Leeds United v Sheffield Wednesday: Patrick Bamford out to keep emotions in check to achieve something special at Whites

THRIVING: Patrick Bamford celebates with his Leeds United team-mates in Tuesday night's 2-0 win at Preston.

STRIKER Patrick Bamford believes keeping "emotions in check" will be key to exceeding early expectations at Leeds United and achieving "something special" through automatic promotion to the Premier League.

Bamford struck a fine brace in Tuesday night's 2-0 win at Preston North End that ultimately put United's automatic promotion destiny back in their own hands ahead of tonight's Championship Yorkshire derby against Sheffield Wednesday at Elland Road (kick-off 5.30pm).

Sheffield United's failure to win at Birmingham City on Wednesday evening through a 1-1 draw kept them one point behind the second-placed Whites in third with five games remaining in an intense Championship run-in.

Chris Wilder's Blades take on relegation-battling Millwall at Bramall Lane in a 3pm kick-off today in which victory would pile the pressure back on Leeds in the tea-time derby against the Owls.

But Bamford believes emotions need to be controlled with the striker confident his Whites are thriving in the heat of the battle and aiming to use his own experience of gaining automatic promotion with Middlesbrough to good advantage at Elland Road.

"We had a similar thing at Middlesbrough, with the places changing a lot," said Bamford.

"I can’t remember who went up automatic but it was kind of similar.

"You have to keep your emotions in check. The pressure is always going to be there and the pressure is on Sheffield United but us as well.

"A massive club like Leeds, the expectation at the start of the season probably was not to go up automatically.