Callum Wilson wheeled away and made a beeline for the away end at Elland Road. The Newcastle United number nine had just converted his second penalty to put the visitors 2-1 up against Leeds United. There were still 20 minutes to go, but it looked like a priceless three points were coming back to Tyneside.
Your mind could not help but be transported back to this very stadium 476 days earlier when Jonjo Shelvey darted off to celebrate in front of the same corner after scoring at a similar stage in the corresponding fixture last season. That goal proved a turning point in Newcastle's campaign and Wilson's latest spot-kick certainly felt significant after the visitors came from behind to lead.
The away end even jokingly warned they would not be home for tea because they were going to Italy. However, as supporters dreamed of Champions League nights, Newcastle, uncharacteristically, let the lead slip following Rasmus Kristensen's late equaliser.
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Yet that did not prove the only bolt out of the blue after a furious Leeds fan confronted Howe on the touchline late on. The pitch invader was somehow able to leap over the advertising boards in stoppage time to shove Howe and dish out an insult so foul the Magpies head coach 'can't repeat' it. If it were not for the quick reactions of first-team coach Simon Weatherstone and head of performance Dan Hodges, who both stepped in, the unsavoury incident could have been even worse.
"I'm glad someone was there," Howe quipped. "Because I wouldn't have fancied my chances to be honest."
While Howe uttered those words with a smile, there was a sobering undertone on a day the father-of-three admitted 'no one should have to feel their own personal safety is violated'. Leeds may have promptly issued a lifetime ban, but how can a spectator end up in a Premier League technical area in the first place? This should not happen at any ground full stop.
The flashpoint overshadowed a pulsating game that was certainly played with plenty of blood and thunder with three penalties, a red card and a whopping 30 fouls to boot. It had the feel of a northern derby and that was before you even considered what was at stake for both sides. Newcastle could have taken a huge step towards qualifying for the Champions League with a win while Leeds desperately needed a result in their bid to beat the drop.
Although Sam Allardyce tried to take the pressure off his players last week, after dominating the headlines following claims he was as good as Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp, this time, the interim Leeds boss told his squad 'they can't afford to lose'. Howe, in contrast, wanted the air to feel 'lighter not heavier' around the training ground but the Newcastle boss and his staff 'knew what was coming'. Allardyce may have only been in charge of Leeds for a week-and-a-half, but the former Newcastle boss' presence in the dugout for his first home game added a new dimension to this game and Howe warned 'we need to be ready'.
However, Newcastle did not look ready when Leeds launched their first attack in the seventh minute. Patrick Bamford's cross was not blocked and Rodrigo was able to ghost in between Dan Burn and Sven Botman to get his head on the end of it. Although Nick Pope managed to make the save, the Newcastle number one parried the ball into the path of the unmarked Luke Ayling, who made no mistake from close range.
Elland Road was rocking. There was still so much time left, but Newcastle looked a little shell-shocked as the noise levels inside the stadium rocketed.
Leeds smelled blood and the visitors were awarded a penalty kick in the 27th minute after Joelinton scythed Junior Firpo down inside the box. It was the easiest decision referee Simon Hooper had to make all game. Up stepped Patrick Bamford, but the Leeds number nine was denied by Pope, who guessed right to keep his side in it.
It was a huge moment, a momentum swinger, and Newcastle quickly awakened from their slumber. Howe switched to a 4-2-3-1 to enable Isak to play just off Wilson and the move soon paid dividends after the elusive Sweden international was hauled down by Max Wober inside the box. Wilson was the coolest man in the stadium as Newcastle's top scorer placed the ball down and picked out the bottom left-hand corner.
Newcastle were level at the break but, to win this game, the Magpies had to offer so much more in the second half. Leeds literally gave Newcastle a helping hand in the 69th minute after Junior Firpo inexplicably threw his hand up in the air and handled Joe Willock's cross. Wilson took responsibility once again and, following a lengthy wait, the striker put his second penalty straight down the middle to make it 2-1.
Newcastle looked on course for a priceless win, but there was a sting in the tail in the 79th minute. Newcastle failed to deal with a short corner and the ball eventually fell to the unmarked Rasmus Kristensen just inside the area. The defender's strike took a wicked deflection off Trippier into the net.
Howe had his hands on his head on the touchline and, although Firpo was sent off late on, there was to be no grandstand finish. Time will tell if it proves a valuable point or two dropped, but it is still in Newcastle's hands with three games to go. The Magpies would certainly have taken that.
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