Sean Longstaff scored a dramatic 97th-minute equaliser as Leeds took another step towards Premier League survival in an eventful draw at Bournemouth.
Substitute Rayan looked to have won it late for Bournemouth but Longstaff arrived to drill a cleanly-struck volley into the bottom corner and take Daniel Farke’s side to 40 points.
The home side had taken the lead through another teenager, forward Eli Junior Kroupi, who fired in his 11th league goal of the season on the hour mark after excellent work from centre-back Marcos Senesi.
But Leeds came back strongly with Noah Okafor’s dinked effort coming back off the post moments later before a long throw led to chaos in the Bournemouth penalty area, eventually resulting in Wilfried Gnonto’s cross-shot going in off the heel of Cherries defender James Hill.
Bournemouth retook the lead with five minutes remaining when Brazil winger Rayan was left unmarked seven yards out to convert Tyler Adams’ low cross but Andoni Iraola’s side were denied victory by Longstaff’s last-gasp intervention.
The result means 15th-placed Leeds move nine points clear of Tottenham, who are in the final relegation place, while Bournemouth are up to seventh, a point behind Brighton in sixth.
Bournemouth edged a largely low-key first half, and increased the pressure after the break, with Senesi winning the ball on the halfway line and threading a through ball to Kroupi, who saw his shot deflect in over Leeds keeper Karl Darlow.
A slip by Hill gave Leeds the chance to hit back immediately, as the in-form Okafor beat the goalkeeper but hit the frame of the goal. But the defender, who escaped there, was helpless with the own goal that brought Leeds level.
Leeds had a good spell after equalising but as the game headed towards its conclusion, it was the home side pressing for the winner and looked to have found it through Rayan.
They had chances to make the game safe with Senesi heading against the bar from a corner, while Evanilson jinked past a defender to score what would have been the clincher, only for it to be ruled out for a narrow offside.
Leeds had one last push and might have thought their last chance had come and gone when Lukas Nmecha’s shot clipped the post and went wide.
But when another long throw was only partially cleared, Longstaff thumped home to send the travelling Leeds fans into raptures.
Analysis: Late blow for Bournemouth but youngsters shine
With seconds remaining, Bournemouth looked set to be jumping up to sixth and to within four points of Liverpool in the final Champions League spot.
It was all set up for a thrilling end to Iraola’s time in charge and a parting gift – both to the fans and successor Marco Rose – of European football.
Longstaff’s late strike doesn’t end that dream but dropping two points so late on is undoubtedly a painful blow – even more so given Iraola was adamant that Leeds’ Joel Piroe was offside and disturbing the view of goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic.
“We are very frustrated, very angry,” Iraola told BBC Match of the Day.
“To concede in 96th minute, I think it’s a clear offside. [Joel] Piroe affects the keeper, he’s at the side where the ball goes in.
“It’s not acceptable, I am waiting to talk to the referee, I hope he explains it to me but we’ve lost two points in the last second of the game with a player offside affecting our keeper.”
It means a fifth straight home draw in the Premier League, 16 league draws in all.
And while a 14-game unbeaten run is to be commended, Bournemouth might be right in the thick of the race for Champions League qualification had they turned a couple of those draws into wins.
Qualifying for European competition of any kind next season would be a huge achievement for Bournemouth and that goal is still well within reach – especially with talents such as Kroupi and Rayan in their ranks.
The two 19-year-olds showed their qualities, Kroupi bursting into life after a quiet night to score the opener and continue his impressive campaign while Rayan was lively off the bench, even before sweeping in the hosts’ second goal.
Rayan only arrived in January and Kroupi is in his first season with the club, but already there are murmurings of interest from elsewhere.
If the need to persuade either of them to stay arises, doing so would be that much easier if Bournemouth can offer European football.
