Leeds weather deluge and Magpies storm to claim valuable point

While Newcastle can reflect on the seismic progress made on and off the pitch over the past 12 months, they end the year with two points dropped

RAIN AND RAGE: Tempers flare between players during the Premier League match at St. James' Park, Newcastle upon Tyne. Pic: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire.

Newcastle 0 Leeds 0 

IT wasn't quite the way they'd envisaged bringing the curtain down on a momentous 2022 but Newcastle United can nevertheless reflect on the seismic progress made on and off the pitch over the past 12 months.

This time last year, a draw with Manchester United saw them earn an 11th point of the campaign to leave them second-bottom with a single victory from 19 games and sandwiched between Burnley and Norwich, two clubs now plying their trade in the Championship.

Fast-forward to the cusp of 2023 and backed by the considerable financial muscle of their new Saudi owners, the couldn't-care-less reign of Mike Ashley a fading memory, Newcastle sit an impressive third in the table.

Their obvious pride at such an upturn in fortunes under the stewardship of Eddie Howe was tinged with disappointment in the immediate aftermath of a six-match Premier League winning run being brought to a halt by a resolute Leeds side who somehow despite a near incessant second-half onslaught held out for a precious point to boost their survival hopes at the other end of the table.

In truth, Jesse Marsch's men should have been buried under a deluge of goals to match the filthy weather conditions on Tyneside, but Newcastle just couldn't find the goal which would in all probability have heralded another four or five.

While parity remained, Leeds had something tangible to fight for - and scrap and battle is exactly what they did. They rode their luck as Sean Longstaff twice fired wastefully over from goal-scoring positions, before Illan Meslier saved brilliantly at his near post from Fabian Schar.

The overworked Leeds keeper was also out swiftly to block from Chris Wood at the culmination of one of several set-pieces from which Newcastle threatened but ultimately failed to break the deadlock against a Leeds side who've won just twice in the last 13 games, but for who this result probably felt more like a victory.

Newcastle's frustration at their inability to break down their opponents reached such a point that Schar was fortunate to escape a booking for arguably the most woeful dive of the season in the defender's comical attempts to con the referee into awarding a first-half penalty following the merest coming together with Leeds midfielder Tyler Adams.

Amidst the frustration, they at least have the consolation of a place in the thick of the race for a Champions League spot on the back of a 14th game unbeaten and a fifth consecutive clean sheet. It's approaching three months since they last conceded a goal at St James' Park and aside from a save early in the second-half to deny Brenden Aaronson, Nick Pope was a spectator.

As the immediate disappointment of this result inevitably fades, Newcastle will do well to take a point, move on and remember how far they have come in such a short space of time.

Newcastle (4-3-3): Pope 8; Trippier 6, Botman 7, Schar 7, Burn 7; Guimaraes 6, Willock 5 (Saint-Maximin 64, 4), Longstaff 4; Almiron 5 (Murphy 84, 4), Wood 3 (Wilson 64, 4), Joelinton 6. 

Leeds (4-2-3-1): Meslier 8; Ayling 7 (Kristensen 70, 7), Koch 7, Cooper 7, Struijk 7; Forshaw 6 (Roca 46, 6), Adams 7; Aaronson 7, Harrison 5 (Klich 64, 6), Gnonto 7 (Summerville 70, 6); Rodrigo 6 (Gelhardt 82, 6). 

Referee: Simon Hooper (Wiltshire)