Ayling’s stunning winner means two late, late wins and takes them six points clear of the relegation zone but more importantly will offer belief of beating the drop, regardless of the mounting list of injured players.
With Everton winning on Thursday night, injuries hitting his team and Wolves scoring through Jonny and Francisco Trincao, it looked like Leeds would be taking two steps back after finally winning at the weekend. It was a rollercoaster of emotions throughout the evening.
“It was about being mentally clear. This is a special group who have been through a lot but they are positive young men who work their butts off. We have a long way to go football-wise but they have a strong mentality as a group,” Marsch added.
With Raphinha also out after testing positive for coronavirus, Marsch’s problems got worse when Bamford aggravated a foot problem. As he sat on the bench Bamford looked distraught, inconsolable as Liam Cooper tried to support him with an arm around the shoulder.
Within minutes Leeds would be behind. Wolves were forced into their own substitution but their change brought the immediate reward of a goal. Ruben Neves was forced off after landing awkwardly and Trincao, his replacement, set up the opener one minute and one second later.
Joao Moutinho found Trincao making an attacking run that caught out Leeds as they dealt with a change of shape. The on-loan Barcelona forward made his way to the penalty area before cutting back for Jonny to steer his finish into the far corner.
While Leeds lost Diego Llorente to injury and Mateusz Klich to concussion, Wolves added a second as Trincao continued to make his impact, with the second goal coming as Leeds were trying to get through 12 minutes of stoppage time to get to the interval. They switched off completely at a free-kick and Wolves passed their way through. Daniel Podence cut the ball back and Trincao curled his finish into the bottom corner.
Leeds were given hope eight minutes into the second half when Jimenez was dismissed for a second yellow card. The Mexico striker had already been booked for a first-half challenge and then collided with Meslier, forcing the goalkeeper off after taking the blow, with Kevin Friend issuing a red.
