Sunderland win 'feels like one foot in Premier League'

This week marks a year since Leeds United's dramatic victory against Championship promotion rivals Leciester City – as we trailed 1-0 in the 79th minute and won 3-1.

It felt as though we'd got one foot in the automatic promotion race that night, having played catch-up all season.

How fitting that one year on we should beat yet another promotion rival in dramatic fashion – this time defeating Sunderland with a 95th-minute winner, having this time trailed 1-0 going into the 78th minute.

While there are many parallels between the two games in terms of late drama and sheer euphoria, our comeback against Leicester still seems quite unbelievable to this day.

Not a single person inside Elland Road saw that coming. The comeback against Sunderland, however, is something I, and certainly the people around me, felt would happen – there was just something in the air.

When substitute Joe Rothwell stepped up for a Leeds free-kick as we approached the final 10 minutes, I muttered "come on Pascal" in the hope that Pascal Struijk, another off the bench, would head home the cross for 1-1.

Sure enough he did, and with enough time to go and the atmosphere pumping I think even the Sunderland fans knew what was coming.

"We will win this now," I told my mate as the board went up for five extra minutes, and we even joked about Struijk scoring a brace as the ball went for a corner with less than 60 seconds remaining.

Elland Road was an absolute zoo when it happened – a sea of people piling on top of each other, swinging from the rafters or generally just not knowing what to do with themselves. Poetic justice having so cruelly conceded in the dying seconds away to Sunderland earlier in the season.

Never mind the automatic promotion race, this win feels like one foot in the Premier League – and the stuff of champions. Who better then to play next than seemingly our title contenders in Sheffield United. All eyes on Monday night.