Thursday 5 March 2015 19:51, UK
Neil Redfearn praised Marco Silvestri and Billy Sharp after the pair united to earn Leeds a 2-1 win over Ipswich in a frantic finish at Elland Road.
Sharp's stunning 77th-minute volley put Leeds back ahead after goalkeeper Silvestri had bundled a Freddie Sears shot into his own goal, cancelling out Alex Mowatt's fine opener for the home side.
Sharp's goal spared the Italian stopper's blushes but he was able to deliver redemption of his own with six minutes left as he produced a brilliant save to keep out Daryl Murphy's penalty.
"With goalkeepers if you make a mistake, it's a goal," Redfearn said.
"If you make a mistake at work four people see it. In football, 20,000 people see it. Marco is a top young keeper, who won us the game at Middlesbrough a week ago with half-a-dozen top-class saves. The message is that I'm there for him.
"The penalty save is something else."
Ipswich manager Mick McCarthy felt Murphy's penalty was a weak one, but it appeared to be well taken and it took a fine dive to his right from Silvestri to deny it.
"I've seen some of Mick's penalties!" Redfearn added.
Sharp could easily have been wearing Ipswich blue after a going close to joining them in January when it appeared he had fallen foul of Leeds' now-disqualified owner Massimo Cellino.
Redfearn said at the time he did not want the striker to leave and his faith in the 29-year-old has been justified with two match-winning goals inside the last five weeks.
"Goals bring goals, he's got confidence and he's playing ever so well," said Redfearn, with whom Sharp deliberately celebrated his winner.
"He's bright, he chases things, he gives you energy and if you stick him in front of goal he'll finish. I thought it was an outstanding finish.
"He led the line well and he looks a really polished striker. He didn't want to go to Ipswich."
The defeat for Ipswich leaves them outside the top six, having lost their play-off place after derby defeat at Norwich allied with Tuesday's results.
As a result, McCarthy was in no mood to make small talk at his press conference.
"I am totally and utterly p***** off," he said.
"For their first goal we should have saved it, then he should have saved ours. The second one, we got done. Then we had an opportunity with the penalty and he (Murphy) has not hit it with any conviction. I think we had the best part of the game if I'm honest with you."
Reminded that it was back-to-back defeats, and that promotion rivals Brentford await at the weekend, McCarthy added: "We could have got back in the top six. We had an opportunity to get back in the top six but we p***** it away."
McCarthy was also asked about his previous interest in Sharp.
"He's a goalscorer. You know he is (someone I wanted)," he said. "But we've got the division's leading goalscorer (Murphy). We've got Freddie who has come in and scored, and Chris Wood who was one of the leading goalscorers last season."
