Leeds United head coach Neil Redfearn has bemoaned poor defending in his side's 3-2 Championship defeat at home to Watford earlier today.
The Whites came racing out of the blocks at Elland Road and quickly surged into a 2-0 lead with goals from Billy Sharp (7th minute) and Rudy Austin (19th minute).
But Troy Deeney pulled a goal back for the Hornets before the break, striking in the 39th minute to give the visitors a vital boost at a crucial time, before Matej Vydra struck in the 56th and 81st minutes to leave Leeds reeling and going down to defeat.
For Redfearn, whose side have been defensively solid for most of 2015, the defeat was disappointing and he laid the blame at the door of poor defending.
Indeed, Redfearn feels the Leeds defenders allowed the Watford attack too much space and Deeney especially was able to work himself free at crucial moments.
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"To be honest it's [good defending] been a big feature of what we've been doing, we've defended really well", the Leeds boss told LUTV.
"We looked uncharacteristically unsure in the middle at the back today. We started well, but as the game wore on we were nervy.
"I think it's [a high defensive line] a feature of what we did. It's like anything else at centre-half, you press the pitch and make yourself favourite. It's basic defending. Keep play in front of you.
"It wasn't the fact we were high, it could have been dealt with, he [Deeney] got himself free and worked himself between two defenders – and that's bad defending."
For Redfearn, poor defending spoiled what was an otherwise good display from the Whites, albeit one which saw his attack fail to "finish off" Watford.
"The down thing for me today is that we actually played quite well. We didn't play badly. We looked like we were going to score against a good side and it's like when you've got a boxer on the ropes, you finish them off."
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