Smith gets Bart attack as skipper strikes late
KYLE BARTLEY headed home a late winner as Leeds continued their top-six push with a hard-earned victory over Brentford.
It appeared as if the hosts would have to settle for a point before skipper Bartley rose highest two minutes from time to give Leeds their seventh win in nine league games at Elland Road.
Brentford’s top scorer Scott Hogan was denied a sixth goal in as many matches by the offside flag in a forgettable first half.
Leeds enjoyed the better of the second period but it looked as if the loss of 14-goal striker Chris Wood to injury would prove costly until Bartley stole all three points to the annoyance of Brentford boss Dean Smith.
He said: “I’m very disappointed. I don’t think we deserved that. For an hour we were very good and made a good team look average.
“It was a typical Championship game – chances were at a premium – and that’s why it was so cruel to lose it at the end.”
Delighted Leeds boss Garry Monk said: “The one thing this team has – we try to instil it in them – is that belief to fight every second that they’re on the pitch.
“The sense was that it was going to be one of those days but it was a great header from Barts and I think the roof came off the place when that goal went in.”
The opening 15 minutes passed by without incident, the first chance coming when former Brentford winger Stuart Dallas fired well over from Kemar Roofe’s cutback.
In-form hitman Hogan was the main threat for the visitors. His glancing header from Tom Field’s dangerous cross was kept out before he had a close-range effort chalked off.
The Bees were lucky to survive early in the second half when Luke Ayling smashed a great chance over from a Dallas corner and Souleymane Doukara missed a one-on-one opportunity.
But their dominance paid off when Bartley nodded in the winner.
Brentford almost found an equaliser and they went close when Egan’s effort hit the top of the bar but Leeds held on.
The Netherlands left-back, who was caught speeding, is certainly never slow to accelerate upfield and support his attack.
And Van Aanholt does not need a sat nav to find his way to goal – his 49th-minute finish was his third of the season.
It was enough to lift Sunderland off the foot of the table and up to 18th to bring boss David Moyes some much-needed festive cheer as his side made it four wins from their last seven games.
But Watford skipper Troy Deeney wasted a glorious chance to level on 73 minutes and his agonising wait to reach 100 goals for the club now stretches to a run of ten matches.
There’s a mood at Sunderland that can be described as Scrooge-like – Moyes admits he cannott even afford loan signings next month unless the club’s wage bill is reduced.
And as if life isn’t tough enough, injuries are now taking a serious toll on the Wearsiders’ season with Jan Kirchhoff, Duncan Watmore, Lee Cattermole, Paddy McNair and Lynden Gooch among the long-term casualties.
Mackems boss Moyes (right) admitted he was delighted with the win after recent struggles.
He said: “I’m thrilled to get the win and it’s big that we’re off the bottom. I knew how important it was for us to stay in touch.
“I think we’ve got a siege mentality in the club and we need the crowd to be with us all the way.
“We get over 40,000 for every game and there are very few clubs that can say that. We’ve won three of our last four home games and if we