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Leeds United 2-2 Newcastle United: Hosts keep alive survival hopes with Newcastle draw as Junior Firpo sees red

By Phil McNultyChief football writer at Elland Road
Leeds United defender Rasmus Kristensen
Rasmus Kristensen scored a crucial equaliser for Leeds United against Newcastle

Leeds United's Premier League survival hopes received a late lift as they came from behind to earn a battling point against Newcastle United at Elland Road - in a match with three penalties and a red card.

Interim manager Sam Allardyce will be delighted by the spirit shown by Leeds as it looked like they would suffer a damaging defeat despite taking the lead through Luke Ayling's early goal.

In a thunderous atmosphere, the game appeared to have turned when Patrick Bamford's penalty on the half-hour was saved by Newcastle keeper Nick Pope, the disappointment deepening when Callum Wilson restored equality for the visitors from the spot moments later.

Wilson put Newcastle, who are looking to confirm a place in the top four, ahead with another penalty after 69 minutes when the video assistant referee ruled Junior Firpo had handled.

Leeds looked beaten but staged a rally and equalised when Rasmus Kristensen's shot deflected in off Kieran Trippier's head 11 minutes from time.

They had to hold on for the final minutes as Firpo was second off for a second bookable offence as he brought down Anthony Gordon.

There was an incident on the touchline towards the end too, as Newcastle boss Eddie Howe was shoved by a spectator who got into the manager's technical area from the home end before being dragged away by security staff.

Allardyce's team remain in the bottom three a point behind Everton but he may yet come to see this as a valuable result.

Will Leeds regret spot-kick woe?

Patrick Bamford misses a penalty for Leeds United against Newcastle United at Elland Road
There were only three minutes and 23 seconds between Patrick Bamford failing to convert his penalty for Leeds and Callum Wilson successfully converting his first for Newcastle

Leeds United's supporters showed appreciation for their side's efforts as they took loud acclaim at the final whistle following a game that was desperately low on quality but high on tension.

Sam Allardyce has stated his aim to get to the final game of the season at home to Tottenham with a chance of survival and the point earned by Kristensen's leveller keeps them on track for that.

Leeds, however, will surely look back at Bamford's poor first-half penalty as a pivotal moment when they might have put themselves on the way to three points rather eventually happily settling for one.

They were one up and exerting a measure of domination on a Newcastle side who were struggling to settle inside a fevered Elland Road when Joelinton's clumsy tackle on Firpo was rightly penalised.

Bamford, guilty of an awful injury-time miss in the recent home draw against Leicester City, never looked confident and keeper Nick Pope was able to make a comfortable save.

There was a collective groan around Elland Road when Maximilian Wober's equally poor challenge on Alexander Isak gave Callum Wilson the chance to equalise, the striker then leaving Leeds looking at a potentially decisive loss when he added a second from the spot.

With Newcastle seemingly cruising, Leeds showed the character and resilience they will need to survive to equalise - and the reaction at the final whistle suggests that they felt this was one point gained rather than two lost.

Only time will tell, however, just how important than Bamford miss was.

Disappointing Newcastle miss chance

Callum Wilson scores his second penalty of the game for Newcastle United against Leeds United at Elland Road
Callum Wilson has scored 10 goals in the Premier League since the start of April, the most of any player in Europe's top 10 leagues

Newcastle United must have thought they were on course to take full advantage of the reprieve offered up by Bamford's penalty failure when Wilson put them ahead in the second half despite an indifferent team performance.

Howe's side were nowhere near their best and paid for a below-par effort when Kristensen's shot took a big deflection off Trippier to leave keeper Nick Pope flat-footed and give Leeds a point.

It is a result that edged Newcastle close to their target of a top-four finish and Champions League qualification - but this was a flat display.

Leeds looked there for the taking when Newcastle went ahead, and that was reflected in the atmosphere - the sound and fury of the home support in the early stages quietened down, almost in an acceptance of their fate.

Newcastle, though, lacked spark and failed to finish Leeds off, leaving the door open as victory slipped away.

