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• Daniel Farke praises Leeds’ ability to win without producing fireworks

  Leeds boss Daniel Farke was pleased to see his side grind out a 1-0 victory over QPR in the Championship.

  Crysencio Summerville coolly slotted in the only goal of the contest after nine minutes to move the Whites into the play-off places.

  The hosts missed chances to kill the game off against a QPR side who had goalkeeper Asmir Begovic sent off in stoppage time, but Leeds held on as they returned to winning ways following Saturday’s defeat to Southampton.

  “I am really happy and pleased,” Farke said.

  “I told the lads I am proud because you can be on a great spell like we were on before Southampton and after one bad result, the next game is very difficult.

  “The confidence is not there like it was before and to grind out a result it’s never champagne or football fireworks, it’s always hard work.

  “To bring this tight lead over the line and be there again with a clean sheet, a win, is fantastic and in this type of game you have to be there to be able to celebrate.”

  Leeds missed a handful of chances in the second period which could have put them out of sight and Farke admitted it started to get more nervy as the game wore on.

  He added: “When you don’t score the second goal the opponent believes there is a chance.

  “Because you don’t score a second goal it gets more nervous. We dominated every stat, but one scruffy situation in the second half saw a ball go through and thank God (goalkeeper) Illan (Meslier) was in the right position.”

  QPR slipped to their sixth league defeat of the season and are without a win in five, but boss Gareth Ainsworth took heart from the performance.

  “We’ve had a couple of collapses in my time so resilience wise I’m very proud of the boys,” he said.

  “They gave everything, I asked for a bit more output, bit more of the committed work rate, I haven’t seen enough of that this season and we have that tonight. I think we will finish way higher than what people think.”

  Ainsworth disagreed with the decision to send off Begovic, who saw red after fouling Patrick Bamford outside his area.

  “He (Begovic) does not touch him (Bamford). I’ve had verification from both players that there’s no contact,” Ainsworth said.

  “Patrick’s a great lad and he’s just jumped out the way and the referee has seen it as he thought he caught him. We may be able to get it overturned, I don’t know.”

• Crysencio Summerville gets Leeds back on track against QPR

  Crysencio Summerville’s early goal ensured Leeds returned to winning ways in the Championship with a 1-0 victory over QPR at Elland Road.

  The first half seemed too easy for the hosts who were looking to make it consecutive home wins for the first time this season and had their opener inside 10 minutes thanks to Summerville.

  The Whites missed a handful of chances in the second period through Patrick Bamford, Dan James and Pascal Struijk but held on to register their second home success of the campaign after goalkeeper Asmir Begovic was sent off in stoppage time.

  Leeds opened the scoring in the ninth minute when QPR were dispossessed in the middle of the park and Georginio Rutter slid through to Summerville who lifted over Begovic.

  Daniel Farke’s side were aiming to bounce back from their 3-1 defeat to Southampton at the weekend and they sensed blood in the early stages of the encounter – Summerville’s inswinging corner met the head of Liam Cooper who nodded just wide.

  QPR were struggling for form and it showed in the opening quarter of the match. Leeds could have had another when Rutter set up Summerville for a second time but his effort was somehow blocked behind.

  The visitors failed to make any impression in the first 45 but had their first sight of goal when Sinclair Armstrong raced through but his cross-shot ran comfortably out of play.

  With just a one-goal margin, there was a shift in the atmosphere around the ground and QPR registered their first shot on target in the 66th minute when space opened up for Ilias Chair but his effort from 20 yards was pouched by Illan Meslier.

  Substitutes Bamford and James provided some impetus off the bench and Leeds could have had a second, though the latter’s deflected shot was saved easily by Begovic with 15 minutes to play.

  Two minutes later Bamford latched on to Rutter’s long ball forward before his first-time effort was parried behind as Leeds looked to turn the screw.

  Leeds enjoyed their best spell of the game towards the end of the second half and moments after James’ goal-bound deflected cross was turned behind by Begovic, they ought to have scored again but Struijk somehow blazed over from three yards following a corner.

