Leeds United's Kemar Roofe reflects on the Whites' good points

Kemar Roofe gets in an overhead shot at goal.

IN THE aftermath of Tom Cairney's dead-eye equaliser at Craven Cottage, Leeds United's players and staff were surprisingly philosophical. Garry Monk called a 1-1 draw a 'very good point against a very good team'. Kemar Roofe expected to wake up yesterday morning thinking the same.

Cairney’s 96th-minute goal – a very late but deserved goal on the basis of Fulham’s performance – was a kick in the teeth at the end of an exhilarating game on Tuesday night but one that Leeds were willing to accept. It did not take long for Monk’s squad to remember that avoiding defeat at Craven Cottage was the foremost aim in London.

Leeds’ play-off place is protected still by an eight-point advantage over Fulham and the fixtures appear to fall in their favour this weekend as Monk’s side host Queens Park Rangers while Fulham travel to league leaders Newcastle United. Fulham’s away schedule might be their undoing in the run-in, taking them to Norwich City, Derby County, Huddersfield Town and Sheffield Wednesday before the season is out.

Roofe, all the same, believes seventh-placed Fulham will make the play-offs and it was one reason why Leeds tried to see a draw at Craven Cottage in a positive light, despite Cairney levelling Tim Ream’s own goal with the last meaningful kick of the game. It was a reversal of the clubs’ meeting at Elland Road in August when United’s Chris Wood nicked a point with an overhead kick in the last minute of injury-time.

“We all went in very frustrated but the gaffer has made it clear that we’d wake up on a positive and realise it was a good point,” Roofe said. “They’re a good team and I won’t be surprised if they make the play-offs. They’ll probably deserve it.

“They’re fighting for the play-offs for a reason and even when we had them at home we thought they were probably one of the best teams we’ve played against. But we set up really well and did a job. We’re a bit disappointed not to come away with three points.”

Tuesday’s match was an occasion when fortune ebbed and flowed for both sides. Leeds lost Wood, the Championship’s top scorer, to a minor calf injury ahead of the fixture and were aggrieved to see midfielder Kalvin Phillips sent off for a second bookable offence – a robust tackle on veteran England international Scott Parker – at the closing stages of normal time.

Fulham, meanwhile, conceded a strange own goal after four minutes when Ream sliced a clearance past his goalkeeper, David Button, and were denied a first-half equaliser after referee Lee Probert and his assistants failed to spot that a shot from Neeskens Kebano which struck the crossbar has also crossed Rob Green’s goalline.