had a real chance of getting a second, the closest they came being a snap shot from the edge of the box from Rodolph Austin.
We got to the ninety minutes and up went the board for six extra; I don't think, given the Jones injury delay, we could have expected less. I kept an eye on the clock but we saw it out without any concerns and the win was ours.
I love winning away from home; it's special, but it is more special at certain grounds and Elland Road is definitely one of them. The home crowd, a home crowd who are so deluded they were signing 'Stand up if you hate Man U' as if they are a big important club, can't take it and I know I wasn't the only one to suffer some abuse, albeit verbal, outside.
But it is no different than any other win. It's still just three points and I'm pleased to report we got those points home a lot quicker than it took us to get there. The M62 was clear and I was home in very quick time, home and still thrilled to bits at this performance and result. Long may it continue.
I don't often pick out a man of the match in my reports now and I'd have problems here. From Heaton, who made two exceptional saves, through the back four and the outstanding midfield, to the two fantastic strikers, it really is very difficult to single anyone out.
The win has taken us into second place in the table and the last time we held that lofty position in the Championship was after a 2-0 home win against Hull in October 2006. The team above us then were Cardiff.
I don't have a clue how things are going to go this season. They are, so far, going better than anyone dared hope and right now I don't think I've enjoyed my football quite so much since some of those early Premier League games back in 2009.
Winning at Leeds is a rare event. Let's keep marching on together.
The teams were;
Leeds: Paddy Kenny, Sam Byram (Paul Green 57), Jason Pearce, Scott Wootton, Aidy White, Rodolph Austin, El Hadji Diouf, Michael Tonge, Luke Murphy (Dominic Poleon), Luke Varney (Matt Smith 75), Ross McCormack. Subs not used: Alex Cairns, Michael Brown, Alex Mowatt, Noel Hunt.
Yellow Cards: Dominic Poleon, Michael Tonge.
Burnley: Tom Heaton, Kieran Trippier, Michael Duff, Jason Shackell, Ben Mee, Michael Kightly (Brian Stock 83), Dean Marney, David Jones (David Edgar 70), Scott Arfield, Danny Ings, Sam Vokes. Subs not used: Alex Cisak, Kevin Long, Danny Lafferty, Junior Stanislas, Keith Treacy.
Yellow Card: David Jones.
Referee: Lee Probert (Wiltshire).
Attendance: 26,465.