Newcastle United overcome triple injury blow to record hard-fought win over Leeds United

A goal from Jonjo Shelvey gave Eddie Howe’s side a hard-fought 1-0 away win over Leeds United.

And the victory lifted the club up to 18th place in the Premier League table ahead of a training camp in Saudi Arabia.

Newcastle, however, lost Joelinton, Paul Dummett and Jamaal Lascelles to injuries at Elland Road, and the trio will now be assessed ahead of the club’s flight to the Middle East.

Howe had made one just change to his starting XI, replacing Sean Longstaff with Joe Willock in midfield.

Newcastle’s players took to the field knowing that they were fast running out of chances to get themselves out of trouble.

They had seen Norwich City climb out of the relegation zone last night following a 3-0 win over struggling Watford at Vicarage Road, a team which Howe’s side hadn’t been able to beat at St James’s Park last weekend.

Newcastle, backed by 2,690 noisy travelling fans, were energetic and enthusiastic, with and without the ball, in the opening stages, and Joelinton shot over after a good break forward involving Willock and Allan Saint-Maximin.

The team had Martin Dubravka to thank at the other end of the pitch after he denied Dan James with Lascelles caught up field. Fabian Schar needed treatment after sliding in in an attempt to block the shot.

Leeds were all over Newcastle for a spell, but they couldn’t capitalise on their early dominance.

Shelvey, maybe fortunate to keep his place following his performance against Watford, forced a good save from Illan Meslier with a volley from a corner as the half-hour mark approached.

Howe was forced into an enforced change four minutes before the break after Joelinton, for the second time in the game, needed treatment. Joelinton was replaced by Longstaff.

Leeds pushed for an opener after the restart, but Newcastle saw off their first few attacks, and the visitors started to find pockets of space deep inside their half.Howe was forced into another chance at the hour-mark after Dummett, back from a long-term calf problem, went down injured. Howe sent on Javier Manquillo, and a third change wasn’t long in coming.

Lascelles, unable to continue because of an injury suffered in a challenge, was replaced by Ciaran Clark in the 69th minute.

Still, Newcastle had their moments, and Chris Wood – who had a spell at Leeds earlier in his career – and Longstaff had chances in the wake of Lascelles’s withdrawal.

Their breakthrough, however, soon came. Newcastle won a free-kick just outside the box, and Shelvey curled a low free-kick around the home wall which bounced awkwardly for Illan Meslier, who misjudged the ball.

A week earlier, they hadn’t known what to do with the lead against Watford, but this time they pressed for a second goal, and Saint-Maximin had a penalty appeal waved away.

Willock also forced a late save from Meslier after another Saint-Maximin run into the box.

And

NEWCASTLE UNITED: Dubravka, Trippier, Lascelles (Clark, 69), Schar, Dummett (Manquillo, 63), Shelvey, Willock, Joelinton (S Longstaff, 41), Fraser, Saint-Maximin, Wood. Subs not used: Darlow, Lewis, Hendrick, Murphy, Almiron, Gayle.

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