Eddie Howe will have been disappointed with the result his Newcastle team took away from Elland Road on Saturday, with a 2-2 draw with Leeds putting a dent in their hopes of Champions League football next season.
It was a chaotic game, with penalties at both ends, a dramatic comeback from Leeds, and a late red card all contributing to an entertaining occasion at Elland Road.
The game was marred by an incident late in the game, however, which saw Howe confronted by a hostile pitch invader, who managed to make his way into the Newcastle technical area.
Speaking to the media at full-time, Howe seemed shaken by the incident, and said it raised questions about safety on the touchline.
Pitch invader confronts Eddie Howe on sideline in concerning incident
Newcastle ultimately had to settle for a point from their trip to Leeds on Saturday.
Leeds could have been 2-0 up early on, after Luke Ayling's opener was followed by a penalty miss from Patrick Bamford. Moments later, Callum Wilson would convert a spot-kick at the other end, and a second for Wilson after half-time seemed to have Newcastle en route to a crucial victory in their quest for Champions League football.
Leeds are involved in a fight of their own at the other end of the table, and their survival hopes were given a shot in the arm by Rasmus Kristensen's equaliser ten minutes from the end. Junior Firpo's red card in injury time threatened to derail Leeds' hopes, but they held on for what could prove to be a crucial point.
It was a hugely entertaining game, but there were unsavoury scenes on the touchline when an intruder came face to face with Newcastle manager Eddie Howe.
The pitch invader somehow managed to find his way into the Newcastle technical area, and initial camera angles seemed to suggest he had pushed Howe before being escorted away by matchday security - continuing to shout at the TV cameras as he was hauled away.
Pitch invader went into the technical area and gave Eddie Howe a push pic.twitter.com/SY9Qcq3lCh
— jaan (@jaandutch50) May 13, 2023
Howe addressed the incident speaking to the media after the game, and seemed a bit shaken by the unexpected confrontation.
The Newcastle boss was quoted at full-time by Sky Sports among others, as he questioned why his personal safety had been threatened by an unwelcome intruder:
I can't repeat what he said but it makes you think 'what if.' It was personal to me. We need to be mindful of security. Nobody should have to feel their personal safety is violated when trying to entertain the country. I didn't have time to be fearful, it was over in a flash. But it made me think about things after.
It is certainly a worrying incident, and the Elland Road staff will surely conduct an investigation to ascertain how the fan was able to get so close to Eddie Howe.
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