By George Overhill

12th Mar, 2023 | 10:10am

Jeff Stelling notices serious disagreement between two Leeds United players during Brighton draw live on Sky Sports

Jeff Stelling noticed two Leeds United players in a “serious disagreement” late on as the Whites urged each other to hold on for a point against Brighton.

Jack Harrison’s stunning equaliser cancelled out his slapstick own goal to see Javi Gracia’s side match Roberto De Zerbi’s Europe-chasing Seagulls, but not without some late pressure from the visitors.

Ultimately the recently-improved Leeds United defence held on, despite a shaky afternoon from Luke Ayling, when, after Junior Firpo was booked for a foul on Solly March, players were spotted shouting at each other to be in position to survive a dangerous late free kick.

After Kris Boyd had just provided an update on chances at both ends live on Sky Sports Soccer Saturday (11 March, 4.48pm) Stelling cut in to point out: “Two Leeds United defenders having a serious disagreement inside that box about what each should be doing.”

End to end

The defences of the Jesse Marsch era had a habit of of not holding up when under pressure but the addition of Max Wober in January, and the subsequent replacement of the American manager with Gracia, has seen things improve markedly.

The manager will have no issue with players holding each other to account at the back, and it doesn’t sound like it was anything other than two competitors fighting to prevent a winning goal to the visitors.

A strange day at Elland Road saw many positives, yet at the same time the action at both ends mean both managers will likely come away feeling they should have taken all three points.

Brighton may currently be in with a shot at Champions League qualification but Leeds United need the points far more, with the result leaving them second-bottom in the Premier League.

Avoiding defeat against a Seagulls side that has performed so strongly this season is not to be sniffed at, but wins are going to be what matters in the coming weeks.

Harrison’s calamitous own-goal, which stunned Stelling and Boyd, is a frustration since without it a huge home win would have been on the cards, but his superb leveller and good work in the build up to Patrick Bamford’s strike arguably cancelled out it.

Two goals were a big relief for a side struggling to find the net, but both of those conceded were sloppy, with Alexis Mac Allister left completely alone in the six-yard box for the opener, and Harrison bafflingly failing to clear to fire into his own net for the second.

The Whites defence will need to continue to hold themselves to an even higher standard if they are going to record positive results, as wins for relegation rivals have put a negative slant on a creditable point.

In other Leeds United news, Gracia has whipped the rug out from under Victor Orta and made things very difficult for him.

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