For long stretches, there was little to separate the sides and the score stayed level at 0-0. The match took a grim turn in the 74th minute when Stach went down in obvious pain and was carried off on a stretcher, with his foot covered in blood. He had been a key figure in midfield before Piroe came on, and the Elland Road crowd applauded him as he left the pitch.
Leeds still found chances hard to come by, and their attacking output remained limited deep into the afternoon. Then came the breakthrough in added time. Calvert-Lewin made the decisive contribution with Leeds' first shot on target, punishing Verbruggen after the Brighton goalkeeper came out too early. It was a sharp finish and enough to settle the match.
The result handed Leeds three points in their final home outing of the campaign, even if the immediate summary was shaped as much by Stach's injury as by the late goal. The score, highlights and key moments all came at the end, after a long stalemate that looked destined to finish without a breakthrough.