Sam Allardyce's first home game in charge of Leeds United ended in a fiery 2-2 draw with Newcastle United in Saturday's early Premier League kickoff at Elland Road.
In a tale of three penalties, Leeds drew first blood early doors through Luke Ayling, but a pair of Callum Wilson spot kicks turned the match on its head after Patrick Bamford had fluffed his lines from 12 yards.
However, a late Rasmus Kristensen effort salvaged a potentially priceless point for Leeds, who also survived a late red card to Junior Firpo to give their survival hopes a slight boost while denting the Magpies' top-four chances.
Seeking revenge on the outfit who swiftly gave him the boot 15 years ago, Allardyce witnessed his Leeds crop take the game to Newcastle from the first whistle, and the home crowd were sent into delirium with just seven minutes gone.
Bamford floated a cross into the box from the left-hand side for Rodrigo, whose header was parried by Nick Pope, but Ayling reacted quickest and pounced unchallenged to steer the rebound into the top corner from close range.
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The Magpies were noticeably struggling for any sort of rhythm in front of a raucous Elland Road atmosphere, and the hosts' dream start looked set to continue when Joelinton felled Firpo in the box, and Simon Hooper did not hesitate to point to the spot in the 26th minute.
Seeking to atone for his penalty miss against Arsenal in October, Bamford stepped up to the 12-yard mark, but Pope guessed correctly and comfortably saved his compatriot's side-footed effort before clawing the ball away as the Leeds striker tried to make amends on the rebound.
Quickly going from hero to zero after playing a key part in Leeds' opener, Bamford's miss would be swiftly punished, as Newcastle went up the other end and were rewarded their own penalty just three minutes later when Maximilian Wober scythed down Alexander Isak.
Offering his fellow forward a lesson or two in penalty-taking, Wilson picked out the bottom corner with aplomb to level the scores in the 31st minute; Joel Robles dived the right way, but Wilson's effort was perfectly-placed.
A combative and end-to-end start to the second half saw Rodrigo hack away Fabian Schar's goal-bound header off the line in the 55th minute, while Weston McKennie ballooned a half-volley over the bar eight minutes later, and there was no telling which way the end result could have gone.
However, a moment of madness from Firpo - who had only just escaped a red card for a high challenge on Bruno Guimaraes - led to the third penalty of the day, as a ball swung in from the left brushed the outstretched fingertips of the defender.
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Despite a hint of a foul from Isak, the penalty was awarded by Hooper after a VAR review, and Wilson blocked out Robles's mind games to crash home his second spot kick of the day into the roof of the net in the 69th minute.
That perceived sense of injustice only galvanised Allardyce's men, though, and it took the hosts just nine minutes to draw level through Kristensen, whose half-volley from the edge of the box deflected off Kieran Trippier and wrong-footed Pope after Newcastle had failed to deal with a corner.
Allardyce's side looked the more likely to score the game's third goal in the dying embers, but their cause was not helped by an eventual second yellow card for Firpo, who bundled over Anthony Gordon just outside the area on the 90-minute mark and was given his marching orders - Leeds comfortably dealt with Trippier's poor free kick, though.
Robles was forced into two injury-time stops from Allan Saint-Maximin and Fabian Schar and Leeds lifted themselves up above Leicester City into 18th place - one point adrift of safety - while Newcastle are three points clear of Manchester United in third having played a game more.
Leeds' penultimate game of the season sees them travel to West Ham United next Sunday, while Newcastle host Brighton & Hove Albion at St James' Park on Thursday.
Ben Knapton
