Stuart Dallas highlights gamechanging contribution made by young Leeds United teammate in Norwich City victory - YEP 14/3/22
Stuart Dallas hailed the importance of Illan Meslier's injury-time stop as Leeds United beat relegation rivals Norwich City 2-1 at Elland Road on Sunday.
By Flora Snelson
Joe Gelhardt stepped off the bench to score a late winner
for Leeds and boost the Whites' hopes of avoiding relegation from the Premier
League.
After Gelhardt restored United's lead, Meslier's opposite
number, Tim Krul, joined the Norwich attack for a corner at the other end of
the field in the game's dying minutes.
The Yellows 'keeper volleyed the ball in behind the Whites'
back line where it fell to Norwich's top scorer Teemu Pukki, but Meslier was on
hand to stop the striker's effort.
The save kept the scoreline at 2-1 and ensured Leeds claimed
all three points from a crucial bottom-of-the-table battle.
The win, sealed in front of a raucous crowd of 36,321, puts
United four points clear of the drop zone and prevents bottom-placed Norwich
from gaining ground on them.
At the final whistle, the joy in the stands was far removed
from the dismay which followed the Whites' lacklustre performance against Aston
Villa on Thursday night.
For the good feeling, Dallas said, the Elland Road faithful
have to thank not just the heroics of Gelhardt, but also the Whites'
22-year-old goalkeeper.
"It's one more of relief, I think," Dallas said.
"Even when we've scored to go 2-1 up... we've got to
credit Illan, again, at the end.
"He's come under criticism for goals we've conceded
this year and he's been a bit hard on himself because obviously he's the
goalkeeper
"But he saved that one with his head the end - that
could've been 2-2 and it could've been a different feeling."
