FULL-TIME REPORT & VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: Leeds United 2 Blackburn Rovers 1

Owen Coyle’s side looked set to earn an undeserved share of the spoils after Marvin Emnes stepped off the bench to blast in a 77th-minute equaliser after fellow substitute Chris Wood had opened the scoring 12 minutes earlier.

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But, with Rovers on top for the first time in the contest, Kyle Bartley headed in with four minutes of normal time remaining to earn Leeds their first home win over their Roses rivals in 13 years.

Coyle made one enforced change to the team which started Saturday’s 1-1 draw with QPR with Corry Evans coming in for the injured Charlie Mulgrew.

The travelling fans could have no complaints with the Rovers manager’s selection given the improved performance produced at Loftus Road.

But what they could moan about was Leeds’ scandalous decision to push already extortionate prices up to £40 on the door.

Both sets of supporters had little to cheer in a poor, dull and tense first half in which late summer sun was replaced by thunder, lightning and heavy rain as the adverse weather conditions which brought about the postponement of Manchester City’s Champions League clash headed across the Pennines.

There was drama, though, in the sixth minute when Sam Gallagher, fresh from his equaliser against the Hoops, raced on to a ball over the top and was wiped out by Robert Green.

The Leeds goalkeeper was yellow carded, much to the anger of Coyle who wanted a red, while both players required lengthy treatment on the floor.

After a five-minute delay Ben Marshall fired the resultant free kick wastefully into the wall with Craig Conway flashing the rebound over the bar.

The half did not recover from there.  

Hope Akpan saw a shot inside the area blocked before Green spilled a Conway cross. Rovers, however, did not threaten whatsoever.

That said, while Leeds looked the likelier before the break, they did not have a clear-cut chance of note.

Indeed the closest they came was when Derrick Williams nearly turned a Charlie Taylor cross into his own goal.

Williams, Rovers’ biggest threat going forward in the opening period, then made a crucial interception to prevent Hadi Sacko from turning in a Stuart Dallas centre.

Dallas, along with Sacko, was Leeds’ most dangerous player and he sent a header straight down Jason Steele’s throat before blazing over the bar.

With the home fans finding their voice Rovers did not find life as comfortable after the restart. In fact they did not get going until they fell behind. 

Marshall fired wide and Akpan wasted two shooting opportunities but it was Leeds who were doing all the running. 

Tommie Hoban, who later went off injured with a hip injury, deflected a Sacko shot behind before Steele saved comfortably from Dallas and Marcus Antonsson. Bartley then headed over a Pablo Hernandez corner as the chances started to pile up.

But with no sign of one being taken Leeds manager Garry Monk turned to Wood on the hour mark.

And within five minutes the switch paid off as Sacko got in behind the Rovers defence and pulled the ball back across the box for the New Zealand international to tap in. It had been coming.

Emnes had come on for the isolated and anonymous Danny Graham at the same time as Wood was introduced for Antonsson.

Coyle then brought on Liam Feeney for Akpan which led to cries of ‘you don’t know what you’re doing’ from the seriously short-changed away supporters.

But while the Feeney change did not go down well, the Emnes one worked.

There were 13 minutes left on the clock when Rovers moved the ball back inside to the on-loan Swansea City striker who took a touch before hammering an unstoppable 20-yard drive past Green. It was his first goal for the club.

The momentum of the game had changed and former England keeper Green then made a double stop from Emnes and Gallagher.

But, against the run of play, Leeds scored what proved to be the winner as the untracked and unmarked Bartley turned in an Alex Mowatt free kick.

Rovers have now dropped points in three of their last four league matches after conceding goals after the 86-minute mark.

And, in the nine additional minutes, it could have got worse had Sacko shown more composure after bursting clear.

MATCH FACTS

Leeds: Green, Ayling, Jansson, Bartley, Taylor, Bridcutt (Phillips 49) O’Kane (Mowatt 83), Sacko, Hernandez, Dallas, Antonsson (Wood 60). Subs not used: Silvestri, Coyle, Cooper, Doukara.

Booked: Green, Sacko, Ayling.

Goals: Wood 65, Bartley 86.

Rovers: Steele, Lowe, Greer, Hoban (Lenihan 76), Williams, Evans, Conway, Akpan (Feeney 71), Marshall, Gallagher, Graham (Emnes 60). Subs not used: Raya, Byrne, Samuelsen, Guthrie.

Booked: Greer, Evans, Marshall.

Goal: Emnes 77.

Referee: James Adcock.

Attendance: 19,009 (327 away).