Brentford boss Dean Smith was proud of his players’ endeavour despite them surrendering a late lead to draw 1-1 away at Sky Bet Championship high-flyers Leeds.

Pontus Jansson powered in a dramatic 88th-minute header from Ezgjan Alioski’s free-kick as Leeds earned a point, with the hosts having Luke Ayling dismissed late on.

The equaliser from the Swedish centre-back was deserved for Marcelo Bielsa’s battling side, who had trailed from the spot through Neal Maupay’s 10th goal of the season just after the hour, following a foul on Ollie Watkins by home goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell.

And Bees manager Smith was satisfied despite dropping two points late in the day.

He said: “I thought we were very good today, first half we were very good.

“I can’t remember Leeds having too many opportunities in the first half, they had a couple in the second half as it became an end-to-end game and opened up a little bit.

“In the first half I thought we were aggressive, and we forced a very good team into a lot of mistakes today and should have probably made more of our opportunities.

“I was really pleased (with Maupay). The way Leeds play, they go man-to-man and try and make it very difficult when you have the ball, and I felt we linked off him really well.

“I thought it was a penalty, he (Watkins) has taken it past the goalkeeper and he’s took him out.”

Brentford enjoyed the better of the early play in Yorkshire, and inside 12 minutes, Peacock-Farrell was forced to smartly push Maupay’s drive around the post after the Leeds backline had been caught out following Sergi Canos’ swift breakaway.

The Bees went close again after Watkins danced into the penalty area but saw his shot loop off Liam Cooper onto the crossbar, with Peacock-Farrell spreading himself well to thwart Maupay.

Leeds had openings of their own after growing into the game, Tyler Roberts seeing his effort saved by Luke Daniels before Samuel Saiz struck just wide.

Brentford took the lead after 62 minutes when Watkins was brought down by Peacock-Farrell, with Maupay stepping up to roll his right-footed penalty into the bottom left corner.

From then on, the side from the capital were under the cosh, with Cooper glancing just wide before Daniels superbly denied Kalvin Phillips from close range.

But having knocked on the door, Leeds levelled when Jansson looped Alioski’s teasing free-kick over Daniels.

United then had Ayling sent off in the 94th minute of a pulsating encounter in Yorkshire.

Leeds boss Bielsa, speaking with the aid of his interpreter, was delighted with his team’s spirit to claim a point.

He said: “I think it is a fair result, we could have won the game and we could have lost the game but it wouldn’t be fair to say that we were close to winning the game as it was not the case.

“Pontus Jansson is very well at the moment but so is all of the team.”

Speaking about the performance of referee Jeremy Simpson, Bielsa added: “We have the opportunity to look at the video.

“My opinion becomes useless, it doesn’t become important, but we come and see football thinking that the referee will never make a mistake, so I will need to look at the video.

“I never say that the referee is responsible for our performance, we are only in control of that.”