First-team outcast Toumani Diagouraga registered a goal as Leeds United under-23s battled back from two goals down to claim three points with a thrilling 4-3 victory away at Bolton Wanderers on Wednesday evening.
Jason Blunt’s team, who featured first-team outcasts Luke Murphy (who captained the side) and Toumani Diagouraga in the starting line-up at the County Ground, fell behind to a low finish from George Newell just four minutes into the match before Alex Samizadeh doubled Bolton's advantage just after the 30-minute mark.
But United managed to conjure up a fairly speedy response, replying with a Diagouraga goal, the former Brentford midfielder smashing home from 10 yards after good build-up on the right.
That allowed United to take a tad more momentum into the break and the Leeds youngsters were soon able to pull level inside the first minute of the second half, Irish striker Eoghan Stokes sending a rising effort beyond Bolton ‘keeper Shaun Rowley after being set up inside the area by Jack McKay.
Bolton would regain a slender lead on 76 minutes though, as Alex Honeyball poked the ball in on the rebound from close-range after United stopper Will Huffer’s initial stunning save fell kindly into his path.
But United once again managed to peg their opponents back just seven minutes later thanks to substitute Samuel Amissah, with the first-year scholar — a second-half replacement for Luke Murphy — making his mark with a sumptuous long-range goal to make it 3-3.
Not content to leave with merely a solitary point, United surged forward in pursuit of a late winner and it duly arrived with Stokes’ second of the evening, the young Irishman wrapping up a fluid, flowing passing move with another fine finish to secure a return to winning ways for United's youngsters.
Diagouraga will have been pleased to have gotten minutes under his belt as well as a goal, but there is still much speculation regarding his future with several sources claiming that he could leave Elland Road in January.
Leeds U23 team v Bolton: Huffer, M Taylor, Haidara, Vann, Pearce, Whitehouse, Oduor (Nicell 65), Diagouraga, Murphy (Amissah 65), Stokes, J McKay.
Unused substitutes: Richardson, Romario Vieira, Wollerton.