'I just wish' - Jack Harrison makes personal learning vow but issues Leeds United reassurance

Harrison unleashed a rocket of a strike into the top right corner with 12 minutes of Saturday’s Premier League hosting of Brighton to bag Leeds a 2-2 draw in their quest for Premier League survival. Harrison had earlier struck at the wrong end of the pitch when netting an unfortunate own goal that put the visitors 2-1 up and the Whites midfielder said he would need to learn from the mistake and that quicker reactions were required.

Brighton’s impressive Kaoru Mitoma skinned Luke Ayling down the left side of the box before sending in a low cross which Max Wober tried to clear with a sliding block. Wober’s connection, though, was heading for an own goal in itself only for Illan Meslier to save but the ball bounced loose to the far post where both Harrison and Brighton’s Solly March were arriving. March, says Harrison, got there first which led to Harrison’s attempt to clear going into his own net.

"At that point I tried to do everything I could,” said Harrison post-match, asked about the own goal. "I tried to get the ball quick but he managed to get his foot and touch it before I did and it's a lesson learned for me. I just have to be quicker in those situations. But I think for us as a team, I think getting that second goal was important and we tried to push on for the third in the last final bits of the half but we just didn't manage to get it.”

Brighton approached Saturday’s contest sat in eighth place but with games in hand on the teams above them. Leeds lined up fourth-bottom but the Whites have now dropped into the division’s drop zone in 19th place following weekend wins for relegation rivals Bournemouth and Everton. Harrison, though, gave a reassuring message about Saturday’s result and his team’s progress as a whole.

Asked if Leeds were satisfied with a point overall, Harrison reasoned: “I think we would have liked to win, especially at home, but we know they are a tough side. We knew we had to be well prepared defensively and really organised going into this game and I thought we did a good job doing that. I just wish we'd have capitalsed on a couple more chances but a point at this point is okay, we can just carry on moving forward in the right direction."

Quizzed about his superb strike to draw Leeds back level, Harrison said modestly: "I just had the idea in my head. We knew that we'd kind of be able to expose them from that kind of area with a right foot. Normally it was Cree but (Summerville) t I decided to try it with my right foot and luckily for us it went in."