118 SPORT chamPiOnShiP^ The Mail on Sunday September 1, 2019
S WA N S E A h e a d i n t o t h e
international break sat proudly
on top of the Championship after
their ultimate smash and grab
ended a 70-year wait for a victory
at Elland Road.
A sterling defensive effort looked
to have earned a deserved share of
the spoils, until Leeds failed to
clear a 90th-minute corner.
Substitute Wayne Routledge duly
found the bottom corner from a
dozen yards with a scuffed effort
that was far more effective than it
was pretty.
While Swansea remain unbeaten,
the outcome was tough on the hosts,
who paid for failing to take any
of the numerous chances they
fashioned to draw a blank on home
soil for the first time in almost six
months.
That was down to a combination
of at times hasty decision-making
allied to the outstanding work of a
back line in which the central
defensive pairing of Mike van der
Hoorn and Joe Rodon excelled.
‘I’ve not even looked at the table
yet this season,’ Steve Cooper, who
has had an immediate impact since
taking charge over the summer,
insisted after overseeing the Swans’
fifth win in six games.
Cooper, who guided England
Under-17s to World Cup success
two years ago, added: ‘It’s a good
result, there’s no doubt about it. Not
many teams will come here and
intend to play like we did today.
‘It’s not really about making a
statement at this stage, it’s more
about looking at ourselves and
striving to be better.
‘We felt there were areas in the
Leeds game we could exploit. It’s apleasing victory, but it’s way too
early for any mention of being top
at this stage.’
Leeds could have been out of sight
by the interval and had only them-
selves to blame for being left open
to such a late counter-punch. A first
half of dominance came closest to
reward for the hosts deep into
stoppage time when Liam Coopersent a thundering header against
the bar from a corner.
The Leeds skipper was unable to
redirect the rebound on target.
With the full-back Stewart Dallas
a rich and constant source of
supply down the Leeds right,
Ezgjan Alioski proved the main
culprit in a wasteful early spell.
From another inviting Dallas
centre Patrick Bamford should
have done better with his header.
Swansea posed only a sporadic
threat on the break early on.
Bersant Celina sent a low free-kick
against the side-netting, before
another set-piece from the Kosovan
rebounded to Matt Grimes, whose
25-yard effort forced a scrambling
save out of largely under-employed
Leeds keeper Kiko Casilla.
The second half followed in
similar fashion, Leeds’ dominance
interspersed with fleeting though
nonetheless threatening raids from
their opposition. Woodman savedfrom Pablo Hernandez, before
Rodon almost deflected a Kalvin
Phillips cross into his own net.
Jack Harrison’s goal-bound shot
was blocked by one of a number
of defenders in its path, Rodon
leading the charge to put his body
on the line for the cause.
All the hard work would have
meant nothing had Eddie Nketiah,
a second-half sub, taken more care
with a header at the far post with
four minutes remaining.
The loan forward had been
similarly wasteful when bursting
through to fire over.
It proved costly when Routledge
appeared to be the only calm head
in a late goalmouth melee, the
midfielder’s shot bobbling into the
bottom corner.
‘I can’t be too critical,’ Bielsa said.
‘But that’s now five points we’ve
dropped at home and we’ve created
enough chances so far this season
to have won all our six games.’By Derek Hunter
0
1
Leeds
Swansea
Routledge 90P W D L F A Pts
Swansea 6 5 1 0 12 4 16
Charlton 6 4 2 0 11 5 14
Leeds 6 4 1 1 10 3 13
West Brom 6 3 3 0 10 7 12
Bristol City 6 3 2 1 11 8 11
Fulham 6 3 1 2 10 5 10
Preston 6 3 1 2 11 7 10
QPR 6 3 1 2 9 9 10
Birmingham 6 3 1 2 6 8 10
N Forest 6 2 3 1 9 6 9
Sheff Wed 6 3 0 3 8 6 9Top of the Table
Routledge knocks
Leeds off the top
3
0
Brentford
Mbeumo 17, Watkins 18, 45Derby countyTHIS was how Brentford fans
envisaged it would go for their
final season at Griffin Park —
dictating the tempo and scoring
goal after goal.
In the end, the Bees got three but
it was a performance that could
have brought half-a-dozen goals,
with Derby left dizzy by their
free-flowing attack.
