A game that began with Newcastle fans voicing their support for club legend Kevin Keegan following news of his cancer diagnosis ended in a victory reminiscent of KK's Entertainers-era side. 

The Magpies celebrated their third successive Premier League victory at full time, but only actually held the advantage for a matter of seconds in a game that spanned 112 minutes. They were the moments that matter though: we all love leads, as the song goes....

The Whites arrived unbeaten in seven league outings and beaten on just one of their last five visits to Gallowgate. And that run looked like continuing as a busy Leeds side settled into a better passing rhythm in contrast to the hosts, who provided little threat with Nick Woltemade up top.

Malick Thiaw's error in losing possession to Dominic Calvert-Lewin outside his own penalty area was promptly punished when Brenden Aaranson clinically beat Nick Pope, but that lead lasted barely five minutes before Woltemade's touch in the box set up Harvey Barnes to fire home the equaliser.

Thiaw was again then the unwanted centre of attention in first half added time, harshly ruled to have handled in the box although replays showed the he was shoved. Calvert-Lewin continued his scoring run here to put Daniel Farke's side deservedly ahead once again - just reward for their enterprise. 

Again though, that lead was to be short-lived. Almost from the restart Joelinton was cautioned for a thinly-veiled dive in the Leeds box in pursuit of a penalty and restrained by several colleagues, but channelled his anger more productively after the break.

A fitting night for the current owner of the number 7 shirt to score saw Joelinton glance home an excellent header from a Bruno Guimaraes centre - the chance created after Lewis Miley athletically retrieved an over-hit pass from his captain out by the right corner flag.

That began a period of home pressure that saw Lewis Hall narrowly fail to connect when Barnes pinged a low cross in from the right and an almighty scramble in the six yard box following a corner before referee Michael Salisbury whistled for some obscure infringement.

The ding-dong nature of an increasingly engrossing contest also saw Leeds rattle the goal frame, Pope marooned as James Justin met a left wing cross but couldn't direct a header under the bar.  

Newcastle's momentum would be crucially altered by an ankle injury to Fabian Schar that saw him stretchered off and left Botman partnered by Miley - who had begun the evening at full back once again before moving into midfield.

That re-jigged back line was almost immediately pierced however, as Aaronson made his way into the box from the Leeds right and rolled a low effort inside Pope's far post.

A home crowd harbouring an increasing sense of injustice against the officials were celebrating in the final seconds of normal time, as the referee adjudged that Aaranson had blocked Lewis Hall's right wing cross illegally with his hand - a verdict that felt like levelling up to us....

With previous penalty takers Gordon, Woltemade and Schar all off the field, the captain stepped up and converted via a stuttering run-up with unpleasant echoes of his shootout effort at the same end against Crystal Palace that ended up in L7. Not tonight though, this was hard and true.

The comeback was then improbably completed in the 12th minute of added time as Bruno's ball into the box was knocked down by Botman into the path of Barnes.  He turning brilliantly before finding the bottom corner of the Leazes End net for the latest goal ever scored during a Premier League game.

Some inevitably chaotic celebrations towards the North West corner saw Barnes embark on an elongated knee slide, Lewis Hall opt for a belly flop and Joelinton seize a steward's stool before brandished at nobody in particular in a vaguely threatening manner. The ringmaster Bruno wasn't involved though, having dropped to the ground after celebrating with the Leazes front row.

Jacob Murphy uprooted the corner flag and carried it back on to the field before presenting it to Barnes. It was then helpfully retrieved and replanted by Yoane Wissa, who then worked the crowd with a succession of fist pumps.

When the dust settles and hearts stop racing, the amount of second half time added on (indicated 10, played 15) can be attributed to a variety of factors, principally the goals and substitutions plus the stretchering off of Schar, who was carried across the field rather than round it, despite going to ground halfway along the East Stand touchline. That incident alone ate up over five minutes.

Calvert-Lewin's elongated departure when substituted was also a factor, deliberately taking a longer route with several glad-handing interruptions. That prompted a comment of "we got off the beach at Dunkirk quicker" from one malcontent and saw the clock tick on. A yellow card would surely have resulted for his antics, had he not already earned one during the game.

Lastly, the referee himself also caused several delays, pausing to adjust faulty equipment.

Victory saw Newcastle rise to a seasonal high sixth place in the table, extending their unbeaten home league and cup run to 12 games (eight in the Premier League). Three points also took United above the mackems for the first time this season after their 0-3 loss at Brentford, during which Enzo Le Fee's attempt at a Panenka penalty was embarrassingly saved at 0-1.

Statistics fail to convey the epic nature of what went on here though, as Newcastle found a way to win, rendering individual and collective shortcomings irrelevant. And from an object of ridicule, it's only right to note that we're now experiencing unprecedented levels of potency from our corners.

Skill, emotion, controversy and an absolute cliffhanger of an ending. Books were written about less.

Biffa

PS - our "Just love it" headline referenced KK's quote following an away win at Leeds in April 1996.