Chris Martin’s cold play gives Bielsa last-minute shivers

DERBY manager Phillip Cocu says he preyed on Leeds’ bad habit of conceding late goals after his side snatched a most unlikely point at Elland Road.

The visitors were outplayed for most of the game but Leeds wasted a host of chances before substitute Chris Martin completed the smash and grab in injury time.

It’s now seven points at home that Marcelo Bielsa’s men have dropped courtesy of last-gasp goals.

And Cocu said: “I told the players just to stay in the game because Leeds have conceded goals late on recently.

“We did well not to concede again after Leeds scored and I said the way Leeds play with and without the ball they lose a lot of energy so if we can keep it at one-nil we’ll have chances late on to score.

“It was a great goal by Chris. Not just the way he scored the goal but the way he held the ball up and worked for the team.”

Bielsa’s men have tasted defeat only once so far this season and made a typical Leeds start, pinning the visitors back with a wave of attacks.

Derby, who have not won since the opening day of the season, were struggling to find a way out of their own half and that pressure eventually told when the hosts broke the deadlock after 20 minutes.

Kalvin Phillips’ free-kick fell kindly for Stuart Dallas to fire goalwards and although Rams keeper Kelle Roos did well to get down low and make the save, the ball rebounded off defender Max Lowe and went in.

It should have been 2-0 at the break when Patrick Bamford was through on goal but he tried to lob the keeper only to send the ball high over the bar.

It was looking like being one of those days for Bamford when he slid in on the end of a Dallas driven cross but hit the post.

The striker then showed superb skill to dribble into the area and win a penalty after being brought down by Richard Keogh and Matthew Clarke.

However, Mateusz Klich’s spot-kick went the wrong side of the post. And those missed chances came back to haunt the hosts when Derby, who looked a different side once Martin came on, grabbed an equaliser in added-on time. That man Martin exchanged passes on the edge of the area with Jamie Paterson before drilling home into the bottom corner.

Bielsa was at a loss to explain how his side had not won.

He said: “We had 10 chances, they have had one shot at our goal in the whole of the game. I cannot say how we have not won this.

“It is hard to find reasons for this. Is it luck? I cannot say if there is a reason why this has happened.

“We should have avoided this. We have now lost seven points at home and should have won them all.”