Newcastle 4-3 Leeds: Harvey Barnes wins seven-goal thriller for the Toon TWELVE minutes into stoppage time as swashbuckling Magpies come from behind to honour King Kev after his heartbreaking cancer diagnosis

As Tyneside stood shoulder-to-shoulder with one of their own, Eddie Howe dedicated a barely credible outcome to Kevin Keegan after St James’ Park bore witness to the kind of breathless contest patented by Special K. It just had to end 4-3, didn’t it?

The Geordie icon, whose cancer diagnosis was made public shortly before kick-off, would no doubt heartily approve of the swash-buckling manner in which both sides went toe-to-toe at his spiritual home as the footballing world begins to come terms with the devastating news.

Howe’s side provided the perfect tonic, dragging themselves off the canvas on three occasions before taking the lead for the first time with the latest winning goal in Premier League history as the clock hit 102 minutes.

‘The news before the game shook us all up,’ Howe said after a third consecutive win, his side’s best run in the league for nine months, propelled them to sixth – and equally as importantly in these parts, above Sunderland.

It could have finished 6-6, but this scoreline felt far more apt given the circumstances. The Newcastle manager added: ‘Kevin is such an inspirational figure. He was one of the first people I spoke to after I took the job here and I’ve been lucky enough to meet him a couple of times. He’s so kind, gracious and giving. He’s a truly iconic person and we want to send him all our love. 

‘The team he created here was incredibly special with the entertainment it gave everybody and I certainly was inspired by it. 

‘We’re always trying to be that team, trying to get supporters on the edge of their seats and tonight it was us at our thrilling best.

‘I’ve got no problem admitting my emotions went sky high with that sweet taste of victory so late in the game.’

The only downside was the loss of defender Fabian Schar to a serious ankle injury late in the contest. 

Howe added: ‘It doesn’t look good and he’s in hospital. Fab always puts his body on the line and I hope it’s not as serious as it looks.’

The club and its fans displayed a message of support for King Kev, before winning in style

Star man Bruno Guimaraes (right) levelled the score in the 91st minute from the penalty spot

It was a heartbreaking finish for travelling Leeds, who took the lead three times in the game

Brenden Aaronson twice put the visitors ahead with unflustered finishes late in each half, Dominic Calvert-Lewin doing similar in first-half stoppage-time from the penalty spot after a harsh handball ruling on Malick Thiaw, who was also booked and at fault for the opening goal in a 45 minutes to forget before the hapless German defender was withdrawn.

Harvey Barnes fired Newcastle level for the first time before the break.

Joelinton did likewise early in the second-half with a fine diving header from a cross with the outside of his right boot by Bruno Guimaraes, who converted his side’s 21 consecutive penalty at St James’s Park for a third equaliser in stoppage-time after another harsh handball decision, this time on the ubiquitous Aaronson.

Barnes came up with a succinct description of his late, late winner, one which Leeds keeper Lucas Perri should have saved low to his right.

‘Swivel, hit, hope,’ the winger said after adding to his calm first-half strike against a side he has scored against nine times in as many games.

A first defeat in eight games was harsh in the extreme on Leeds, who missed an opportunity to increase the eight-point gap on the bottom three. 

Boss Daniel Farke admitted: ‘It’s heart-breaking but I’m more than proud of the way my lads performed against a team with Champions League quality.

‘It was a bit like a basketball game in the end and there are many, many positives but there are no words I can come up with to help the way the players are feeling right now.’