Sunderland 2 Leeds United 2: YEP video verdict

Yorkshire Evening Post

Leeds United writer Lee Sobot on the 2-2 draw at Sunderland and Illan Meslier's late horror show as three points become one at the Stadium of Light.

Transcript

00:00Hello there, Lee Sobot at the Yorkshire Evening Post here from the Stadium of Light, Sunderland,

00:07where I don't think anybody can believe what they've seen as an absolute howler from Ilhan

00:12Mellié somehow managed to gift Sunderland a draw and take two points away from Leeds

00:17United as this top of the table clash finished in a 2-2 draw. I mean, literally, we were

00:24in the stands in the press area and I don't think anybody could believe it. I mean, everybody

00:27makes mistakes, but I mean, it was just a horrendous mistake. The ball, free kick into

00:33the box, just bouncing back towards him, looked like a simple case of gather it up, threw

00:37his legs into the back of the net and obviously absolutely massive, massive cheers here from

00:42the home faithful, plenty of whom had already headed for the exits, who obviously thought

00:46their side were heading for defeat and snatched an unlikely draw and I don't know where to

00:51start really with this one. I mean, the first thing I'd say is you obviously feel extremely

00:55sorry for Mellié with that. Everybody makes mistakes. That's obviously definitely the

00:58case and also what should be noted is how quickly Leeds' players went up to him at the

01:03full-time whistle. Even after that goal, there was still probably time to get another one

01:08for Leeds and did try their best, but I mean, in the end, the damage was done really and

01:12just such a shame and you just hope he bounces back from that, obviously, but a huge, huge

01:16shame because they had everything here in Leeds. They had the three points in the grasp

01:19and it would have been a very, very good victory and a deserved victory. I mean, Sunderland

01:22had their chances as well and it's a very, very good game and both teams had lots of

01:26chances, but given the magnitude of the fixture, the injuries that Leeds had, obviously, the

01:30two centre midfielders, the two first-choice centre midfielders, both out, Ivan Ampadu

01:34and Ilya Gruev, and just everything. Not the only injuries are the ones as well, obviously

01:38Manes Solomon and Dan James and various injuries really that Leeds are dealing with and despite

01:43all that, they put up a very, very good performance and it just looked like it had been a fantastic

01:47three points here, which would have put them into the automatic promotion places, albeit

01:50before the rest of the weekend's game, but three points has ultimately become one. I

01:54think before, Andy might have come here with those injuries and said, you know, draw's

01:57not a bad result. I think many people would have taken that, but not in those circumstances

02:01when literally, I think it was the 97th minute, as I say, that absolute howler gives Sunderland

02:06a point. So, a real bitter one to swallow, that hard one to take. But that's it now until

02:11the international break and obviously when Leeds come back, an absolutely massive game

02:14against Sheffield United on the other side of it. I mean, in terms of the game, Leeds

02:17started pretty well, but only for the first five or so minutes. Then Sunderland really

02:21got going, went 1-0 up through Chris Rigg, that was really bad defending. Mellier, to

02:24be fair, made a good save in that one, you know, so he did do some good stuff during

02:27the game. His kicking was a bit suspect, it has to be said, but made a good save there

02:31and then Leeds couldn't clear and Rigg there tapped it away to make it 1-0 to Sunderland.

02:36But they had chances then, Sunderland, to score more goals, but Leeds really came back

02:39into it, they had a real dominant possessive spell after that and they should have scored

02:42more than one. Joel Perou, who was handed a start up front, fantastic headed finish

02:46from him. Brilliant ball from Nonto, who was one of the excellent players on display

02:49tonight, lots and lots of good performances. Should have scored more than one, often the

02:53theme of this team is they don't take the chances and in the end that's custom as well

02:57really, not just Mellier. 1-1 at the break. Sunderland then started the second half pretty

03:02well but then 2-1 to Leeds. Junior Firpo, of all people, a fantastic run from him to

03:06get into the box, 1-2 to Nonto. Brilliant work from Lazio Ramazzani for that goal as

03:10well, he almost came for the full match, subbed at the end, but brilliant play from him to

03:14turn and hold off several men and get that move going. That was 2-1 and there were chances

03:19for both sides then really, Leeds had chances to get another one, so did Sunderland. You've

03:23got to say Leeds have really seen it out really well, they were keeping possession, winding

03:28the clock down, everything really, just looked to be doing a textbook job and then that free

03:32kick really should have just about been the last act of the game. Somehow, I still can't

03:37believe it now, it just goes through his legs and into the back of the net and it's just

03:40a goalkeeper's worst nightmare, he must have wanted the ground to swallow him up.

03:44Obviously, people make mistakes and they'll have to bounce back. As I say, Leeds' players

03:48quick to console him, but it'll take a bit of getting over this one because it's definitely

03:51a draw that should have been a victory and somehow here it's finished, Sunderland 2-2,

03:56Leeds United 2-2.

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