Lukas Nmecha scored the only goal of the game as Leeds United beat Sunderland in New Jersey.

Goalscorer Lukas Nmecha has saluted Leeds United’s victory against Sunderland with a fitness admission but ultimately job done without any real danger.

Nmecha was handed his first start of pre-season in the friendly against Sunderland in the early hours of Friday morning in New Jersey and the striker’s shot from distance sealed a 1-0 win for Daniel Farke’s side.

With just eight minutes on the clock, Nmecha unleashed a low shot from midway inside his own half with Black Cats keeper Melker Ellborg off his line and his strike squirmed past a scrambling Elborg into the right hand corner of the net.

His effort proved the only goal of the game, Nmecha admitting that Leeds went into the contest with some fatigue which was telling and that his men found things tricky against Sunderland’s wide men at the back.

Nmecha, though, ultimately felt that Sunderland offered nothing very dangerous as he saluted both a first victory of the summer and important minutes ahead of the new Premier League season for his side.

The 27-year-old felt his men kept the ball particularly well and also highlighted the importance of building a winning mentality, something Nmecha feels needs training into the team.

“A winning mentality is definitely something we also need to train”

“It’s nice to get a first win,” said Nmecha to LUTV and as quoted by Leeds United’s official website.

“Like I said before the game, this is for getting fitness and back up to speed, but a winning mentality is definitely something we also need to train.

“We went into the game with some fatigue and I think you could tell that at times, but it was good to get the win.

“I think we kept the ball quite well, it was a bit tricky with the press at times because they were very wide at the back. So, we had to make sure to be disciplined and not get dragged into over-pressing.

“I think we did that quite well, they had a few shots but nothing very dangerous.”