Leeds United 2 Burnley 1: Grayson reprieved by Leeds’s dramatic winner - Have Your Say

Just a few minutes earlier, the Yorkshire club had been trailing and the chants of ‘You’re being sacked in the morning’ booming out from the gloating Burnley fans appeared not just cruel but quite possibly based in fact.

After three straight defeats, trailing 1-0 at home to a team reduced to 10 men for more than an hour was the worst possible scenario for a manager under as much apparent pressure as Grayson.

No wonder, therefore, that the United manager’s ecstatic celebrations – think Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford in the Champions League when he was Porto manager – after McCormack’s dramatic late strike were more akin to those that greet a promotion or a famous Cup win.

Asked about his response to the winner, Grayson said: “It just shows the relief of everyone. The passion of the supporters, the players and everyone. I am not going to just stand there and clap. It was a massive result for the club after we had lost three on the bounce.

“I have had a bad knee for a couple of weeks and at one stage I thought it was going to give way on me.”

On the game, Grayson, who confirmed Paddy Kisnorbo (knee) and Alex Bruce (hamstring) are early doubts against Arsenal in the FA Cup, said: “I made five changes from Barnsley (when Leeds lost 4-1) and it could have been 11. We had a team meeting on Sunday and watched the DVD.

“They did against Burnley what we wanted them to do against Barnsley. I thought our new loan signing Andros Townsend did really well.

“Tottenham rate him really highly, though we had his boots sent up from Tottenham on the morning of the game by taxi due to their training ground being closed on Sunday.”

Asked if Leeds would be picking up the fare, Grayson smiled before replying: “It won’t be us. They might try and send the bill to Monaco but I am not sure it will get paid.”

The manner of United’s fightback was cruel on Burnley, not least as it was the second time this season that Eddie Howe’s men had been beaten by their Yorkshire rivals at the death.

But the Clarets also only had themselves to blame with Brian Easton’s blunder in putting through his own net on 87 minutes allowing Leeds back into the game.

What made the defender even more culpable was that there was not a home player within five yards when he sliced Adam Clayton’s corner into the net.

From a Burnley perspective, that was bad. But what followed in the fifth minute of stoppage time was even worse as Lee Grant spilled a low drive from Townsend to allow McCormack to pounce and knock the ball beyond the former Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper.

It meant an instant easing of the pressure on Grayson, whose future has been the subject of much speculation in recent weeks.

What McCormack’s 11th league goal of the season must also do is allow the United manager now to get down to work in the transfer window without any distractions.

Centre-half, right-back and central midfield are just three of the positions that need filling but if Grayson can bring in quality similar to that of Townsend then maybe Leeds’s season really can kick on in the coming weeks.

The 20-year-old, who in the past has terrorised Leeds sporting the colours of Ipswich Town and Millwall, was the outstanding performer with the threat he posed best illustrated by how difficult Burnley found it to cope with his attacking forays down the left flank.

No less than three Clarets players found their way into referee Mark Brown’s notebook for late challenges on the flying winger. David Edgar and Ben Mee could have no complaints with their second-half bookings after ill-timed lunges at Townsend. The same, however, cannot be said for Kieran Trippier, who did foul the Spurs loanee on 29 minutes but it was not sufficient to incur what was his second yellow card of the afternoon.

Clarets manager Howe was less than enamoured with referee Brown, saying: “At 11 v 11 we were the better team but the referee changed the game with a really poor decision.”

It was easy to sympathise with the Clarets’ chief, especially as his side had looked the more likely to score before Trippier’s departure.

The visitors’ best opening came early on when a mistake by Paddy Kisnorbo saw the ball find Charlie Austin, who shot high and wide despite being well placed.

Austin also brought a fine save from Andy Lonergan in the opening exchanges but Trippier’s dismissal then saw Burnley pegged back. Zac Thompson, hugely impressive on his full home debut, shot just wide and Townsend continued to lead the visitors’ defence a merry dance.

That was, however, until 21 minutes from time when a poor header away by Darren O’Dea saw the ball gifted to Dean Marney.

The former Hull City midfielder quickly looked up before picking out Austin, who finished with aplomb with a shot across Lonergan from 20 yards.

Burnley fans celebrated while Grayson’s head dropped as the potential ramifications hit home only for his spirits to soar following the amazing finale that saw United claim their 13th win over the Lancashire club in 15 attempts.

Leeds United: Lonergan; Bruce, Kisnorbo (Sam 17), O’Dea, White; Townsend, Clayton, Thompson, Pugh; Nunez (McCormack 75), Becchio (Forssell 70). Unused substitutes: McCarthy, Brown.

Burnley: Grant; Trippier, Edgar, Mee, Easton; Wallace, Marney, McCann, Stanislas (Amuogou 37); Austin (Vokes 74), Rodriguez. Unused substitutes: Hiens, MacDonald, Stewart.

Referee: M Brown (East Yorkshire).