LEEDS United’s away form is threatening their Championship automatic promotion hopes after they stumbled to a 1-0 defeat at Blackburn Rovers.

The Yorkshire side have won just once on the road since mid-September - a winner in added time at Swansea.

It was a familiar story at Ewood Park where they bossed possession against a side content to play on the break and Leeds could not find a way through a well-organised defence.

Rovers showed more intensity and physicality from the off. The home team were making particular headway down United’s left-flank where Junior Firpo, restored at full-back for York-raised Sam Byram, who was ruled out with a hamstring injury, was given a torrid time by Tyrhys Colan

United had already had an early scare when Callum Brittain’s volleyed centre from the exposed left was headed against the bar by Yuki Ohashi, Owen Beck slashing the follow up into the stands. Ten minutes later Ohashi’s fellow Japanese international Ao Tanaka gave away the match-winning penalty.

Dolan breezed past the exposed Pascal Struijk before being barged over in the box by Tanaka. Todd Cantwell, a player United were once keen to sign, stepped up to squeeze his 22nd minute spot-kick just beyond Ilan Meslier for his first goal in Rovers colours.

Too many of the visitors’ attacks broke down through inaccurate passing or poor deliveries from the wings with Dan James struggling to make his usual dynamic impact.

Brenden Aaronson surrendered possession on a regular basis as he was muscled off the ball. The American’s workrate is never in question but Leeds require a No10 who can prise a way through the sort of barrier which Blackburn threw up on Saturday and maybe manager Daniel Farke could look at different options.

When Leeds did get first-half chances they were down to sloppy Rovers passes in defence but both Joel Piroe and Willie Gnonto could not take advantage.

Blackburn goalkeeper Aynsley Pears was having a solid game and produced the save of the match to keep out a fierce Strujik header but the longer the game went on the less Leeds looked finding an equaliser much to the frustration to their 7,000-plus fans packed into the Darwen End stand.

With 20 minutes left, Farke made his attacking changes but it made little difference even though one of his substitutes, Largie Ramazani, did have the ball in the net only to be ruled offside.

As Leeds pressed forward they left gaps at the back and Cantwell, who played under Farke at Norwich, missed a couple of chances to increase the pain for Leeds, who would have gone top with a win but slipped back to third, three points behind leaders Sheffield United.

Farke said: “Blackburn had the better start and for that they deserved to win the game. We started too slow and gave too many unnecessary free-kicks and fouls away. The penalty was the same.

“We should have had a bit more aggression and been quicker in the head.”