What mattered most for Leeds United in wild Norwich City drama - Graham Smyth's Verdict

Football, to borrow from the lexicon of Leeds United head coach Jesse Marsch, is ‘awesome’ again.

When it delivers moments like the one that turned Elland Road into a sea of bodies in the 94th minute, there are few words more apt.

Raw emotion exploded forth in all four stands. There was drama as far as the eye could see. From the boyish glee of match winner Joe Gelhardt, verging on disbelief at what he had just done, to the pure relief of Raphinha and Jesse Marsch, Leeds was United in feeling once more.

A good first step against Leicester City had given way to a backwards leap against Aston Villa, cranking up the pressure, tension and uncertainty about the club’s precarious Premier League position and the suitability of this new man in the technical area.

None of that mattered as Raphinha rounded Tim Krul and smoothly cut the ball back for Gelhardt to score from a couple of yards. That Norwich were battered for the first 45 minutes and allowed to go down the tunnel just 1-0 down didn’t matter as Gelhardt sprinted off to the corner flag, pursued by a stampede of team-mates and the Leeds bench.

That Leeds contrived to miss so many chances and allow Norwich back into the game with a stoppage-time equaliser didn’t matter as Marsch leapt off the ground, Mark Jackson threw a fist in the air and Victor Orta wept.

Tomorrow can look after itself when living in the moment feels this good.

And when moments like that one have been so scarce ever since the pandemic locked fans out in 2020 - the last one of this magnitude was arguably Luke Ayling's wondergoal against Huddersfield Town in the final game before lockdown - they have to be allowed to linger.