DOUGIE Freedman was keeping a stiff upper lip despite seeing his side slip to second bottom of the Championship with a slim home defeat against Leeds United.

Luke Varney’s strike was enough to ensure Brian McDermott’s side continued their excellent start, with 11 points from the opening six games compared to Wanderers’ miserly two.

Paddy Kenny, who would later sign for the Whites, kept David Ngog and Darren Pratley at bay with a pair of excellent saves.

But in the end it was former Crewe striker Varney who settled the game with a strike just six minutes in.

Freedman was insistent that his pre-season aim of automatic promotion was still within reach despite a fourth straight league defeat.

“Have we given up on automatic promotion? We'll never give up. Anything can happen in professional sport,” said the Scot, whose side were above rock-bottom Millwall on goal difference.

“Obviously we're disappointed with the result. To concede a goal after seven minutes was disappointing but we didn't have too many clear opportunities and that's the biggest disappointment.

“I’m certainly not worried because this is professional sport. You have your ups and downs but we've really got to start games better.”