Wood's 30th goal of season wins point for Leeds United at Wigan

Goal scorer: Chris Wood.Goal scorer: Chris Wood.
Goal scorer: Chris Wood.
Chris Wood's 30th goal of the season earned Leeds United a draw in their final game of the season at Wigan Athletic.

Wood scored from the penalty spot early in the second half to equalise a first half effort from relegated Wigan that threatened to heap a bit more embarrassment on a United side who have ended the campaign in their worst form of the year.

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Leeds boss Garry Monk appeared to indicate the future of defenders Charlie Taylor and Liam Cooper by leaving them out of his squad all together, going with Lewie Coyle included at right-back and Luke Ayling moved to centre-back in the absence of suspended Pontus Jansson.

The team started well enough with Kemar Roofe finding space in the box in the second minute only to see his shot deflected wide.

Another good chance swiftly followed as Eunan O’Kane played in Pablo Hernandez, but the Spaniard shot wide.

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However, it was Wigan who went ahead on six minutes when Michael Jacobs played in Ryan Tunnicliffe who rounded keeper Rob Green to score

Leeds looked to reply, but had a big penalty shout denied after Chris Wood went down under a challenge after getting on the end of Hernandez’s ball.

At the other end Omar Bogle shot wide from distance and the same player went closer with a further effort that was well saved by Green.

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The United keeper made another good save to keep out a Tunnicliffe effort.

Wood’s cross just cleared the woodwork for Leeds before Callum Connolly hit a shot wide from 25 yards out.

Little happened for the rest of the half aside from a Gaetano Berardi shot from distance that sailed wide.

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Leeds came out fast for the second half and earned a penalty within four minutes with O’Kane brought down in the box. Wood stepped up and sent keeper Matt Gilks the wrong way from the spot for his 30th goal of the season.

In the process he became the first Leeds player to score in every month of the season since john Charles.

Another goal almost followed within two minutes as Roofe’s well struck half-volley from 25 yards out hit the crossbar.

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Wigan responded to create a great chance as Bogle latched onto a poor back pass by Ronaldo Vieira, but Green came out to half-stop and Kyle Bartley completed the clearance.

The opportunities were coming thick and fast and Roofe had another golden chance when left free in the box only to see his header saved by Gilks.

The home keeper did well again on the hour to save a Stuart Dallas strike from distance.

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The game then started to drift to its inevitable conclusion with little in the way of goalmouth action for the remainder.

Wood headed over from an Alfonso Pedraza cross and Pedraza sent a low shot wide from the edge of the box.

In the last minute Green punched away a Wigan free-kick and Max Power’s follow up volley went over.

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With that it was all over for another season with Leeds finishing in seventh place on 75 points.

Match facts

(Tunnicliffe 6)

(Wood 49)

Sunday, May 7, 2017

EFL Championship

Attendance: 15,280

Wigan: Gilks; Connolly, Warnock, Burn, Morgan (Bruce 57); Power, Perkins (Colclough 76), Hanson, Tunnicliffe, Jacobs (Powell 62); Bogle.

Leeds: Green, Coyle, Bartley, Ayling, Berardi, O’Kane, Vieira (Phillips 77), Roofe, Hernandez (Pedraza 64), Dallas (Sacko 70), Wood.

Referee: Scott Duncan.