Tony Mowbray delivers Leeds United promotion assessment after rare West Brom approach is rewarded

The Baggies fought back from an early Junior Firpo goal to seal a 1-1 draw at Elland Road thanks to a header from an unmarked Darnell Furlong. Leeds lost control of the game in the first half but regained it in the second and came close to a second with both Mateo Joseph and Daniel James going close.

Mowbray was cntent with a point. "For most of it I think it was what we talked about," he said. "The energy and effort were there, the desire not to get beat. We'll take the point. I think there were opportunities to win it, we could have lost it of course. It'll give the lads some confidence that they can go anywhere in this league. It would have been nice for Tom [Fellows] to score the winner at the deathbut he just couldn't settle the ball down. I thought the lad [Joe Rodon] just fell on top of him but I don't want to sit and moan about whether it was a free-kick or a penalty kick. We had chances. John Swift nine times out of 10 slots that. I didnt want to be the team who sits nine men behind the ball. We wanted to test ourselves on the front foot against a good team."

Mowbray came with the intent to attack Leeds, which is not an approach that has been seen too often at Elland Road this season.

"We had to believe we could find spaces to make them run more, make them feel it was one of them days," he said. "I was adamant we had to throw punches, make sure we attacked their goal, got in behind, put balls in the box, threatened and had shots. We had enough of the ball and opportunities that we weren't camped in for 90 minutes. When you play Leeds you have to run because they run and they run forward."

League leaders Leeds' approach was no different to usual and Mowbray is full of admiration for the way his opposite number Daniel Farke has them playing.

"I think Leeds will finish in the top two," he said. "They're so well coached. They play the same way all the time but if you don't find the solutions to stop them, their build-up is very good. They get it to your back line very quickly. Solomon, James having a red-hot season, Piroe showed against Blades the quality he has in his right boot. They're very difficult to stop. It would have been difficult [to prepare for Leeds] if we had two days. They're very good, I'm very sure in my mind they're going up."