Blackburn 1-3 Leeds United: Kalvin Phillips scores a sumptuous free-kick as Marcelo Bielsa's side extend their lead at the top of the Championship

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Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds moved to within 10 points of ending their 16-year Premier League exile with a comprehensive victory over mid-table Blackburn.

It has been customary in recent seasons for Leeds to be roared on by up to 7000 visiting fans in this fixture but they did not require their 12th man on this occasion to produce the level of performance that has become customary in leaving their promotion destiny well and truly in their own hands with five matches remaining.

Stunning finishes from leading scorer Patrick Bamford and dynamic midfielder Kalvin Phillips opened up a 2-0 lead at the interval and Mateusz Klich completed the scoring in the second half after Adam Armstrong halved the deficit. 

Kalvin Phillips scored a brilliant free-kick as Leeds United beat Blackburn at Ewood Park

The midfielder curled the ball over the wall and into the top corner for the visitors

It was at this stage last season that Leeds lost their legs. Here the way they outran Rovers suggest Brentford will have their work cut out catching the Yorkshire club even if they remain faultless all the way to the Championship’s finish line.

Blackburn were punished twice for mistakes in their own territory during a stunning first-half display of attacking football from Bielsa’s team.

The visitors went ahead as early as the seventh minute when Lewis Travis coughed up possession in midfield and Mateusz Klich judged exactly the right of pass - no mean feat on a surface slicked up by the wet weather - for Bamford to pass the ball first-time beyond the reach of Christian Walton and inside the goalkeeper’s right-hand upright from just inside the area.

Given the combination of Leeds’ attacking prowess and the inhospitable conditions, Travis would have been forgiven for wondering why it always rained on him.

As a consequence of the league leaders scoring early, Blackburn were forced to press for a response rather than feel their way into the contest, not that such a necessity appeared to bother them. 

Patrick Bamford gave Leeds United an early lead after good pressure from Mateusz Klich

Blackburn's top scorer Adam Armstrong brought the hosts back into the game in the 48th min

Indeed, former Leeds midfielder Bradley Johnson had already tested Illan Meslier with a skimming drive within seconds of the kick-off.

And during a five-minute purple patch immediately following Bamford’s opener, Tony Mowbray’s team twice went within inches of equalising.

First, an incisive pass from Joe Rothwell offered Sam Gallagher the chance to maraud beyond the Leeds’ backline and keep his composure to clip past the approaching Meslier, only for the ball to bobble agonisingly the wrong side of the upright from a Blackburn perspective.

Undeterred, Blackburn probed again from their next phase of possession and came even closer to making it 1-1 through their former German midfielder Lewis Holtby.

An interchange of passes with Armstrong inside the Leeds area provided the space for a measured shot, which struck the inside of the post and rebounded to a pair of Leeds boots.

But the dangers of leaving space behind against the energy of endeavour of this Leeds team was emphasised in the 27th minute when a rapid counter climaxed with Bamford swivelling to caress a first-time shot against the base of the woodwork at the other end.

However, there was no respite for Blackburn when Holtby’s over-enthusiastic lunge at Tyler was penalised by referee Robert Jones seven minutes before the interval.

Kalvin Phillips has many attributes as a central midfielder, and ones of a quality high enough to repeatedly attract the attentions of England manager Gareth Southgate this year, although goalscoring is not one of them.

Not that you would have known it from the way he confidently addressed the ball 25 yards out and clipped it with a swish of his right foot directly into the top corner. Nevertheless, it doubled his tally for the season.

Ryan Nyambe passes the ball past Leeds attacker Ezgjan Alioski in their Championship clash

Blackburn's Sam Gallagher dribbles with the ball as he tries to reduce Leeds' lead 

The luxury of that two-goal cushion did not last long after the re-start as Armstong picked himself up, having been impeded by Phillips 20 yards out, to add another stunning free-kick to the game’s highlights reel.

The goal that reinforced Leeds’ stranglehold on the game half a dozen minutes later was about fortune rather than finesse, however, as Jack Harrison’s initial effort was blocked by Tosin Adarabioyo and deposited, via a deflection or two, past a hapless Walton by Klich.

With Luke Ayling keen to expose Blackburn’s use of substitute Stewart Downing as a makeshift left back and Pablo Hernandez, Leeds’ creative sprite, pulling the strings for the final half-hour victory could have been by a greater margin.

But after such a lengthy wait for top-flight football, it is all about results for Leeds supporters right now.