Luke Ayling responds to booing Leeds United fans at Bournemouth but refutes Whites suggestion

Relegation-threatened Leeds headed for Sunday’s clash on the south coast knowing victory would kick them four points clear of the Premier League’s relegation zone but Javi Gracia’s Whites found themselves 2-0 down after 24 minutes to a quickfire brace from Jefferson Lerma.

Patrick Bamford then pulled a goal back just after the half hour mark but the Cherries went 3-1 up through Dominic Solanke’s strike three minutes after the hour and Antoine Semenyo then bagged a fourth for the hosts in the 91st minute.

The defeat left Leeds just one point clear of the drop zone and fifth-bottom although the Whites will definitely drop another place on Monday evening when second-bottom Everton visit third-bottom Leicester City.

The Whites were booed by the away contingent inside Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium ground following an 18th league defeat of a miserable campaign and Ayling admitted United’s fans were well within their right to do so considering the nature of United’s display.

Speaking to post-match media, Ayling admitted: “We came down here and we thought that we have got a chance to win the game and then we play like that. It's just not good enough. There were two sloppy goals in the first half and we don't really give ourselves a chance. The fans travel all the way down here, they spend their money and we give that kind of performance. It's just not good enough. The fans at the end there, they are booing us and they have got every right to because that's good enough."

Ayling, did, though, refute a suggestion that United’s shoulders had slumped upon going 2-0 down.

"No I don't feel like it slumped when the two goals went in,” said the defender. "I think that the two goals did take us a bit out of it but we stayed in the game. In the last few weeks teams have gone on to score a few straight away after that. We managed to stay in it and get it back to 2-1 and then at half time we are confident but the second half was just not good enough. We didn't really show anything to try and get back in the game."