Leeds United 0 Sunderland 1: Milky Whites must take large share of blame for frustrating defeat — Yorkshire Post 3/3/26
By Stuart Rayner
"Yea... oh!" went the Elland Road crowd as Karl
Darlow got in the way of Habib Diarra's penalty, but could not keep it out.
It was a frustrating night for Leeds United, who had a goal
disallowed shortly before Sunderland took their 1-0 lead and shot against a
post in the closing stages.
The fans lashed out at Sunderland's "cheating
b******s", and some sang "1-0 to the referee at full-time" but
really, the home team only had themselves to blame for dominating a game but
not taking it by the scruff of the net until they were behind.
Leeds had a bad night, their manager had a bad night,
referee Stuart Attwell had a bad night and at a time when the debate about the
quality of football in the division is stepping up, the Premier League probably
had a bad night. Without playing well, a Sunderland team riven by injuries had
a very good night.
Perspective is needed. Losing 1-0 to the Black Cats will not
relegate Leeds, or turn a good season into a poor one, but it was another
reminder that at times they need to be more dynamic, more pro-active. The game
was there for the taking and Ethan Ampadu handed it to Sunderland.
It was the Whites captain who touched the ball in the
penalty area after 68 minutes.
Video assistant referee Paul Tierney, who appeared to be
taking a nap when Luke O'Nien wrestled Pascal Struijk to the ground in the
first half was on the case this time, alerting Attwell to the fact a low arm
moved towards the ball. After a long look at the pitchside monitor, he agreed.
It was frustrating for Leeds, all the more so as Darlow
appeared to have saved Diarra's spot kick only for it to squirm past him, but
really they got what they deserved for not taking a game they were dominating
by the scruff of the net until then.
To make it worse, Leeds had tried to sign Diarra last
summer.
And hard as they pushed in the 23 minutes remaining, Leeds
could not break the door down.
With an unchanged team from Saturday's defeat to Manchester
City, Leeds dominated without creating nearly enough threat.
In return for 70 per cent of possession they had just four
shots on target against a 22-year-old goalkeeper making his debut.
Anton Stach forced his only first-half save with a
33rd-minute free-kick, before putting another into the defensive wall in time
added to the half.
A much-depleted Sunderland did their best to frustrate the
home team and easily got on the wicks of the Elland Road supporters, most
notably when Melker Elborg went down injured off the ball to allow a
20th-minute time-out, then got up and carried on. Sunderland were not concerned
enough about their goalkeeper's well-being to send Simon Moore out to warm-up.
The game had a niggly feel, with Leeds substitute Sean
Longstaff spoken to but not booked for pinching the towel on the sideline as
O'Nien went to get the ball for a long throw-in. It was so underhand, it was
mildly surprising the Black Cats captain did not applaud him for it, as a
player known to stoop to those sort of levels himself.
O'Nien was fortunate neither Attwell nor, inexcusably,
Tierney spotted him grabbing Struijk around the neck and shoulders and throwing
the defender to the ground at a Leeds corner.
Actual footballing highlights were much scarcer, Gabriel
Gudmundsson and Jayden Bogle woefully wide with shots in between Stach's
dead-ball efforts.
The second half carried on in the same bitty, low-quality
fashion as the visitors did everything they could to eat up the clock and Leeds
did not do enough to score a goal.
Leeds thought they had taken the lead when Omar Alderete
brought Gudmundsson down out wide and Stach whipped in a free-kick Joe Rodon
headed in off the crossbar from a yard - until Tierney spotted he was offside.
Daniel Farke poured on the attacking substitutes, though
only Lukas Nmecha came on before the penalty.
He used his body well to tee up a weak shot wide, Daniel
James flashed over a cross no one could reach and Willy Gnonto put an effort
off target.
Some briefly thought Jaka Bijol - brought on for his aerial
ability - had equalised in the 87th minute, but it deflected onto a post.
Even 12 minutes and 50 seconds added on for all Sunderland's
time-wasting did not help, Bijol having a header saved from a long throw, Joel
Piroe volleying wide.