  Leeds’ slender lead remained precarious and QPR almost made them pay with two minutes left when Jimmy Dunne knocked a long ball on to the onrushing boot of Lyndon Dykes but Meslier was on hand to keep the hosts’ clean sheet intact.

  QPR were reduced to 10 men after Begovic brought last man Bamford down outside the area with the goal at his mercy and Dykes was forced to take the goalkeepers’ gloves for stoppage time, which Leeds saw out to move into the play-off places.

• Scotland boss Steve Clarke: We will miss Kieran Tierney but the squad is strong

  Scotland manager Steve Clarke believes he has the depth and flexibility to cope with the loss of Kieran Tierney for next week’s Euro 2024 qualifier against Spain.

  Tierney suffered a hamstring injury while playing for Real Sociedad on Saturday and Clarke has added left-back Greg Taylor and centre-back Liam Cooper to his squad.

  Scotland will qualify for next summer’s finals in Germany if they get a point in Seville on October 12.

  “First and foremost it’s a shame for Kieran,” Clarke said. “He got a really good move on loan to Sociedad, started really well and obviously picked up what looks like quite a significant injury.

  “We will miss him but I know Kieran, he will work as hard as he can to get back as quickly as possible, and we will be there to support him, and hopefully we are waiting on the other side for him as well with some good news.

  “The squad is strong, I believe I have good options. It’s nice to be able to call on people like Greg Taylor, who has started the season well with Celtic. Liam Cooper has come back to the squad as well, which gives me another option.”

  Clarke devised his three-man central defence to fit Tierney inside wing-back Andy Robertson and does not have another central defender who can carry the ball forward like the Arsenal man.

  Scotland took seven points from three Nations League games in September 2022 while playing a back four in the absence of the injured Tierney, and Clarke is considering his options.

  “What you have to weigh up is whether you have time on the training pitch to change the team, to change the system,” said Clarke, whose team also face France in a friendly in Lille on October 17.

  “This one is a little bit more difficult because it’s a Thursday match, so the first match is difficult in terms of changing the system.

  “That’s not to say we won’t do it because we have done it before. If I feel it’s the right way to go, then we can change the system.

  “We still have games this week and at the weekend. You have to wait and see which squad actually turns up, hopefully no more injuries. Once I’ve got everybody in camp, we will make a decision on how we are going to go.

  “Then we will have two quite short training sessions to work on the tactical side of it, and we will make sure we get that right.

  “I think we could easily slot back into it because most of the players play with a back four with their club, so it’s not as if you are asking them to do something they can’t do.

  “They proved in that September week of the Nations League that they could adapt very quickly to a different system.

  “It’s a system that we quite often change to within games, if we have to get after the game and maybe chase it a little bit. So it’s a system we can use.”

  Clarke admitted he was “nowhere” with the possibility of Newcastle pair Harvey Barnes and Elliot Anderson being involved.

  Whitley Bay-born Anderson last week indicated he wanted more time to consider his international future, having left the last Scotland camp after two days following his first call-up to the full squad.

  England cap Barnes was recently reported to be considering a switch of allegiance but was last week ruled out for three months with a foot injury.

  Clarke said: “I haven’t spoken to Harvey for a long time, so nothing on that one.

  “Similar with Elliot, he left the last camp and I haven’t spoken to him since. I haven’t picked him for this camp and I move on and work with the players we have got.”

  Clarke would not rule out picking Anderson again “if he doesn’t choose England” but added: “Listen, Elliot is a young man making his way in the game. He has got a big decision to make, international-wise, so let’s just give the boy a little bit of time and space to make that decision.”

  The only other change sees Luton striker Jacob Brown replace Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland.

  Clarke said: “I had a chat with Lawrence, no problems. It was just a decision I wanted to make for this camp.

  “Obviously Lawrence was in the last camp but didn’t get any minutes on the pitch and I felt there could be a similar scenario this time.

  “I also wanted to have a look at Jacob because he has started quite well at Luton, playing week in, week out in the Premier League.”