Daniel Farke had no issues with bringing back Wilfried Gnonto and Luis Sinisterra

Posted Sunday, August 27, 2023 by PA

Daniel Farke had no hesitation in playing scoring duo Wilfried Gnonto and Luis Sinisterra in Leeds’ 4-3 win at Ipswich.

The pair have been missing for a fortnight; Gnonto after submitting a transfer request as he tried to force a way out of the club and Sinisterra as his own future remained unresolved.

Farke sidelined the pair and was firm when discussing them in the week, particularly on the subject of Italy international Gnonto who he said had apologised after refusing to play.

The duo came back into the side as Farke secured his maiden league win as Leeds boss, with first goals for Georginio Rutter and Joel Piroe on his debut ending Ipswich’s perfect record.

“I wasn’t too concerned about these two decisions (to pick Gnonto and Sinisterra) to be honest because I’ve watched them during the training week and they looked really, really sharp and disciplined and I had a really good feeling with this decision,” Farke said.

“I was in general pleased with our offensive firepower, especially because we played a side who just conceded one goal over their first four games.

“It’s a difficult place to come here, they played full of confidence and excited the home fans in the stadium and for us then to dig in and to grind out a result and to score four times is really, really good and especially the offensive play on the scoresheet.

“I am pleased for my offensive players that they showed real quality today and also clinical finishes and it’s good for the mood, good for the confidence, good for the table, good for them also to be off the mark in terms of goals and I am happy with this.”

Ipswich went ahead through a Joe Rodon own goal and pulled further strikes back through Nathan Broadhead in first-half injury time and Conor Chaplin late in the second.

It was not enough to extend Town’s unbeaten run to 22 games, though, and boss Kieran McKenna said. “I thought there was a lot more good than bad (from us), there are so many positives to take in the game.

“I thought we were the better and more dominant team in so many aspects of the game on and off the ball and there’s lots to be pleased about.

“On another day the game could have went differently.

“There was of course things for us to improve, big lessons to learn. Of course disappointment with the goals that we conceded in the first half.

“But that’s part of the adjustment about playing against a much better team, with much higher players – we’ll improve and we’ll learn from those mistakes and continue working to get better.

“I think overall there are so many things to give us confidence.

“It was a really intense start to the game … we were competing and got the goal, we were in a great position to go on and take control of the game and if we had been able to do that for a little while we would have been able to build up a lot more momentum.

“I had a feeling that today would be a high scoring game.”

Kayden Jackson’s darting run led to the first goal after seven minutes when his cross took a big deflection off Rodon to beat goalkeeper Illan Meslier.

Leeds equalised three minutes later through Rutter’s individual brilliance and the visitors took the lead in the 14th minute through Gnonto.

They went further ahead with 19 minutes on the clock when Town goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky could only parry a shot from Sinisterra to Piroe who gobbled up the rebound.

Ipswich got their second through Broadhead but Sinisterra netted the fourth before Chaplin’s goal.