In the final moments of stoppage time, Leeds goalkeeper Meslier mishandled a hopeful ball from Sunderland’s Alan Browne, allowing it to slip past him and costing Leeds three crucial points. The draw left Leeds in third place in the Championship, three points behind leaders Sunderland, when a win could have brought them level at the top.
New Delhi: Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier was left devastated after a late mistake cost his team a crucial win against Sunderland in a 2-2 draw on Friday night.
With the match deep into stoppage time, Meslier mishandled a hopeful ball from Sunderland’s Alan Browne, allowing it to slip past him and deny Leeds three valuable points. The result left Leeds in third place in the Championship, three points behind leaders Sunderland, when a win could have seen them draw level at the top.
Leeds head coach Daniel Farke revealed that Meslier was “in tears” after the game, visibly upset by the costly error. “He’s the saddest person in the dressing room,” Farke said. “It’s heartbreaking to lose points like this, especially after an impressive display.”
Farke also mentioned that captain Pascal Struijk believed an awkward bounce on the pitch may have contributed to the mistake, but he couldn’t confirm it himself. The incident came with effectively the last touch of the match, making it even more frustrating for Leeds.
“After such a situation, you don’t need to speak about it – no-one wants to hear any words,” he added.
“Pascal came over and said he had never seen anything like this. He said it bounced and jumped in the other direction because there was a mark on the pitch.
“I can’t tell you if that was the case because I wasn’t on the pitch, but Pascal was probably in the best position to see. If it was this, it was unbelievably unlucky.
“To lose those points in this way is heartbreaking, is horrendous, is so sad and disappointing for our lads.”
Sunderland’s head coach, Regis Le Bris, who had previously worked with Meslier at Lorient, expressed sympathy for the goalkeeper. “I’m disappointed for him. Anyone can make a mistake, and for a goalkeeper, the consequences are important,” Le Bris said.
