Harvey Barnes seals dramatic late victory for Newcastle against Leeds
Harvey Barnes delivered an astonishing last-gasp winner deep into stoppage time to hand Newcastle United a thrilling 4-3 triumph over Leeds United at St James’ Park, reports BritPanorama.
The forward found the net in the 102nd minute, firing through a packed penalty area to spark wild celebrations across Tyneside. It looked certain the sides would settle for a draw after Bruno Guimaraes converted from the spot to level things at 3-3 in the dying moments of regular time.
But Barnes had other ideas, producing one final dramatic twist in a breathless encounter that brought Leeds’ unbeaten streak to a stunning end. The evening carried deep emotional significance beyond the scoreline, with Newcastle supporters repeatedly chanting the name of club icon Kevin Keegan throughout the match.
Keegan, diagnosed with cancer, remains one of the most influential figures in the club’s history, leaving his mark both as a player and as manager during a time when Newcastle’s entertaining style led them to challenge for the Premier League title in 1996.
It felt rather appropriate that this rollercoaster of a game delivered exactly the kind of thrilling, goal-laden spectacle that defined those beloved teams of the past. Leeds broke through first when Malick Thiaw slipped under pressure from Dominic Calvert-Lewin, allowing Brenden Aaronson to slot home from outside the box in the 32nd minute.
Newcastle responded swiftly as Barnes equalised with a neat side-footed effort after Nick Woltemade’s clever layoff. The visitors regained their advantage before half-time when Thiaw handled in the area, and Calvert-Lewin sent Nick Pope the wrong way from the penalty spot for his ninth goal of the campaign.
Joelinton nodded the Magpies level after the break following a brilliant outside-of-the-boot assist from Guimaraes. Aaronson restored Leeds’ lead in the 79th minute after Ilia Gruev capitalised on Yoane Wissa’s loose pass, but the drama did not end there.
Barnes admitted afterwards that the winning moment was something of a blur. “I don’t really remember it. Swivel, hit and then hope. And then celebrate. It’s all a bit of a blur, it’s just instinct,” he told Sky Sports. “There are so many bodies in the box anything can happen.”
The forward described the evening as “weird, very up and down” and acknowledged Newcastle weren’t at their sharpest, but insisted that the result was all that mattered. “Everyone knows what the atmosphere is like up here but when a last-minute winner goes in like that it is special,” he added.
The victory lifts Newcastle to sixth, while Leeds sit in 16th, underscoring the chaotic nature of the Premier League and how quickly fortunes can change for clubs in the mid-table scramble.
