Report and highlights from the Sky Bet Championship clash at Elland Road
Saturday 14 December 2019 18:35, UK
Leeds threw away a three-goal lead as they were held to a 3-3 draw against Cardiff at Elland Road.
United had taken a firm grip on the game when Helder Costa and Patrick Bamford scored within the first eight minutes, and they looked to be cruising when Bamford converted a penalty that he had won seven minutes into the second half.
Lee Tomlin pulled a goal back after 60 minutes after Kiko Casilla failed to claim a cross to cook up nerves inside Elland Road, and Sean Morrison pulled another back with eight minutes to go.
Morrison was then dramatically red carded for violent conduct four minutes later, but the 10 men shrugged off the setback and pulled level through Robert Glatzel with two minutes to go.
Leeds started strongly and got their reward when Costa fired in off the post after Hernandez's long ball picked him out following a sixth-minute counter-attack.
It got even better for the home side two minutes later when Bamford doubled their lead after getting on the end of a Stuart Dallas cross.
And it was 3-0 after 52 minutes when Bamford slotted home from the spot after he had been fouled by Neil Etheridge.
Tomlin pulled a goal back on the hour mark when he lifted the ball into an empty net after Casilla messed up a cross, but there seemed little chance of a comeback against the title-chasers.
When Morrison headed home after 82 minutes from Bennett's cross, it looked as though Cardiff had set up a tense finish. But in this rollercoaster match he was the villain minutes later after he was sent off for a lunge on Eddie Nketiah.
But another twist was still to come as 10-man Cardiff dramatically levelled after 88 minutes when Glatzel slotted home after Pascal Struijk failed to clear his lines.
Leeds' Marcelo Bielsa: "I did not get the preparation right because I knew about Cardiff City's strengths and we didn't resolve it. We knew how dangerous they are in the air and from set-pieces. Set pieces are crucial in this division and Cardiff made us pay in that area today.
"Some of our attacking play was the best I have seen from Leeds and It is difficult to explain the result. There is no way we should have drawn that game. l felt the substitutes were OK, we needed to take Bamford off to freshen things up a bit.
"We wanted to give Stuart Dallas more help down the left and to get more height out on the pitch. I don't look back on the subs and think I got it wrong. I felt that we were defending OK and even at 3-2 the team was calm. Defensively we were not that bad, but they have exploited us for the third goal."
Cardiff's Neil Harris: "Leeds are a great side, the energy they have, the ability they have and the forward runs they have make them a great side. They are as one of the best sides I have seen in the Championship in years. They were better than us, but we gave them a leg up, we gave poor goals away and their penalty was debatable.
"The boys have shown great character to come from behind, but we cannot give good teams a start and shoot ourselves in the foot. We got off to a bad start, Leeds are very dangerous on the counter-attack and we did not box off the edge of the box as well as we should have done.
"Lee Tomlin's goal was a brilliant finish, he has got great ability and that moment got us back into it. I have got 11 points from my six games in charge so I am really pleased with that return. The message is getting across and the confidence is growing."
