A look at the national media's take on Leeds United's dramatic 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion at Elland Road...
Gelhardt 'genius' highlighted
The Daily Mail's Craig Hope believes that Pascal Struijk's stoppage-time equaliser against Brighton could keep Leeds in the Premier League and potentially Jesse Marsch in a job. He wrote: "Jesse Marsch spoke with great relief of Leeds United’s late win. For the record, they drew. It was not spin, more so that the American was caught in one, much like everyone else inside Elland Road.
"For on a confused afternoon of noisy support and just as voluble protest, a breathless match climaxed with a goal that could well keep Marsch’s team in the Premier League, and him in a job.
READ MORE: Leeds United have already shown the fighting qualities they need for relegation day of destiny
"It did not matter that the first half ended with jealous cats bemoaning the number of lives afforded to Leeds, nor that Brighton’s scorer Danny Welbeck then headed wide of an open target four minutes from time. But here, finally, was genuine cause for the boss to beam, and with it 36,000 happy faces inside Elland Road.
"You could barely see any green inside the six-yard area, so crowded was it as the ball dropped to Joe Gelhardt on the by-line. There was, then, much work for the young forward to do to fashion anything resembling a chance.
"What followed was genius, sitting down defender Lewis Dunk with the cheekiest of scoops over his sliding challenge before poking the ball high to the far post. He had done his bit. The cross was begging to be converted and substitute Struijk, a defender by trade, answered those prayers with a striker's header of zero compromise. It raised the roof, sprits and, crucially, Leeds to 17th."
'Elland Road came together as one'
"Not a single Leeds supporter would have picked Pascal Struijk as the star of the penultimate act of the incredible rollercoaster ride that is the Premier League survival race," wrote the Guardian's Aaron Bower.
"Leeds have shown little respect for the script to this point, though, so it is perhaps no surprise that a defender thrown on with seven minutes remaining scored the goal that could yet be key to keeping them in the Premier League.
"There are still more twists and turns to come but the scenes as Struijk frantically headed home Joe Gelhardt’s chipped cross in added time told you everything you needed to know.
"Elland Road came together as one at the culmination of an absorbing afternoon that left several of the home players sinking to the turf at full time, emotionally and physically spent. A few minutes earlier, the mood could not have been more different."
'Hollywood moment
The Daily Telegraph's Mike McGrath reckons Leeds United's point against Brighton could help them pull off a Hollywood-esque great escape.
He wrote: "Jesse Marsch may not want reminding that Ted Lasso also needed a miracle in the final week of the season to avoid Premier League relegation. Should Leeds United pull off a great escape next weekend, the Hollywood moment will be Pascal Struijk’s last-gasp equaliser on Sunday.
"Even the scriptwriters of Lasso, the fictional soccer coach from the United States, would struggle to come up with a finale like Struijk’s goal, which sent the Leeds’ bench sprinting down the touchline in celebration. Moments earlier, fans turned on the board and seemed resigned to returning to the Championship.
"Struijk’s headed goal gives them a glimmer of hope that their American coach can keep them safe. Their survival will go to the wire against Brentford on Sunday, with Burnley’s two matches determining what they need. The manic celebrations were sparked because the goal could keep them up."
'At that moment Leeds came back to life'
In The Times, Martin Hardy reflects on the Elland Road noise levels.
"They will have heard the roar all around Yorkshire. At 3.50pm yesterday Elland Road sounded as though a squadron of jumbo jets was doing a fly-by.
"At that point, two minutes into stoppage time, the substitute defender Pascal Struijk had strained his neck to head a Joe Gelhardt cross down and over the line, just, of the Brighton & Hove Albion goal.
"At that moment Leeds came back to life. People tumbled over seats in pure joy. Struijk ran to a corner and was mobbed by supporters and his team-mates. Substitutes from the bench raced to join in. A white flare was thrown on to the pitch.
"Leeds United moved to 17th in the table, nudging ahead of Burnley, who had lost away to Tottenham Hotspur two hours before. There is a game in hand for Mike Jackson's side, against Aston Villa on Thursday, and then there will be a final day shoot-out."
