LEEDS UNITED are on the brink of promotion to the Premier League after thumping Stoke City 6-0 at Elland Road.
Leeds did the hard work early, with FIVE first half goals to leave all eyes on Burnley‘s clash against fellow promotion chasers Sheffield United at 5:30pm.
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Joel Piroe got the Leeds promotion party started with an incredible FOUR-GOAL first-half haul.
The Dutchman ended a nine-match goal drought in spectacular fashion as the red-hot Whites had the joy of six against Stoke to edge closer to a Premier League return.
Piroe nabbed a 20-minute hat-trick – the fastest in the club’s history – before making it 5-0 before half-time after Junior Firpo’s fourth goal of the campaign.
Willy Gnonto made it six in the second half and, even if Sheffield United beat Burnley in the late game, the Whites will confirm a top-flight spot with a point from their final two games against Bristol City and Plymouth.
The rout also made it 89 goals for the season – beating the club record of 84 set by Don Revie’s legendary 1969-70 side.
Sorry Stoke, four points clear of relegation in 17th spot, crumbled as Leeds turned on the style, determined to go back up after a two-year absence.
Ironically, it was against a Mark Robins side last April where they began to wobble in the promotion race.
A 2-1 defeat at Coventry was one of four in a horror six-match run-in that saw them agonisingly miss out on a top-two spot, before faltering in the play-off final.
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If there were any fears of another late-season Leeds collapse, they were gone within eight memorable minutes as it was Robins’ Stoke side who fell apart under the relentless pressure of the hosts.
Like rampaging, raging bulls, Leeds were simply unstoppable as they over-ran the visitors with ferocity to punish a string of defensive errors.
For the sixth-minute opener, three times Stoke were sloppy in possession to the build-up and how they were punished.
Gnonto slipped a pass inside to the supporting Manor Solomon and he picked out Piroe to fire home.
There was relief as he rejoiced, not just for the forward after his scoring woes, but the fans crammed inside Elland Road.
“No Piroe, no party” they sang – and his much-needed first strike in ten games calmed the nerves and got them in the mood to celebrate.
Just two minutes later, Stoke forward Bae Jun-ho lost the ball on the left-hand side and Jayden Bogle burst forward and found Piroe, who calmly steered in his second.
After his worrying run and calls for Patrick Bamford to replace him in the starting line-up, the Dutchman showed his class and composure, and justified Farke’s faith.
Piroe was suddenly the smiling assassin and a first hat-trick in senior football was confirmed in the 20th minute.
The lively Gnonto again unsettled the Stoke backline and when his low shot was pushed out by Viktor Johansson, there was Piroe to slam home from a couple of yards at the back post.
And Leeds showed no mercy to their shell-shocked opponents when Bogle drove a 26th-minute cross into the box and it was directed into the net by full-back Firpo’s shin.
But, as magnificent as Leeds were as a team, the half belonged to Piroe and he claimed his fourth goal four minutes before the break.
When the brilliant Bogle powered into the box and struck the post with a fierce drive, the rebound fell to the frontman to steer past Johansson as Brenden Aaronson failed to get a touch on the line.
Not since 1938, when they beat Leicester City 8-2, had a Leeds player scored five times in a match.
But Piroe could not match Gordon Hodgson’s club-record feat as he was taken off in the 66th minute, greeted by a big hug from boss Farke as he was replaced by Bamford.
By then, Leeds had scored a sumptuous sixth.
After busy Stoke keeper Johansson had shovelled away a Solomon effort, the on-loan Tottenham forward set up Gnonto in the 59th minute with a wonderful whipped cross that was headed home by the unmarked Italian.
There was time too for a bit more history as Harry Gray, the younger brother of Tottenham’s Archie, was handed his debut at 16.
The midfielder followed in the long line of Grays to play for the club as great uncle and Elland Road icon Eddie watched in tears from the stands.
But those soon turned to cheers as they, and Leeds, lapped up the scintillating success to edge closer to a place back in the big time.
