WANDERERS’ long wait for a victory continues as Patrick Bamford struck the only goal of the game to send Leeds United top of the Championship.

Phil Parkinson’s side have now picked up just three points from their last 12 games – and despite working hard to contain United, struggled to create chances for themselves for much of the game.

Bamford, whose previous goal had been in Leeds’ Carabao Cup victory against Bolton in August, rounded off a neat pass from Pablo Hernandez on 66 minutes, shortly after coming off the bench.

Wanderers will point to a big penalty shout late in the second half when Kalvin Phillips appeared to clatter into Craig Noone. There was also another claim for handball when Jack Hobbs’ header was cleared off the line by Barry Douglas and Noone’s shot was deflected wide.

Parkinson made three changes to the side beaten at Norwich, bringing Josh Vela back for his first start since October in place of the suspended Sammy Ameobi.

Josh Magennis and David Wheater also came in for Chris Doidge and the injured Mark Beevers.

Leeds made a fast start and went close after just three minutes when Ezigan Alioski’s left-wing cross was headed towards goal by Pablo Hernandez and pushed away by Ben Alnwick.

But the Yorkshiremen’s bluster was soon dampened by the driving wind and rain, with little incident until Alnwick pushed aside Mateusz Klich’s shot half an hour in.

Wanderers protected their penalty area well, Jack Hobbs and David Wheater particularly impressive at the heart of the defence, but their inadequacies in possession meant they went in at half time without a shot on goal.

That changed when Noone curled a shot a couple of yards wide of the Leeds goal shortly after the restart. The winger also got another glimpse of goal when a Leeds mix-up at the back presented him with a chance to shoot, only for his footing to fail.

Almost instantly, Leeds seized the lead. Will Buckley lost possession and the visitors countered at pace, Hernandez feeding Bamford to strike cleanly into the bottom corner.

Alnwick made another save from Klich but after throwing on all three of his substitutes in the final 18 minutes, Parkinson nearly salvaged an equaliser.

Lowe went close, Hobbs was denied by a fine block from Douglas and Wanderers suffered yet more penalty agony as referee Rob Jones waved away their late appeals.

Defeat for Millwall and a point for Reading means they are still within striking distance of escaping the bottom three, but hard-working Bolton are the Championship’s lowest goal-scorers and showed why on the evidence of a frustrating 90 minutes.