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Chris Wood heads home his first against Brighton

A Chris Wood double gave Leeds United victory over fellow promotion hopefuls Brighton, who failed to return to the top of the Championship.

After a drab first half at Elland Road, Wood looped a header home from Charlie Taylor's cross to put the hosts ahead.

Anthony Knockaert and Glenn Murray were both thwarted by Rob Green as the Seagulls were frustrated.

And Wood smashed in his 24th league goal of the season from the spot after Souleymane Doukara was tripped.

Victory for Garry Monk's side lifted them to fourth in the table, eight points behind the second-placed Seagulls, and perhaps more pertinently, given them an eight-point cushion to Fulham just outside the top six.

After Newcastle could only draw at Birmingham earlier on Saturday, Chris Hughton's side knew they would lead the Championship if they won in West Yorkshire.

They came closest in a dull first half, but it came inadvertently from a Leeds player, when Rob Green made a superb reflex save when the ball looped off defender Liam Cooper.

The first shot on target in the match came after 55 minutes, but soon after Leeds had the lead thanks to a textbook goal from the New Zealand international, who has now scored against 18 teams in the second tier this season.

Brighton had chances, when Murray shot wide and straight at Green, while Knockaert found the palms of the keeper when he could have laid the ball off to a team-mate.

But the hosts secured the three points after a clumsy challenge in the penalty from Fikayo Tomori, making his full league debut for the Seagulls in place of injured captain Bruno.