The news that a national poetry centre is to be established in Leeds proved the source of considerable pride in West Yorkshire on Monday. By 10pm on a bitterly cold night at Elland Road, any notions that Leeds would capture the mood courtesy of a suitably cadenced performance had been thoroughly disabused as Daniel Farke’s side fought their way to a dramatic last-gasp win after Wilson Isidor had given Sunderland the lead.
Yet if it was hardly poetic, substitute Pascal Struijk’s gamechanging double returned Leeds to the top of the Championship, leaving them two points ahead of Sheffield United, seven clear of third-placed Burnley and 10 in front of Régis Le Bris’s team.
It was a cruel end for Sunderland as their nasty habit of conceding late goals once again returned to haunt them. “We want to be promoted and the result is tough to take but we can be proud of the way we played,” said Le Bris, whose side look destined for the playoffs. We’re still young and still learning. We played a good first half but Leeds were very good and you could see they had more experience than us. We need more depth in the squad.”
Leeds are now unbeaten in 15 league games. Farke was so excited by Struijk’s winner that he was booked in the midst of a wild celebration and fears he will have to watch next Monday night’s game at Sheffield United from the stands. “These are the best sort of wins,” he said. “It was a great night but it was difficult. Sunderland are one of this league’s best counterattacking sides and we had to be patient and we had to fight but this is a major step in our development. I’m pretty proud of my players tonight.”
By the end Sunderland were forfeiting possession far too cheaply but they began well and Illan Meslier was swiftly called to arms when Enzo Le Fée sped down the left and squared for the unmarked Jobe Bellingham to test the goalkeeper’s reflexes with a low shot perhaps lacking a little power. When that effort was parried the rebound fell to Patrick Roberts but, once again, Meslier proved equal to the challenge.
Nonetheless Le Fée – incidentally a former school friend of Meslier’s in Brittany and fellow product of the Lorient academy once run by Le Bris – had served notice of the talent that once prompted the loanee’s parent club Roma to pay Rennes £20m for his services.
Although, even at this early stage, Leeds had plenty of possession, Sunderland kept their cool and waited to pounce. Sure enough an opening arrived thanks to a long ball from Dan Ballard diligently chased down by the increasingly ruthless Isidor, who expertly turned the outmuscled Ethan Ampadu before directing a fabulous angled shot into the net via the inside of both uprights.
Too strong, too swift and, above all, too skilful for Ampadu to handle, the former Zenit St Petersburg striker had a lot to do after springing the Leeds offside trap but Isidor’s 12th goal of the season suggested the Frenchman would not be out of place in the Premier League.
Farke’s team are not accustomed to trailing at Elland Road in the Championship and, as Sunderland fans serenaded them with renditions of “Leeds are falling apart again”, turned tetchy. Jayden Bogle’s booking for a frustrated tackle on Bellingham after the midfielder’s connection with Le Fée’s gorgeous flick encapsulated the mood.
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Light snow had fallen in the north-east and West Yorkshire felt almost as freezing, but out on the pitch the heat was rising. Farke’s players were clearly unhappy at their guests’ audacity in breaking Meslier’s run of six clean sheets in the second tier but struggled to fathom out how to exact revenge.
Manor Solomon did his best but although the winger dazzled at times as Sunderland withstood a barrage of home pressure, Leeds created precious few clearcut chances until a double substitution on Farke’s part proved inspired as Struijk’s powerful header following Joe Rothwell’s free-kick finally defied Anthony Patterson.
In the 95th minute that duo did it again. As Rothwell crossed and Struijk’s close-range header hit the back of the net an extraordinary rescue act was fully accomplished and a high decibel blast of the Kaiser Chiefs’ I Predict a Riot boomed out of the sound system.
“If you enjoy watching football, you enjoy watching Joe Rothwell,” said Farke. “His technique is outstanding.”
Source: theguardian.com
