Sunderland 2 Leeds United 2: Ilan Meslier's howler gives good away performance a bitter late twist — Yorkshire Post 4/10/24
By Stuart Rayner
Seven minutes into stoppage time, it was all going so well
for Leeds United.
Only goals scored was keeping them off the top of the table,
and they were about to end Sunderland's 100 per cent start to the Championship
season with a 2-1 win.
In front since Junior Firpo's 56th-minute finish, the
visitors were doing a good job of protecting Ilan Meslier and running down the
clock.
But with their last throw of the dice – a minimum of six
added minutes had initially been signalled – the Black Cats threw a desperate
free-kick into the box from just inside their own half and when Alan Browne
flicked the ball goalwards, it went through the hapless goalkeeper for a 2-2
draw.
It was an awful error.
For them it was a good result to head into the international
break with but it felt like the exact opposite.
it undid all the good work of two Willy Gnonto assists, a
great centre-forward's performance by Joel Piroe and a good first outing for
the back-up midfield partnership of Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell.
Both sides were a little too respectful when ahead of their
opponents when in front and it would cost each of them.
One hundred per cent at home in this season's Championship,
Sunderland took an early lead but it framed the first half in the wrong way for
them.
They were having joy down Leeds' left and when Patrick
Roberts played Trai Hume in at the byline his cross deflected to Dennis Cirkin.
Meslier made a brilliant save to push the ball onto a post,
but Chris Rig had the space to make his tap-in relatively straight forward.
Starting in a 4-1-4-1 formation, the Black Cats happily fell
back into it and challenged Leeds to break them down.
Largie Ramazani had a harmless shot on the turn and Luke
O'Nien had to throw himself in the way of a Piroe shot.
Ramazani's strike also hit a defender and when Brenden
Aaronson collected the loose ball he flashed it across the six-yard box but no
one was there to touch it in.
If Piroe was found wanting there, he quickly showed why for
only the second time in this season's Championship he was picked to start.
When Leeds worked the ball to Gnonto on the right, he took a
touch and put in a brilliant cross for some who is essentially more of a wide
forward than a winger, it was beautiful delivery. Right on the shoulder of the
last defender – a video assistant referee would have taken a long time looking
at his he was past it – Piroe produced a centre-forward's finish to head in his
fourth goal in six games.
And with the pattern of defence versus attack, Leeds pressed
on but were unable to find the second goal.
Aaronson and Jayden Bogle both had shots in a scrappy moment
in front of the home home goal and Gnonto stooped to head a Bogle cross wide.
It took an excellent run by Cirkin to break Leeds'
stranglehold in the 31st minute, stopped by a combination of Joe Rodon and Ao
Tanaka.
When Leeds were in possession Tanaka and Joe Rothwell looked
a good back-up midfield partnership with a dangerous passing range but as they
had at 0-0, Sunderland players were able to get strikes off from the edge of
the area in too much space at the end of the half.
Jobe Bellingham's deflected for a corner with Meslier
flat-footed, and Wilson Isidor shot wide after carrying the ball within range.
Leeds were getting pinned in at the start of the second half
too so Meslier committed modern footballing heresy and did the sensible thing,
lumping a goal-kick long.
Piroe went all Lee Chapman to win it, Ramazani carried it
forward whilst all manner of red-and-white striped assailants tried to mug him
and played in Firpo, bombing forward, playing a one-two with Gnonto and
side-footing into the net.
Like their hosts earlier, Leeds were reluctant to risk going
for the throat and down the clock as much as referee Tim Robinson allowed but
they are built on sturdy defensive foundations and for all they allowed the
Wearsiders the ball, Meslier's bodyguards kept him out of the line of fire,
Aaronson going closest from a lovely through-ball by late substitute Isaac
Schmidt.