Leeds United showed a mastery of the defensive arts as they dug out a draw against Newcastle United in a match that saw Callum Wilson score twice from the penalty spot. Despite playing with ten men in the closing minutes after Junior Firpo received a second yellow card, Leeds’ significantly improved performance denied Newcastle a victory. The visitors are chasing a Champions League place, but Leeds were not rationed to as few clear-cut chances as they usually are.
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The match started with a Leeds side that assumed a seventh-minute lead when Nick Pope parried Rodrigo’s header, and Luke Ayling redirected the rebound into the empty net. Patrick Bamford deserves credit for creating the goal with a fine cross delivered after he had shifted his body weight and switched the ball between his feet. Shortly afterward, Bamford had a chance to score from the penalty spot after Joelinton felled Firpo in the area. However, Bamford looked distinctly nervous as he placed the ball at an ideal height for Pope to repel.
Three minutes after Pope’s save, Newcastle were awarded a penalty of their own after Max Wöber’s clumsy challenge sent Alexander Isak tumbling. Wilson stepped forward and sent a precise yet powerful penalty low into the bottom-left corner, leaving Joel Robles with no hope of making a save.
With the interval fast approaching, Bamford conjured a fine shooting chance for Sam Greenwood, but the midfielder proved unequal to it, sending the ball wastefully wide. Greenwood was then replaced by the excellent Adam Forshaw at the interval as Newcastle tried to disrupt Leeds’ passing rhythm.
Although Forshaw’s presence alongside Robin Koch in central midfield reduced Joelinton’s influence, even he could not prevent Leeds from falling behind to another Wilson penalty. This one was awarded after VAR intervention persuaded the referee, Simon Hooper, that Firpo had handled a cross under pressure from Isak.
As Allardyce attempted to argue that Firpo had lost his balance after being pushed, Wilson tricked Robles into committing himself and directed his penalty straight down the middle. It was the England striker’s seventh goal in five games and his 17th of the season.
Leeds looked in danger of falling apart when Allan Saint-Maximin had a goal disallowed for offside, but Bamford had a shot blocked by Kieran Trippier, and Rasmus Kristensen half-volleyed the ball past Pope courtesy of a significant deflection off the England right-back.
The drama was still far from done. Firpo, already on a booking, collected another and trudged off after fouling Anthony Gordon just outside the area. Then, a fan arrived in the visiting technical area, marched up to Steve Bruce and shoved the shocked Newcastle manager in the chest before two muscular security men leapt into action and frogmarched the offender towards police officers.
Although Leeds played the closing minutes with 10 men, this result represented a significantly improved performance on their part. Admittedly, their survival hopes remain touch and go, but if they can win their final two games, at West Ham and at home to Tottenham, they may yet avoid relegation.