Boss of key Leeds United rival makes promotion admission after blow and declares need for target

The boss of one of Leeds United's key Championship rivals has made a promotion admission after a setback and outlined the team's need to achieve their target.

Championship leaders Leicester City approached the weekend 12 points clear at the top of the division but Leeds closed the gap to nine points as they moved second with a 2-0 win in Saturday's lunchtime kick-off at Plymouth Argyle.

Leicester then faced Middlesbrough at the King Power in a 3pm kick-off and Michael Carrick's Riversiders condemned the Foxes to just a fifth defeat of the season in leaving with a 2-1 success.

Maresca's side still have an 11-point buffer back to third-placed Southampton but the Saints have a game in hand and second-placed Leeds could close to within just six points of Leicester if beating the Foxes in next Friday night's top-of-the-table clash at Elland Road.

Speaking post match, Maresca admitted that sealing promotion would not be easy as he gracefully took defeat on the chin and declared his side's need with 13 games left to go.

"Probably it’s one of those days where you have to drop points,” said Maresca, as quoted by Leicestershire Live. “Between the first half and second half, we created many chances. Before their goal, we created many chances we missed. At the end, it’s football.

“We conceded the second goal an easy way from our throw-in, but we were there until the end. We pushed until the end, we tried until the end and this is the most important thing."

Maresca added: "I said (to the players) it’s important that to be there until the end, to push until the end. We were close. This is the most important thing. We created chances. We missed. It’s part of our season. We cannot think to win every game.

“Now we have 13 games. We need to win some more games to reach our target. It’s not easy. You know better than me, in the Championship, you can drop points every game.”