Leeds United legend singles out unlikely hero of Sheffield United win as 7-point return 'speaks volumes'
Leeds United left it late once again and Daniel Farke’s substitutions made a huge difference.
Jermaine Beckford has looked beyond all three Leeds United goalscorers to heap praise on second-half substitute Wilfred Gnonto following Monday’s 3-1 win at Sheffield United.
Leeds enjoyed a second late comeback in the space of eight days on Monday, with goals from Junior Firpo, Ao Tanaka and Joel Piroe turning a 1-0 into 3-1 in the blink of an eye at Bramall Lane. Illan Meslier’s first-half own-goal had them on the back foot but another incredible turnaround sent the Whites five points clear at the top of the Championship.
Daniel Farke’s side were building momentum throughout the second-half but Gnonto’s introduction made a big difference, with the 21-year-old desperate to impress having failed to start a league game since December 29. And Beckford insists the Italian’s application, despite that lack of action, is credit to the squad’s togetherness.
Beckford on Gnonto
“When we made the changes, Willy Gnonto especially but [Joe] Rothwell came on too, those boys made a huge difference,” Beckford told LUTV. “The impact Gnonto had especially, I’m going to single him out, because it's very easy to come off the bench and be a little bit down, a little bit annoyed at not having the opportunity to start, but when he came on every time he picked the ball up he was direct, he was trying to make things happen, he was getting crosses and shots in.
“He had one or two that stung the goalkeeper’s fingertips and moments like that make you think that’s the mentality you want to see coming off the bench from your teammates. They were brilliant, the second-half was a complete contrast to what we saw in the first-half and that's what we expected.”
Victory not only sent Leeds five points clear of second-placed Sheffield United, there is now a seven-point cushion between them and Burnley in third. With just 12 games remaining and rivals due to play each other, the lead is a healthy one.
Late comeback ‘speaks volumes’
While Saturday’s visit of West Brom to Elland Road will not be easy, Leeds have come through their trickiest run of fixtures while managing to extend their lead at the top of the Championship. Defeat was avoided in meetings with Burnley, Sunderland and Sheffield United, with late comebacks against the latter pair really impressing Beckford.
“We’ve taken seven points from the three teams around us and that speaks volumes, the last two games especially, really difficult games,” the former Leeds striker added. “We managed to get late goals and that says the confidence is right up there, the team camaraderie is right up there but the fitness levels and belief is sky high.
“They believe in each other, they know what they are capable of doing, they know they can wear opposition teams down, they're relentless with the pressure of moving the ball wide and when the wide players get tired, they bring on two new ones who are just as quick. It's a defender’s nightmare but it's perfect for us.”