‘Horrific’ first touches, Leeds match-winner Lukas Nmecha reflects on Fulham decider | OneFootball

Leeds United substitute Lukas Nmecha said his first three touches were horrific, yet he settled the match against Fulham with an added-time finish. According to yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk, the forward made the admission after deciding the game at Elland Road.

He entered with nine minutes of normal time remaining, replacing Jayden Bogle, and promptly surrendered possession three times. Daniel Farke joked those early touches were not world class, but Leeds kept pressing for an opener.

Nmecha darted across Timothy Castagne to meet Ethan Ampadu’s inviting cross, prodding in with his first touch of the move. The 27-year-old has five goals this campaign, with this strike joining his opening-weekend penalty against Everton as a late home decider.

He said the ball fell kindly after those early errors and that Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s front-post run drew defenders away, leaving space for him to finish. He added the win felt especially good after the late defeat at Craven Cottage, when Gabriel Gudmundsson’s own goal denied Leeds a point.

Leeds dominated the second half before the breakthrough, and Farke later called it one of the season’s best wins after Anton Stach and Jaka Bijol suffered muscle injuries on Friday. With 18th-placed West Ham United also winning late at Tottenham Hotspur, Leeds remain two places and eight points clear of the relegation zone with 16 games left. They now have a full week before visiting Everton, with Stach hoped to return from a minor adductor strain and Bijol possibly out for several weeks with a hamstring issue.

Source: yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk