SAM’S A HERO BUT ZERO JOY FOR SWANSEA
Leeds go to the summit after winning nine-goal thriller in 95th minute
STEVE COOPER echoed the fans’ frustrations after his Swansea side failed to break down stubborn Barnsley.
Boos rang around the Liberty Stadium after firing blanks against a resurgent Tykes side.
The stalemate moved the Welsh side to a point from the play-off places, but the Swansea boss understood the criticism.
“I understand the fans’ frustrations, I think we are all frustrated,” said Cooper.
“The crowd played their part, spurring us on, but we didn’t have that cutting edge, and it makes it frustrating as we had the chances.
“I’ve got no problem with the fans, I thought they were really good, and if there is any frustration then we share it with them, that’s for sure.”
Samuel Radlinger made two crucial first-half saves to keep Barnsley on level terms.
First the keeper denied Bersant Celina after he was picked out by Andre Ayew, then showcased his lightning reactions to claw Sam Surridge’s close range shot away.
But he had the crossbar to thank after Surridge hit a dipping shot from 30 yards. Radlinger was beaten, but the ball hit the bar.
Jacob Brown was cursing the woodwork as well when his shot rattled against a Swansea post from just three yards out.
But Radlinger made another crucial intervention in the 56th minute to secure a first clean sheet in 19 games.
The point boosted Barnsley’s survival hopes and manager Gerhard Struber knows that could be crucial.
“It’s a great feeling when we get these big points,” he said.
SWANSEA:
Bellingham Bela Jutkiewicz
Costa Helda Harrison Dallas Harding Ayling
WHAT a game! It really doesn’t get much better than this... if you’re a Leeds fan.
Marcelo Bielsa’s men stormed back to the top of the table with a stoppage-time winner in this ding-dong clash.
Poor old Wes Harding put the ball into his own net right in front of the travelling Leeds supporters with 95 minutes on the clock.
Throw in the fact that West Brom had been beaten at home by struggling Middlesbrough – and it all added up to party time.
It really was thrill-a-minute stuff as battling Birmingham slugged it out and looked to have got themselves a point with a 91st-minute equaliser.
But Leeds had other ideas and when the impressive Luke Ayling drilled a low cross across the face of the goal, Harding could only help it in as he tried to snuff out the danger.
Leeds boss Bielsa (right) said: “My heart is OK! It’s still alive. I’ve stopped trying to predict how games go.
“Can we stay top? Well, I couldn’t have predicted the way our last four matches would have gone.
“So I’ve got absolutely no chance trying to work out what will happen in the last 20.” By the halfway point of the first half, it was starting to look like Bielsa’s men might win at a stroll, but Brum just weren’t having it.
Leeds led after 15 minutes through Helder Costa and then Jack Harrison added a second soon after.
Birmingham needed to do something, preferably quickly, or risk being swamped and they refused to buckle. Within six minutes of
Harrison’s goal, they hit back through hot prospect Jude Bellingham.
Six minutes into the second half and Lukas Jutkiewicz levelled things up with a powerful header to really give Leeds something to think about – but Ayling put the visitors back in front with a wellstruck shot in the 69th minute.
Jeremie Bela made it 3-3 with a great header but Stuart Dallas belted the ball into the
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Leeds
West Brom Fulham Brentford Nottm Forest Sheff Wed Preston North End Bristol City Swansea Cardiff Millwall
Hull Blackburn Reading
QPR Middlesbrough Birmingham Charlton Huddersfield Derby
Stoke Barnsley Luton Wigan
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Ref: Keith Stroud Att: 22,059 roof of the net from an Ayling cross to make it 4-3 in the 84th minute.
There was more drama to come. The fourth official had just held the board up to show six minutes of stoppage time when Jutkiewicz made it 4-4 – and then Leeds delivered the cruellest blow of all.
Blues boss Pep Clotet was far from happy, saying: “There were some bad decisions and that’s always happening to us.
“I think we deserved a point – Leeds will be happy to take a win. Some of the decisions make me very disappointed.
“We have spoken to the FA and they agreed we’ve had a lot of decisions against us.
“They want to talk to us in January but we don’t want to talk, we just want to be treated fairly.”
BIRMINGHAM:
LEEDS:
MOTM
LUKE AYLING (LEEDS)