U21s Report: Leeds United 3-5 Fulham | OneFootball

Whites edged out at the LNER Community Stadium.

Premier League 2

Leeds United U21 3 (de Fougerolles OG 72’, Snowdon 80’, Richards 84’)

Fulham U21 5 (Snowdon OG 48’, King 51’, Pajaziti pen 59’, Works 88’, McCoy-Splatt 90’)

Leeds United: van den Heuvel (GK), Sutcliffe, Cline (Chadwick 63’), Coleman (Spencer 78’), Moore (C), Monteiro, Snowdon, Toulson, Thomas, Chambers, Richards. Subs not used: Christy (GK), Cresswell, Lopata-White.

Fulham: Borto (GK), Tanton, Okkas, Araujo, de Fougerolles, Dibley-Dias (C), Sekularac, McCoy-Splatt, Osmand (Gofford 89’), King (Gordon 71’), Pajaziti (Works 71’). Subs not used: Kaiser (GK), Amissah.

Referee: Steven Copeland

Booked: Sutcliffe, Toulson, Richards, Chadwick (Leeds)

Venue: LNER Community Stadium

Leeds United Under-21s were narrowly beaten at home by Fulham Under-21s, with eight goals coming in an exciting second half in York.

Falling behind after the break, Scott Gardner’s side battled back to make it 3-3, before Terrell Works and Delano McCoy-Splatt broke United hearts late on in the Premier League 2.

The Whites started brightly under the LNER Community Stadium lights, not looking to let poor conditions getting in the way of their attacking football.

Dan Toulson, playing in a more advanced midfield role this time round, threaded an incisive pass down the left flank which Sam Chambers latched onto, darting into the box and crossing low looking for Luca Thomas before the visitors managed to clear.

Thomas then produced a fine piece of skill to flick to ball over defender Devan Tanton, racing down the wing before seeing his deflected delivery fall kindly for Alex Borto in the Fulham goal to collect.

After a strong start from Gardner's side, the Cottagers began to grow into the game, and striker Callum Osmand would have had a glorious chance to put the London outfit in the lead if not for the brilliant positioning of Toulson to win the ball back and clear.

After a sustained spell down the right, Fulham then worked the ball into the box before it eventually bundled through to Josh King. On the turn, the forward swung a leg at the ball but was unable to generate any power or direction in his effort as he dragged wide.

George Okkas, on the left, then picked out Delano McCoy-Splatt with an inch-perfect delivery at the back post, but Dani van den Heuvel got down brilliantly well to parry away the midfielder's close-range volley.

Okkas and McCoy-Splitt combined once more shortly after, with the latter firing under van den Heuvel and looking to have opened the scoring, only for Kris Moore to make a sensational goal line clearance to keep the tie level.

Despite the Fulham pressure, United still looked a threat on the break and Joe Snowdon was unlucky not to have worked Borto in the Cottagers’ goal, firing just over from the right flank after good work from Chambers.

Osmand, Luc de Fougerolles and Araujo all squandered chances from set plays for the visitors before the break, leaving everything to play for in the second 45.

HALF TIME: Leeds United U21 0-0 Fulham U21

If the first half was one of normality, describing the second period as eventful would be somewhat of an understatement, with Fulham grabbing the lead shortly after the restart as a corner deflected off Snowdon and trickled over the line, despite the best efforts of Harvey Sutcliffe.

One quickly became two when Josh King controlled a cross from the right superbly before firing past van den Heuvel, with Adrion Pajaziti then grabbing a third from the penalty spot just before the hour mark.

The Whites weren’t to be deterred by the flurry of goals however, with a lifeline being presented when de Fougerolles was unable to sort his feet out and directed Snowdon's low cross beyond Borto with 18 minutes left of normal time.

Heading into the last 10 minutes, the comeback was well and truly on when the Whites won the ball back on the halfway line and launched an electric counter, working it out to Thomas on the left who found the run of Snowdon superbly. The winger latched onto the pass and finished well past Borto to reduce the deficit to just one.

One became none moments later, when Joe Richards squeezed the ball home from a narrow angle after linking up brilliantly with substitute Morten Spencer to make it 3-3!

The visitors weren't to be denied the victory however and cruelly got themselves back in front two minutes from time, when substitute Terrell Works was well-placed to tap home after a free kick was swung in from the right.

As United committed bodies forward searching for a last-gasp equaliser, McCoy-Splatt sealed things deep into stoppage time on the counter to bring a pulsating affair to a close.

FULL TIME: Leeds United U21 3-5 Fulham U21