Big Match Verdict: Pontus Jansson has Leeds United heading in right direction

THE headlines that Garry Monk will wake up to this morning will be rather more pleasurable than the ones he viewed at the start of the working week.
Pontus Jansson scores a late winner celebrated with Luke Ayling and Kyle Bartley. Picture Tony Johnson.Pontus Jansson scores a late winner celebrated with Luke Ayling and Kyle Bartley. Picture Tony Johnson.
Pontus Jansson scores a late winner celebrated with Luke Ayling and Kyle Bartley. Picture Tony Johnson.

For those Leeds United supporters, who will have had it rather tough in the workplace following Sunday’s unwelcome developments at Gander Green Lane, last night’s late events helped heal a few wounds.

Granted, it was not vintage viewing, but the precious currency of three points will have started to draw a firm line or two under the damning file simply marked ‘Sutton United.’

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It looked like being a deflating night of frustration for United, pegged back by Elliott Bennett’s 83rd-minute leveller after a wonder goal from Stuart Dallas, but the cult hero that is Pontus Jansson had other ideas.

Stuart Dallas fires past Rovers keeper Jason Steele. Picture Tony Johnson.Stuart Dallas fires past Rovers keeper Jason Steele. Picture Tony Johnson.
Stuart Dallas fires past Rovers keeper Jason Steele. Picture Tony Johnson.

The Swede was criminally left unmarked following Pablo Hernandez’s floated corner a minute from time and he was not about to pass up that sort of gift, burying his header past Jason Steele in front of 6,402 ecstatic – and somewhat relieved – visiting supporters.

It further cemented the big defender’s iconic reputation among the United hordes and while it was a night when Leeds won ugly, sometimes ugly can be beautiful in a footballing sense – more especially on cold midweek nights in late winter.

It helped record United’s third Roses win over Rovers this term and after declaring himself to be aggrieved after his side’s two earlier losses to Leeds in 2016-17, Owen Coyle will be feeling heartily sick today

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Winning when you are not at your best, as Leeds plainly were not, certainly for much of the second half, is such a valuable asset to have when you are coming up to the business end of the season.

Stuart Dallas fires past Rovers keeper Jason Steele. Picture Tony Johnson.Stuart Dallas fires past Rovers keeper Jason Steele. Picture Tony Johnson.
Stuart Dallas fires past Rovers keeper Jason Steele. Picture Tony Johnson.

Monk brought back virtually all of his big-hitters with 10 of those who lined up against Nottingham Forest seven nights earlier starting from the off, with Dallas being the sole player who had the misfortune to start in Sunday’s lamentable cup episode.

There was still one notable absentee with Hernandez kept in reserve on the bench, with Monk’s game plan clearly being to utilise the extra pace of Hadi Sacko and Kemar Roofe in a bid to unhinge the hosts.

But despite gorging on plenty of possession, Leeds struggled to find a way through in a first half when flashes of inspiration were hard to find, with a competitive, but limited home side who created next to nothing.

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Chances were not plentiful, but those that did arrived in the lap of Leeds, with Chris Wood seeing a stinging free-kick fly inches wide and Kemar Roofe heading wide following Luke Ayling’s centre.

It was a night when Leeds looked like having to pick their time to strike against organised hosts who wholly lacked attacking wit, but who endeavoured to make up for that with bundles of perspiration.

That said, a stop-start and low-key half suited Rovers, who were clearly seeking to replicate the formula of their win over Newcastle last month, based on frustrating the visitors and somehow taking a chance when it came along and defending for their lives.

Monk had seemingly spotted the signs and threw on what he hoped would prove the equivalent of a code-breaker in their ranks in Hernandez, assigned to unlock the door as United attacked their massed ranks in the Darwen End in the second period.

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As the clock started to tick, signs of confidence started to emanate from the hosts, consoled by a scoreline which did not reflect too badly upon them, despite bringing little to the table in an offensive sense.

The ball was firmly in the court of Leeds to start upping the tempo, but it was the hosts who started to display the conviction and pressurise the visitors.

Rob Green was forced into his first meaningful action, turning away Bennett’s dangerous free-kick as Charlie Mulgrew was waiting to pounce, with Leeds struggling to get Hernandez into the game.

A brief, but audible chorus of ‘attack, attack’ was testimony to the growing sense of frustration from the away end and it did the trick nicely.

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A perceptive pass from Liam Bridcutt found Dallas on the left and he released a scorching low drive which whistled past Jason Steele. It was a moment of majesty fit to win any game and given the paucity of Rovers attacking play, it looked extremely likely that it would.

But persistent Rovers had other ideas with Bennett’s 30-yard daisycutter catching out Green and soon after, debutant Lucas Joao fired over as the Lancastrians spied an unlikely win.

But Jansson provided the balm.

Blackburn Rovers: Steele, Nyambe, Greer, Lenihan, Williams, Mulgrew; Feeney (Conway 78), Lowe (Joao 79), Bennett, Gallagher; Graham. Unused substitutes: Raya, Guthrie, Tomlinson, Mahoney, Brown.

Leeds United: Green; Ayling, Bartley, Jansson, Berardi; Bridcutt, O’Kane (Vieira 78), Sacko (Hernandez 45), Roofe (Doukara 61), Dallas; Wood. Unused substitutes: Silvestri, Coyle, Phillips, Antonsson.

Referee: G Eltringham (Tyne and Wear).