Sam Allardyce is hoping Leeds United can build on their second-half performance against Manchester City as they look to beat the drop in the Premier League.

Ilkay Gundogan scored twice in a dominant first-half at the Etihad Stadium where the defending champions and current league leaders were in complete control throughout.

But Leeds regrouped after the break and despite withstanding more sustained pressure could have grabbed an unlikely point after Rodrigo punished Gundogan’s missed penalty with a late goal.

Attention now turns to eminently more winnable games between now and the end of the season with Allardyce, who replaced Javi Gracia as interim manager this week, taking the positives despite not taking any points.

“In difficult circumstances but accepting the job, you have to do the best you can,” he told the BBC.

“It is about being on the training ground for the last week and feeling the adrenaline rush of that and a squad of players we have to make better and as good as we can with four games left.

“It is a difficult challenge but one we have jumped at – me, Karl [Robinson] and Robbie [Keane]. We have to try to get to the position where we can try and win a football match.

“We take some hope out of today on the second-half performance. Not the first, but the second. We now need to build on that and try to get a result.

“I was slightly fearful, but we sorted it out for the second half and told them they were playing with too much fear.

“They needed to get on the front foot and try to challenge them. Apart from a silly penalty… and a great save by Joel [Robles] that gave us a chance to go up the other end and score.

“When you see Man City running down the clock for four minutes at the end, you know you have given yourself a chance. We did right until the end, but it didn’t quite happen.”

Leeds return to action against Newcastle United next Saturday.

GO DEEPER

Why Leeds finally accepted their grim reality and turned to ‘Big Sam’

(Photo: Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

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