Patrick Bamford and Ezgjan Alioski goals move Leeds up to second while Phil Parkinson sees red

Leeds kept up the pressure in the Championship promotion race after being gifted the winner in a fraught contest that saw Bolton manager Phil Parkinson red-carded.

Two minutes after Ezgjan Alioski’s dink was allowed to creep under the crossbar and over the line by visiting goalkeeper Remi Matthews for the decisive goal, Parkinson was sent to the stands by Tony Harrington for charging out of his technical area as part of a melee that formed following a touchline foul.

Josh Magennis was booked for the challenge on Alioski and Joe Williams also saw yellow for his reaction before fourth official Scott Duncan advised Harrington on events.

Ezgjan Alioski scores Leeds’ second goal in the 2-1 win over Bolton Wanderers

Bolton boss Phil Parkinson was dismissed after a touchline altercation with Pontus Jansson

Patrick Bamford celebrates after scoring a penalty to put Leeds in front on 16 minutes

Bamford found the net after 16 minutes, sending Bolton keeper Remi Matthews the wrong way

Yet until Alioski lifted the ball hopefully goalwards in the 68th minute, frustration had dogged Leeds for the best part of an hour, much as it has done since they relinquished their advantage in the automatic promotion race last month.

In fact, this feels like a pivotal week in Leeds’ season: frontrunners for so long, a post-Christmas slump of 10 points from eight matches has seen them cede their advantage and a spell of three fixtures in six days, including the visit of in-form West Brom next Friday, will test their staying power.

Any heaviness in the legs should have been eased by the rare 10-day rest period in the lead-up, one which Marcelo Bielsa used to take in some of the Yorkshire countryside and the Football League used to issue a £200,000 fine and reprimand for the Argentine’s indulgence in spying.

Bielsa’s plans for Bolton were disrupted by the absence of top scorer Kemar Roofe due to a knee injury.

It triggered a recall for Tyler Roberts and placed an onus on Patrick Bamford to convert the chances Leeds’ high-tempo game create.

When they combined for the opening goal, it appeared they were good for the rest. Roberts’ flit across the area on the quarter hour was impeded by Pawel Olkowski and, in the absence of regular penalty taker Roofe, Bamford sent Remi Matthews the wrong way from 12 yards. 

Visiting defender Mark Beevers levelled the scores on 22 minutes, firing in from close range

Bolton players celebrate after scoring a first-half equaliser against Leeds at Elland Road

The lead proved fleeting, however, as Bolton’s aerial superiority – that had seen Josh Magennis’ close-range header spectacularly clawed over the bar by Kiko Casilla inside three minutes – played its part in an equaliser.

Although David Wheater’s initial header from Gary O’Neil’s corner was repelled, the scramble that ensued saw his central defensive partner stab in from eight yards.

Norwich dispatched four goals past the same relegation-threatened opponents last week but Leeds – and their 33,000 supporters – lived on their nerves throughout due to the lack of a second goal.

Bolton’s Jason Lowe was shown a yellow card for an early foul on Tyler Roberts

Bamford sees his first-half header saved by Bolton goalkeeper Remi Matthews

Bamford and Harrison both forced Matthews into sprawling, low saves to keep out glancing headers, after exploiting the space behind Bolton’s backline, during a first-half purple patch.

While an electric breakout from a visitors’ corner resulted in full-back Luke Ayling cutting in from the right flank only to curl the ball behind the far post eight minutes after the re-start.

In the end, they were thankful to the generosity of beleaguered Bolton. Clayton Donaldson was bundled off the ball far too easily by Mateusz Klich and even then no danger was apparent when Alioski shaped to deliver – the ball appearing to skew off his boot to wrong foot the goalkeeper.

Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa feels the pressure in a tense game against the Trotters