They now have two home games, against Brighton and troubled Leicester City, to try to clinch a place in next season's Champions League.

Player of the match

ForshawAdam Forshaw

with an average of 7.06

Leeds United

  1. Squad number4Player nameForshaw
    Average rating

    7.06

  2. Squad number2Player nameAyling
    Average rating

    6.94

  3. Squad number25Player nameKristensen
    Average rating

    6.87

  4. Squad number19Player nameRodrigo
    Average rating

    6.58

  5. Squad number29Player nameGnonto
    Average rating

    6.49

  6. Squad number5Player nameKoch
    Average rating

    6.30

  7. Squad number11Player nameHarrison
    Average rating

    6.27

  8. Squad number22Player nameRobles
    Average rating

    6.22

  9. Squad number39Player nameWöber
    Average rating

    6.19

  10. Squad number28Player nameMcKennie
    Average rating

    6.19

  11. Squad number21Player nameStruijk
    Average rating

    5.68

  12. Squad number42Player nameGreenwood
    Average rating

    5.66

  13. Squad number7Player nameAaronson
    Average rating

    5.61

  14. Squad number3Player nameFirpo
    Average rating

    4.95

  15. Squad number9Player nameBamford
    Average rating

    4.26

Newcastle United

  1. Squad number22Player namePope
    Average rating

    6.25

  2. Squad number9Player nameWilson
    Average rating

    6.10

  3. Squad number14Player nameIsak
    Average rating

    5.54

  4. Squad number2Player nameTrippier
    Average rating

    5.30

  5. Squad number24Player nameAlmirón
    Average rating

    5.22

  6. Squad number28Player nameWillock
    Average rating

    5.20

  7. Squad number5Player nameSchär
    Average rating

    5.17

  8. Squad number39Player nameBruno Guimarães
    Average rating

    5.07

  9. Squad number4Player nameBotman
    Average rating

    5.07

  10. Squad number7Player nameJoelinton
    Average rating

    5.00

  11. Squad number33Player nameBurn
    Average rating

    4.96

  12. Squad number10Player nameSaint-Maximin
    Average rating

    4.73

  13. Squad number32Player nameAnderson
    Average rating

    4.68

  14. Squad number8Player nameGordon
    Average rating

    4.49

Line-ups

Leeds

Formation 4-3-3

  • 22RoblesBooked at 69mins
  • 2Ayling
  • 25Kristensen
  • 39Wöber
  • 3FirpoBooked at 90mins
  • 28McKennie
  • 5Koch
  • 42GreenwoodSubstituted forForshawat 45'minutes
  • 19RodrigoSubstituted forAaronsonat 87'minutes
  • 9BamfordBooked at 90minsSubstituted forStruijkat 90+2'minutes
  • 11HarrisonSubstituted forGnontoat 64'minutesBooked at 68mins

Substitutes

  • 1Meslier
  • 4Forshaw
  • 7Aaronson
  • 8Roca
  • 10Summerville
  • 21Struijk
  • 24Rutter
  • 29Gnonto
  • 63Gray

Newcastle

Formation 4-3-3

  • 22Pope
  • 2Trippier
  • 5Schär
  • 4Botman
  • 33Burn
  • 7Joelinton
  • 39Bruno GuimarãesBooked at 57mins
  • 28WillockSubstituted forAndersonat 87'minutes
  • 24AlmirónSubstituted forGordonat 73'minutes
  • 9WilsonBooked at 72minsSubstituted forSaint-Maximinat 73'minutes
  • 14Isak

Substitutes

  • 1Dúbravka
  • 3Dummett
  • 8Gordon
  • 10Saint-Maximin
  • 12Lewis
  • 13Targett
  • 19Manquillo
  • 23Murphy
  • 32Anderson
Referee:
Simon Hooper
Attendance:
36,955

Match Stats

Home TeamLeedsAway TeamNewcastle
Possession
Home37%
Away63%
Shots
Home9
Away18
Shots on Target
Home4
Away5
Corners
Home2