Leeds United 3-0 Preston North End

Leeds comprehensively beat Preston to end their poor run of form and cement their place in the play-offs.

The hosts took the lead when Kemar Roofe kept his cool to lift his shot over Preston keeper Chris Maxwell before Pablo Hernandez made it 2-0.

Preston hit the woodwork when Tom Barkhuizen's shot struck the bar before Alex Baptiste saw red for a kick on Hernandez off the ball.

Sub Souleymane Doukara finished well to seal the victory in the last minute.

Garry Monk's side needed a positive result after a run of one win in five had seen them drop to fifth in the Championship, but they nearly found themselves a goal down inside the first two minutes when Rob Green produced a fine save from Barkhuizen's header.

Leeds grew into the game and Roofe's third of the season put them in charge before leading scorer Chris Wood had a strike disallowed for offside and Hernandez squeezed a shot over the line for his fifth of the season.

Wood hit the bar with a header from a corner before Barkhuizen should have made it 2-1 when he hit the woodwork after Aiden McGeady's initial effort had been parried by Green.

Preston, who had gone into the game unbeaten in five games, dropped to six points off the play-offs, while Leeds remained fifth, five points clear of seventh-placed Fulham.

Leeds manager Garry Monk: "It was really important to respond and we were determined to after back-to-back defeats away from home and that was the key.

"The first five 10 minutes they had a couple of breakaways, which could have been more dangerous. But once we got to grips with it, for the next 50 or 60 minutes we played some really good football.

"We created numerous chances and probably should have capitalised a bit more, but we were playing against a good side and they are in form.

"They were never going to make it easy for us, but some of the football we played I thought was excellent."

Preston boss Simon Grayson: "We started really well and had two great opportunities through Tom Barkhuizen.

"But before you know it, we switch off and they got their noses in front. We weren't good enough defensively and that was the big aspect.

"We created some good chances. We had good possession and played some decent stuff, but it mistakes at key times cost us.

"If you do that against a strong team like Leeds they're going to punish you."