Leeds dare to dream of the big time

MARCELO BIELSA admitted his heart was racing after his Leeds side came from behind to win a pulsating match and deliver a psychological blow in the Championship’s automatic promotion race.

On a day of the highest drama in pursuit of a Premier League prize, Leeds t wice went behind and missed a penalty but were propelled into second place by a brace from their mercurial matador Pablo Hernandez.

Having equalised during the first half, the former Spanish international settled a tetchy affair, against a club that has held a hex over his side in recent years, seven minutes from time.

Things had looked so different less than a quarter of an hour earlier but Luke Ayling emerged from right-back to haul Leeds back to 2-2 and with Bristol City overturning their own deficit 40 miles down the M1, the advantage Sheffield United opened here a fortnight ago was overturned.

Home defeat to United before the international break meant that Leeds’ destiny was no longer in their own hands with eight league fixtures remaining.

Not that the locals were giving up on their dream of ending a 15-year exile from the Premier League via the automatic route. ‘Believe’ read a montage created by those crammed into the East Stand. By the end, they had experienced every emotion this time of the season provokes. ‘I can feel my heart,’ Bielsa, their Argentine head coach, reflected afterwards.

Millwall have proved testy opponents for Leeds in recent times, claiming the points via a 4-3 scoreline in the corresponding fixture last season.

Jed Wallace, the scorer of the 90th- minute winner on that occasion, started off where he left off by tormenting the United defence from kick-off.

There were just 20 seconds on the clock when his low cross picked out Ben Marshall, whose shot was blocked by Ayling. Wallace’s fifth-minute effort was then turned behind for a corner by Bailey Peacock-Farrell, back in the Leeds goal due to Kiko Casilla’s suspension. PeacockFarrell was given no chance in the 10th minute, however, when Mahlon Romeo was rewarded for his efforts to keep the ball in play. The Millwall full-back got chalk marks on his boots in slinging the ball into the middle and there was Ben Thompson, scorer of a double in the 2-0 win at Birmingham that preceded Millwall’s cup heartache, to apply a clinical headed finish.

The lead looked like only lasting eight minutes when Wallace found himself on the wrong side of Ezgjan Alioski and referee Darren Bond gave a penalty. But Millwall goalkeeper David Martin, whose last-gasp gaffe last weekend against Brighton cost the club a place in the FA Cup semi-finals, redeemed himself by keeping out Patrick Bamford’s Panenka-style spot-kick with his feet.

Unsurprisingly, it was Hernandez, the first Leeds player to reach double figures for both goals and assists in a season for seven years, who showed the composure needed in front of goal, sweeping home Ayling’s pull-back in the 34th minute.

‘Pablo is a leader. He’s not a leader who likes to talk a lot or likes to show it but he’s usually the one who asks for the ball and for balls which are difficult to receive,’ said Bielsa. ‘He tries to take risks which are hard for a player to take. He always keeps the feeling that we can hurt the opponent every time.’

Typically, though, Millwall restored their advantage 10 minutes into the second half as