Leeds 4-3 Bournemouth: Crysenio Summerville strikes late once again to secure three points

Leeds were down and they looked out. So too perhaps was Jesse Marsch. Elland Road was simmering with unrest. The barometer for Marsch and his players had moved back into the red zone. Back into trouble.

A week after an incredible win over Liverpool had bought the manager more time, his team were 3-1 down to fellow strugglers Bournemouth with half an hour left.

The American stalked the touchline, head down, hands stuffed in the pockets of his anorak. Then it all changed. Marsch sent on Sam Greenwood and the substitute scored. Next he had an assist for Liam Cooper’s equaliser.

Elland Road erupted. The jeers at half-time were forgotten as they roared their team on to snatch winner.

Then, in the 84th minute, it arrived. Another substitute, Wilfried Gnonto set off from midway inside the Bournemouth half pursued by a clutch of red and black shirts.

Gnonto timed his pass to perfection, slipping the ball through into the path of Crysencio Summerville, Leeds’ hero in the victory at Anfield. Summerville kept his cool again, striding into the box to bury his shot beyond Mark Travers.

In doing so, the young Dutchman became the youngest Leeds player to score three goals in three top-flight games for Leeds since Alan Smith in 2001. As the ball hit the back of the net, there were fireworks over Elland Road. Literally.

Say what you like about Leeds and their defending, in particular, but this is a group still playing for their manager. Still believing. Still fighting.

And what of Bournemouth? They were excellent for much of this game and will be kicking themselves that they left West Yorkshire with nothing. Marcus Tavernier stood out with a goal and two assists. But it’s four defeats on the bounce now after interim manager Gary O'Neil went unbeaten in his first six games.

This was an incredible encounter that see-sawed from start to finish. The fuse was lit on a frantic first half after just 52 seconds. Philip Billing lost possession close to halfway and the ball was knocked through for Summerville. After two goals in his last two games, he is brimming with confidence and charged through on goal.

Summerville was sent crashing by a clumsy challenge from behind by Marcos Sensi and referee Tony Harrington pointed straight to the spot. Rodrigo stepped up and sent Travers the wrong way as Elland Road exploded in celebration.

It felt like Leeds were on course for another valuable win, but credit to Bournemouth. They absorbed the early blow and were level in the seventh minute.

The ball was worked down the right and Billing’s cross was headed towards the back of his own box by Robin Koch. Unfortunately for the German, Tavernier was lurking there unmarked and he volleyed past Illan Meslier.

Dominic Solanke had a header touched over shortly afterwards before Billing silenced Elland Road with another goal in the 19th minute. Leeds’ defence hardly covered themselves in glory with this one either as Tavernier chased a long ball down the left and raced clear of Rasmus Kristensen.

Tavernier’s thumping effort was blocked by Meslier but he reacted quickest to retrieve the loose ball and lay it off to the edge of the box where Billing arrived unmarked to crack a left-foot shot into the roof of the net from 15 yards.

The mood inside the ground changed almost immediately. It could have got even worse as Meslier twice came to his team’s rescue before half-time.

First, the French keeper raced out of his goal to clear at the feet of Jefferson Lerma when Bournemouth broke on halfway. Then he got down to save from Kieffer Moore who should really have scored when he was played in by Billing’s header.

Both sets of players appealed to the referee in the 38th minute when Solanke went down under a challenge from Kristensen shortly after Koch had been flattened by a stray elbow from Moore. It was never going to be a penalty but Moore was a little fortunate to escape unpunished. Chris Mepham was booked for a similar incident involving Rodrigo in the 52nd minute.

Boos greeted the half-time whistle and there were more when Bournemouth extended their lead less than three minutes after the restart.

The excellent Tavernier was again involved, driving down the left and into the box. His low cross reached Solanke who let the ball run under his feet and then flicked it through the legs of Tyler Adams and inside the post.

Marsch turned away in disgust on the touchline. It was the worst possible start to the second half. He had brought on Gnonto at the interval and Greenwood soon followed as the Leeds manager tried to change the game. It worked.

Six minutes after Greenwood’s arrival, the home side attacked down the left and Kristensen crossed to Summerville at the back post. He teed up Pascal Struijk whose effort was blocked, but the ball ran to Greenwood and he curled an exquisite shot beyond Travers from the edge of the box.

Suddenly, Bournemouth were on the back foot again and they came close to conceding an equaliser moments later when Rodrigo charged down the left and cut inside but his attempt from a difficult angle was high and wide.

The Leeds fans didn’t have to wait much longer though. In the 68th minute, Greenwood sent over a corner from the left and captain Cooper rose above Adam Smith to plant a header through Travers’ legs.

Bournemouth weren’t done yet in this pulsating game. Seconds after coming off the bench, Jack Stacey got free down the right and steered a shot inches wide of Meslier’s far post.

But Leeds had the last word and so did Summerville again. There were more fireworks over head at full-time as jubilant Leeds fans sang along to I Predict a Riot. It certainly was.