When Sam Allardyce managed Newcastle his players eventually tired of hearing near constant instructions to “nullify the opposition” but a mastery of the destructive arts may still breathe new life into Leeds.
Admittedly, the survival hopes of Allardyce’s latest team remain touch and go, yet it speaks volumes that the two goals Callum Wilson scored here for Newcastle came from the penalty spot.
The visitors, chasing a Champions League place, are rarely rationed to so few clear-cut chances and had Patrick Bamford not missed a first-half penalty the outcome might have been different.
Although they played the closing minutes with 10 men after Junior Firpo’s self-destructive collection of a second yellow card, this represented a significantly improved performance on the part of Leeds. Granted, avoiding relegation may well involve them winning their final two games, at West Ham and at home to Tottenham, but, on this evidence, it might not be quite mission impossible.
After the dullest, cloudiest of mornings brilliant sunshine flooded the pitch at kick off. Perhaps it was a sign of brighter days ahead for a Leeds side that assumed a seventh-minute lead when Nick Pope could only parry Rodrigo’s header and Luke Ayling redirected the rebound into the empty net from four yards out.
Bamford deserves considerable credit for creating that goal courtesy of a fine cross delivered after he had shifted his body weight and switched the ball between his feet.
Shortly afterwards he had a chance to score from the penalty spot when Joelinton felled Firpo in the area. Bamford, though, looked distinctly nervous as he prepared to take the kick and placed it at an ideal height for Pope to repel.
The striker spent quite a bit of the remainder of the first half looking utterly lost.
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 offered a masterclass in sending a precise yet powerful penalty low into the bottom-left corner. Despite Joel Robles diving the correct way, the Leeds goalkeeper had no hope of making a save.
With the interval fast approaching Bamford, who by now had recovered sufficient composure to hold the ball up with his customary intelligence, conjured a fine shooting chance for Sam Greenwood. It seemed a potentially pivotal moment but the midfielder proved unequal to it, sending the ball whizzing wastefully wide.
It was just about Greenwood’s final contribution before his replacement by the excellent Adam Forshaw at the interval as Allardyce attempted to disrupt the passing rhythm Newcastle had started establishing.
Although Forshaw’s stabilising presence alongside Robin Koch in central midfield reduced Joelinton’s influence, enabling Leeds to keep the ball for longer, even he could not prevent them falling behind to another Wilson penalty. This one was awarded after VAR intervention persuaded the referee, Simon Hooper, that, under pressure from Isak, Firpo had handled a cross.
As Allardyce attempted to argue that Firpo – arguably fortunate not to concede a second yellow card at this point – had lost his balance after being pushed, Wilson kept his cool, 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 17th of the season.
When Allan Saint-Maximin, newly arrived on the scene as a substitute, subsequently had a goal disallowed for offside, Leeds briefly looked in danger of falling apart but Bamford had a shot blocked by Kieran Trippier and, courtesy of a significant deflection off the England right-back, Rasmus Kristensen half-volleyed the ball past Pope.
The drama was still far from done. First, 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 Howe and shoved the shocked Newcastle manager in the chest before two muscular security men leapt into action and frogmarched the offender towards police officers.
Small wonder that Allardyce joked he “needed two Valium” at the final whistle.
