Leeds United 1 Brighton & HA 2: Diouf back in hot water as McDermott bristles

Leeds manager Brian McDermott insists controversial striker El-Hadji Diouf must learn from his mistakes after a gesture to Brighton fans earned him a red card and left his side with nine men in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat.

Diouf’s team-mate Rodolph Austin had already been dismissed for fouling Ashley Barnes and Brighton substitute Inigo Calderon was also shown a red card by referee Graham Scott in a feisty clash.

Gus Poyet’s Brighton booked their place in the play-offs but the dismissals proved the main talking point of a second consecutive defeat of McDermott’s reign.

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Diouf made his crazy gesture moments after stroking home a 74th-minute equaliser from the penalty spot. McDermott plans to appeal against Austin’s red card but he refused to excuse Diouf and said: “I can’t understand him and maybe he can’t understand himself.

“What he did is not clever. He has got to learn because he is going to miss three games now. He is really upset but he has to be accountable for his actions. These things are dotted around his career. He can be a match-winner and I’ve told him he has to let his football do the talking.

“If you run 50 yards and make a gesture, that is not a heat of the moment thing. I believe 100 per cent he can learn from this – he has to. Austin just bumped into their player so no way was it a sending-off offence.”

Tom Lees failed to notice Will Buckley’s looming presence as he sized up a backpass to Kenny and, in failing to do so, feathered the ball back, allowing the former Rochdale man to nip in and score the opener.

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Calderon was dismissed for his last-man foul on Diouf in the build-up to the penalty, and after all the drama Leonardo Ulloa headed in Andrea Orlandi’s cross in the 87th minute to put a lid on the afternoon.

Leeds United: Kenny, Peltier, Lees, Pearce, Warnock, Tonge (Brown 85), Austin, Green, Diouf, McCormack, Varney (Morison 62). Unused substitutes: Cairns, Drury, White, Poleon, Hall.

Brighton: Kuszczak, Saltor (Calderon 68), Upson, Greer, Painter (Dicker 46), Lopez, Hammond, Orlandi, Buckley (Vicente 65), Ulloa, Barnes. Unused substitutes: Ankergren, El-Abd, Crofts, LuaLua.

Referee: G Scott (Oxfordshire).

Man of the match: Will Buckley.