PABLO WINS IT FOR JACK
JACK CHARLTON would have loved this. The England 1966 World Cup winner and Leeds legend lost his battle with illness on Saturday morning at the age of 85, but at the Liberty Stadium his former team paid the perfect tribute.
Pablo Hernandez’s late winner downed his former club Swansea and virtually sealed Leeds’ place back in the Premier League for the first time since 2004. The celebrations after his strike told you Leeds know they have done it.
It is not finalised but it is now surely a case of when not if Leeds will return to the top flight. They are three points clear of West Brom and six clear of Brentford in third. With three games to go, they need four points to clinch promotion and will likely do so as champions.
This was a huge result for them and Hernandez was engulfed by his team after converting Luke Ayling’s low cross. Marcelo
Bielsa and his coaching staff raced down the touchline. In the barren stands the club’s enthusiastic owners and board members went wild with delight. ‘Of course Jack Charlton is a legend of the club,’ said Leeds head coach Bielsa. ‘ He deserves to be honoured by us. We have difficult feelings. The fact we won in this situation when we have had bad news is amazing, but I don’t want to take the risk of talking about the victory and the loss of one person. I don’t want to link those two things. ‘The match was very close with few chances. ‘ When you score at the end it’s a higher feeling of emotion.’ Hernandez added: ‘Everyone at the club remembers Jack. He’s part of the history and the three points is for everyone, especially him and his memory.
‘ We know it’s a massive win but you can never think all the work is done until the season finishes.’
Leeds warmed up wearing shirts emblazoned with: ‘RIP Big Jack’ while both teams wore black armbands and held a minute’s silence in memory of Charlton.
Playoff-chasing Swansea had Liverpool loanee rhian Brewster shoot on target and Chelsea youngster Conor Gallagher also went close.
Patrick Bamford should have scored for Leeds in either half. In the first, he shot straight at keeper Freddie Woodman from Ben White’s long ball.
His miss after the break was worse. Jack Harrison’s volleyed cross found Bamford and his low, stooped header was saved spectacularly by Woodman.
As the fouls and bookings mounted up, Bielsa became increasingly frustrated.
The Argentine’s half-time cup of tea went flying as he rose from his famous bucket in a rage and his players were encouraged with repeated cries of ‘again, again’.
Bielsa introduced Hernandez and Ezgjan Alioski for the second half, but after Woodman had denied Bamford for the second time it looked like Leeds would have to settle for a point.
Hernandez, 35, had other ideas. With Swansea tiring and a minute remaining, Ayling crossed from the right and the Spaniard controlled before firing home via a post.
Hernandez raced away in delight and was booked for removing his shirt.
Swansea boss Steve Cooper knows his play-off hopes have been dented. ‘ We are really disappointed to concede like we did late on,’ he said.
‘But we have to get over it quickly. There are still points to take from the remaining games. Leeds are a really good side.’