Kieron Dyer helped to blast Newcastle back to the top of the Barclaycard
Premiership table in front of England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson in a thrilling
win over Leeds.
Dyer latched on to a brilliant lay-off by Craig Bellamy to beat Nigel Martyn
on the hour.
Bellamy himself then sealed the win three minutes from time to knock David
O'Leary's side from the summit.
Alan Smith had given the visitors the lead with just 28 seconds gone, but a
Michael Duberry own goal dragged the Magpies back into it two minutes before the
break.
Bellamy passed up a glorious opportunity to give his side the lead two minutes
into the second half - but Dyer's goal gave the Geordies a lead they rarely
looked relinquishing, especially after Danny Mills was sent off for a wild swing
at the Welshman.
The home side were indebted to goalkeeper Shay Given for a fine 73rd-minute
double save from the excellent Mark Viduka and Smith for their first win in
three Premiership outings, in front of 52,130 spectators.
Already robbed of the services of Rio Ferdinand, Harry Kewell and Olivier
Dacourt among others by injury, O'Leary was dealt a further blow when £11million
signing Robbie Fowler was given permission to return home overnight following
the death of his father-in-law.
Smith was asked to partner Viduka in attack - while Duberry came in for
Ferdinand, Dominic Matteo returned from hamstring injury in place of Ian Harte
and Seth Johnson took Fowler's place in the starting line-up.
Mapgies boss Bobby Robson, Premiership manager of the month for December, was
able to recall French midfielder Laurent Robert for compatriot Olivier Bernard
after he shook off a hip injury - and Andy O'Brien returned at the back in place
of Sylvain Distin.
Having seen Newcastle come out on top in a seven-goal thriller at Elland Road
on December 22, both managers were expecting another exciting encounter - and
they were not to be disappointed.
It took the visitors just 28 seconds to force their way in front, Viduka
catching the United defence square to head on a bouncing ball into the path of
Smith who slid his shot expertly underneath Given's despairing dive.
But the Magpies were not about to take a back seat as they went in search of a
second successive double over the Yorkshiremen, who - despite looking intensely
dangerous on the break through Viduka and Smith - found themselves under immense
pressure at the back.
But for the resilience of Jonathan Woodgate and Duberry in particular at the
back and the ever industrious David Batty in the middle of the field, Leeds
could have surrendered their lead long before the Tynesiders finally restored
parity.
Newcastle poured forward in numbers as Nolberto Solano, Robert and Dyer got
the bit between their teeth but could not find the telling cross to pick out
Alan Shearer or Bellamy.
The visitors' task increased in difficulty within the space of three
first-half minutes when first Duberry and then Woodgate were booked to leave
each walking a tightrope.
Referee Graham Barber was winning few friends with a slightly fussy display
and on 36 minutes he cautioned Bellamy for diving as he went down under
Duberry's challenge and appealed for a penalty.
But just as it looked as though all the home side's endeavour would count for
nothing, they were handed a route back into the game by the unfortunate
Duberry.
Bellamy drove in from the right before sending in a cross which brushed
Solano's head but thundered off the defender past the helpless Martyn and into
the net.
The Tynesiders should have been in front within two minutes of the restart
when Robbie Elliott caught out the Leeds defence with a ball over the top to put
Bellamy in - but he hit his shot straight at Martyn and could not collect the
rebound.
That set the pattern for much of the remainder of the game as Robson's men
imposed a stranglehold, and they edged their way in front with an hour gone.
Solano's cross from the right was superbly chested on by Bellamy to Dyer, who
kept his cool before slotting the ball past Martyn to make it 2-1.
Newcastle laid siege to the Leeds goal as they attempted to kill the game off,
Robert testing Martyn with a long-range effort on 65 minutes and Solano curling
a free-kick inches wide four minutes later.
The frustration got to Mills with 20 minutes remaining when he stupidly kicked
out at Bellamy after being forced to concede a corner. He was summarily
dismissed.
Leeds refused to throw in the towel, and Given needed to be at his best to
deny Viduka and then Smith in a tense finish.
But Bellamy finally collected the goal his performance so richly deserved as
he ran on to Dyer's pass and found the bottom corner.
Teams
Newcastle: Given, Hughes, Dabizas, O'Brien (Distin 86),
Elliott, Solano, Dyer, Speed, Robert, Shearer, Bellamy.
Subs Not Used: Acuna, Harper, Lua-Lua, Bernard.
Booked: Bellamy, Robert, Dabizas.
Goals: Duberry 44 og, Dyer 60, Bellamy 87.
Leeds: Martyn, Mills, Woodgate, Duberry, Matteo, Kelly,
Johnson (Wilcox 66), Batty, Bowyer, Smith, Viduka.
Subs Not Used: Harte, Robinson, McPhail, Richardson.
Sent Off: Mills (70).
Booked: Duberry, Woodgate, Batty, Viduka, Wilcox, Smith.
Goals: Smith 1.
Att: 52,130
Ref: G Barber (Tring).
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