CardiffCity

Leeds can use narrow escape at Cardiff as stepping stone, says Jesse Marsch

08-Jan-2023 17:42:54 | The Guardian

• Teenager Perkins earns replay with stoppage-time leveller
• ‘We have to learn about cup matches and how to handle them’

Jesse Marsch has called on his Leeds side to use their late escape from an embarrassing FA Cup defeat at 10-man Cardiff City as a “stepping stone”. Leeds were heading for a sixth successive third-round exit until the 18-year-old substitute Sonny Perkins scored his first professional goal to equalise deep into second-half stoppage time and earn a replay.

Leeds have won only two of their past 16 matches in all competitions and Marsch said they must heed the lessons of their late rally after conceding they were initially out of sync in south Wales. “As a manager I’ve never lost to a lower-division team in the cup and part of it is because I demand that the players take it seriously and we play with intensity as if it’s a first-division match,” the head coach said.