Two goals in a couple of minutes
in the first half put the home side
in control as Bryan Mbeumo
struck the opener before Ollie
Watkins’ netted the second from
10 yards out. Watkins made it
three just before half-time.
Brentford continued to create
opportunities during a quieter
second period and following this
confident display manager
Thomas Frank said: ‘We need toaim for this level all the time. The
first half was one of the best my
team has played — they couldn’t
cope with our intensity.’
Derby’s fans jeered their players
and manager Phillip Cocu as they
left the pitch, and after the match
the former Netherlands star
expressed his contrition saying:
‘I understand they are very
disappointed and I don’t blame
them. We have to be ashamed of
what we showed in 45 minutes,
then we showed improvement.’Bees give Cocu a refresher
in playing ‘total football’
By Nathan Salt
SummiT SPecial:
Routledge is mobbed
by team-mates after
his late goal sent
Swansea to the top2
2
1
Birmingham
Jutkiewicz 73, Bellingham 76Stoke city
Lindsay 580
2
Readingcharlton
Leko 51, Taylor 80 pen1
luton
Collins 57 pen, Shinnie 66huddersfield
Grant 470
0
WiganBarnsleyMIDDLESBROUGH2
2
Bristol city
Palmer 44, Rowe 81middlesbrough
Moore 64 og, Assombalonga 68Barnsley boss Daniel
stendel insists there was no
malice in Ben Williams’ 90th-
minute horror tackle that
earned him a red card in the
goalless draw at Wigan.
Williams lunged in on
Wigan’s lee evans, leaving
referee andy Woolmer no
option but to give him a
straight red.
It was the major talking point
of a dull affair, and stendel
said: ‘He was one second too
late but yes. He gave the red
card for Ben Williams, I know
he wanted to win the ball but
he was a second too late and
it was a red card.’
HuDDersfIelD caretaker-
boss Mark Hudson blasted
referee andy Davies after his
side’s winless start to the
season continued.
after Karlan Grant had put
the visitors ahead, they were
pegged back by James
Collins’ penalty.
andrew shinnie made it 2-1
despite midfielder Jonathan
Hogg being down with what
looked like a head injury.
Hudson said: ‘The ref
stopped play for a first-half
head injury and then he
doesn’t for their goal, but we
cannot just stop, we have to
play to the whistle.’Left-back tommy Rowe
rescued a point for bristol city
with a late equaliser in a
breathtaking draw at ashton Gate.
but Middlesbrough boss
Jonathan Woodgate insisted his
side deserved to edge the thriller.
He said: ‘I thought we were the
better side and deserved to win. It
was a top-class performance and
our best of the season so far.
‘I haven’t a bad word to say
about any of my players. bristol
looked to counter-attack us and did
so effectively in the first half.
‘but we tweaked a couple of
things at half time and I thought
the lads were outstanding in terms
of effort and the way we
approached the game.
‘I’m unhappy with conceding
from two headers. Defendersseem to want to mark areas rather
than opponents these days and
space never scored a goal.’
city took the lead a minute from
the end of a thrilling first half
through kasey Palmer, but
Middlesbrough were level when
taylor Moore diverting the ball
into his own net and went ahead
four minutes later through britt
assombalonga.
but back came city and
substitute callum O’Dowda
crossed from the left for the
unmarked Rowe to net with a
stooping header.Rowe denies Woodgate
with late Robins leveller
CHarlTon boss lee Bowyer
believes his team should have
scored more in their win at
reading.
Jonathan leko’s deflected
20-yard drive and lyle
Taylor’s penalty gave them
victory and Bowyer said: ‘I
thought that we deserved to
win. The first half was quite
even but we were the better
side in the second half.
‘We dominated the game and
created a lot of chances. We
got in and around their final
third a lot. But we should have
been more clinical. We should
have had another two or three
goals.’PeP CloTeT hopes the
biggest day of Jude
Bellingham’s embryonic
career is the first of many.
The 16-year-old was thrown
into his first home league
match as a first-half sub and
responded by scoring
Birmingham’s winner.
lukas Jutkiewicz had
cancelled out liam lindsay’s
opener for stoke.
Birmingham caretaker-boss
Clotet said: ‘He has matured a
lot with the first team. I think
his goal should be to try to get
established in this squad and
play as many times for the
club he loves.’