Green showing his true colours
CONTROVERSIAL FINISHES AFFECTED RACE TO GO UP
NEWCASTLE players were aware of both the Huddersfield and Brighton and Hove Albion scores before the Leeds game and knew they needed to respond.
After dominating large spells of the game, the home side appeared to have secured the victory courtesy of Jamaal Lascelles’ 67th-minute header.
Yet this game had a contentious climax too - and it was the Magpies who were left frustrated during additional time.
Rafa Benitez was already incensed on the touchline as soon as the fourth official held up his board to show five minutes of additional time and the Spaniard openly questioned the Leeds United goalkeeper Rob Green makes a diving save to thwart Newcastle United’s Ayoze Perez Chris Wood scores Leeds’ injury-time equaliser past Newcastle’s Karl Darlow
decision then. He bemoaned it repeatedly during his post-match interviews. RAFA Benitez says the fact Rob Green was man of the match for Leeds shows how much his team dominated the 1-1 draw at St James’ Park.
Newcastle produced 22 attempts at goal compared to just four from Garry Monk’s team but after grabbing the lead through Jamaal Lascelles the Magpies crumbled in stoppage time.
When asked about the defending for Chris Wood’s equaliser, Benitez said: “We did not do well, that is obvious.”
However, he then reflected on his side’s domination throughout the encounter.
He added: “We created enough chances to win the game.
“I don’t understand a lot of things from the last few games but we have to be proud of the effort,” Benitez explained, implying a succession of refereeing decisions have cost the Magpies dear over recent weeks.
As for how Leeds’ equaliser unfolded, even despite the additional time, Newcastle can only have themselves to blame after switching off defensively and allowing the division’s top scorer to ghost into the box untracked.
Kemar Roofe attacked down the left and Mo Diame was not quick enough to the Leeds man, who was allowed to turn and whip a dangerous cross into the Magpies’ box.
Chris Wood, completely unmarked,
“The goalkeeper, I am sure you will say, was man of the match.
“That has been something we have seen a lot of times here and it is part of football.
“With all the effort and the good play we showed today it is a pity we took just the one point.”
Benitez insisted he was not downhearted by the situation in the Championship.
United are now trailing Brighton by four points but Benitez said: “No, no, no, I am not down, I am just so upset because there are so many games where I have seen things which I don’t understand.
“If we play in the same way we did today at Ipswich we can win any game.
“We have to keep this intensity, this good play and hopefully things will be different.” jogged into the area and applied a magnificent side-footed finish into the top corner past a helpless Karl Darlow.
Between Lascelles, Chancel Mbemba and the rest of the Newcastle side, none of them had picked up a player who now has 25 goals this season and was Leeds’ only real threat.
The additional time itself may have been contentious but it was the Magpies’ defending which was questionable - and, unlike at the John Smith’s Stadium, frustration rather than elation was the overriding emotion on Tyneside come the full-time whistle.