THERE was a message seconds before kick-off from the PA announcer inside St James’ Park reminding supporters that this was a Good Friday fixture being beamed around the world.

It felt like a game fit for the Premier League – and, for more than 90 minutes, Newcastle United didn’t disappoint.

But a mixture of good defending, poor finishing and excellent goalkeeping prevented Rafael Benitez and the passionately loud home support from celebrating more than the one goal that their play deserved.

The Northern Echo: Newcastle United's Jamaal Lascelles celebrates

JOY: Newcastle United's Jamaal Lascelles celebrates

And that proved crucial in the end as Leeds United pounced deep into stoppage-time to strike an equaliser right into the heart of Tyneside when Chris Wood was left in a ridiculous amount of space to secure a point.

Jamaal Lascelles’ 67th minute header had looked like being the difference on a night when Benitez’s Newcastle were on track to take another step closer to making sure top-flight matches return to Tyneside for real next season.

The chances are they still will, but the disappointment was clear on the faces of the Newcastle players as the trudged off the pitch after the frustrating finish.

This was Leeds’ first visit to this corner of the North-East since 2004. Such memorable fixtures between the two seem a million miles away these days, although there is still a chance both Newcastle and Leeds will meet again in the top tier next season.

It was important Newcastle responded positively to victories for Brighton and Huddersfield earlier in the day and they did so by dominating a fixture against a team in with a serious shout of a play-off place under the impressive Garry Monk.

Or that was at least the case until Wooddid the damage late on.

An automatic promotion place can’t be guaranteed at Ipswich on Monday, but Newcastle still head there with an eight point cushion and only four matches remaining; even if Huddersfield still have a game in hand.

But Newcastle are four points shy of leaders Brighton. The title would have been nice for Benitez, but leaving the Championship behind at the very first attempt following last season’s relegation is far more important to this club. That might have to do.

If Newcastle needed the points to stay comfortably ahead of third-placed Huddersfield after their dramatic victory over Preston, then Leeds were in even greater need of the points in the battle for the top six. The point helped the visitors more.

Sheffield Wednesday and Fulham are maintaining the pressure on the Whites with the games reducing, but Newcastle could not think about that in their own fight for an automatic promotion spot – and had to focus on achieving a result without leading scorer Dwight Gayle.

Gayle’s hamstring problem meant an opportunity for Aleksandar Mitrovic in attack, with Ayoze Perez preferred to Mohamed Diame behind the striker. Benitez hoped those two changes would be enough to stop Leeds in their tracks.

Mitrovic didn’t threaten the Leeds goal but he did link up well with Perez. The Spaniard was one of the Newcastle players left wondering how he had not scored before the half-time whistle had blown.

Leeds were the first to threaten and came incredibly to close to scoring the opening goal themselves, although that was the only time they really came close before the break. It was a brilliant chance, though.

The lively Alfonso Pedraza rattled the underside of the crossbar from outside the box on the left. The ball bounced down on the wrong side of the line and goalkeeper Karl Darlow made a stunning point blank stop to prevent Kemar Roofe from nodding in the rebound.

Newcastle picked up from that moment on and created the rest of the first half chances, even if they could not find a way through a determine Leeds backline. On the rare occasions they did, former England keeper Rob Green was on hand to make his own stops.

Green stopped Matt Ritchie’s first effort from a tight angle with his right leg but the best of his saves came when the half-time whistle approached at the height of Newcastle’s heavy spell of pressure.

The sequence of incredible chances that failed to cross the line started when Yoan Gouffran’s low drive from 20 yards bounced off the foot of the post. It fell invitingly for Ritchie to try his luck and his effort was deflected over by the sliding figure of Pontus Jansson.

From the corner Jonjo Shelvey’s delivery was perfect for Chancel Mbemba to arrive at the back post and power a header towards the top corner, where Green’s outstretched body tipped the ball over for a corner.

That was not the end of it either. From the next delivery, former Sunderland midfielder Liam Bridcutt charged across the six yard box to somehow slide and deflect Perez’s effort at the near post over for another corner.

At that stage Newcastle fans must have wondered how and if the opening goal would arrive for their team because it was hard to imagine better chances after the restart.

Newcastle’s intent was clear from the outset when the players returned to the field. Within seconds Mitrovic was blocked in the area, then the fit again Isaac Hayden earned a free-kick on the edge of the box. Ritchie’s curler was turned behind by Green, again.

Leeds, who had both centre-backs cautioned early in the second half, struggled to get out of their own half, but they defended resiliently and frustrated the home side.

That was highlighted even further when Mitrovic’s best chance saw Jansson run back to head away on the line after the Serbian striker’s flick over Green was dropping towards goal.

Shortly before that Mbemba’s claims for a penalty were waved away when Luke Ayling had an arm on the defender’s shoulder as he tried to get on the end of a cross to the back post.

The home fans continued to urge their team forward and, with 23 minutes remaining, the crucial opener finally arrived when many must have feared it wouldn’t.

Lascelles had stayed in the penalty area when an initial corner broke down. He was on hand to head Mitrovic’s header back across goal towards the far corner. Green turned the effort on to the post, but only after it had crossed the line and the breakthrough had arrived.

Green made a stunning stop again to deny Perez a second and it proved crucial as deep into stoppage-time Leeds stunned St James’ with that cruel equaliser.

Wood was left with all the space in the world to level things up, with everyone wondering where goalscorer Lascelles had gone, and leave Newcastle frustrated, again.