Leeds dig out draw to deny Newcastle after Callum Wilson’s penalty double

Sam Allardyce’s first home game in charge of Leeds ended with his side down to 10 men following Junior Firpo’s late sending off but still in with an, albeit slender, chance of Premier League survival.

When, back in 2007-08, Allardyce managed Newcastle he was very big on nullifying the opposition and his latest team did a very decent job of strictly rationing visiting chances. It speaks volumes that the two goals scored by Eddie Howe’s frequently frustrated Champions League chasing team came from the penalty spot.

After the dullest, cloudiest, of West Yorkshire 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 re-directed the rebound into the empty net from four yard radius.

Patrick 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 in a throughly defence confounding fashion.

Shortly afterwards Bamford had a chance to score a goal of his own from the penalty spot following Joelinton’s unnecessary, and thoroughly self destructive, felling of Firpo in the area. Bamford though looked distinctly nervous as he prepared to take a kick and, having apparently failed to get a proper purchase on the ball, placed it at the ideal height for Pope to repel.

Allardyce promptly spat out his chewing gum in disgust and Bamford spent much of the remainder of the first half looking utterly lost.

It cannot have helped his state of mind that, three minutes after Pope’s save, Newcastle were awarded a penalty of their own after Max Wöber’s clumsy, ludicrously