Redfearn pledges no freewheeling from Leeds

NEIL REDFEARN insists there will be no let-up in Leeds United’s season with the fans deserving a strong finish after what has been an often difficult few months.
Leeds United.
United head coach Neil Redfearn (Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe).Leeds United.
United head coach Neil Redfearn (Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe).
Leeds United. United head coach Neil Redfearn (Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe).

The Elland Road club moved up to 15th place with a fine victory over promotion-chasing Ipswich Town on Wednesday night.

It left United 13 points clear of the bottom three and 17 adrift of the play-offs, the epitome of a side that is locked in mid-table without much to play for in the final weeks.

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Despite that, Redfearn is adamant his players cannot afford to freewheel to the end of the campaign on May 2.

He said: “The most important thing is we want to finish the season well. We want to hit the ground running next season.

“To do that, we want to get as many points as possible this season and want to do as well as we can for the supporters.

“There has been a lot of change and it has been a long season for them, a lot of upheaval, and that makes it tough.

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“But I think they can see the shoots of recovery, particularly with the young guys. We really want to finish well.”

United travel to Wigan tomorrow looking to continue a start to the year that has, even allowing for the recent back-to-back defeats against Brighton and Watford, been hugely encouraging.

Twenty points have been claimed from 11 games and the manner of the Ipswich win left Redfearn particularly pleased.

He said: “I thought the win was well deserved against a good side, a polished Championship side.

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“We passed it when we could and defended really resolutely.

“But I thought where the game was won was midfield. Cook, Mowatt and Murphy passed through Ipswich time after time.”

Match-winner Billy Sharp is expected to be fit tomorrow despite suffering an ankle injury.

United’s other hero after gifting Ipswich an equaliser was goalkeeper Marco Silvestri, who saved a late penalty.

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Redfearn added: “Marco made a dozen saves at Middlesbrough and won us the game. He is an outstanding goalkeeper but he will make mistakes.

“The difference is when most people make a mistake at work, there are four people there. But you do it at Elland Road and 20,000 people are watching. He is big enough to cope and just look at how he responded.”