Newcastle 1 Leeds 1

Not Newcastle, who remain in the relegation zone as their wait for a first win of the season continues despite another mesmeric performance from the irrepressible Allan Saint-Maximin.

Not Leeds, who are also still winless even though with an inspired Raphinha driving them on, the visitors to St James’ Park created enough chances in the first half alone to have won three or four matches.

And not Steve Bruce, who was subjected to a series of chants calling for his head throughout another fraught evening in front of his own fans. There was no widescale protest in front of the Sky TV cameras, and while things threatened to boil over after Leeds claimed a 13th-minute lead, in truth, the anti-Bruce chants were relatively low-key. They were still there though, confined largely to a corner of the Gallowgate End but sporadically spreading around the ground. Whenever things go wrong in the remainder of the season, they will no doubt reappear.

They would almost certainly have been much more vociferous last night had Leeds been able to add to the early lead they claimed when Raphinha’s cross evaded everyone to find the corner of the net.

Instead, after the returning Karl Darlow made crucial first-half saves from both Raphinha and Mateusz Klich, Saint-Maximin fired Newcastle level with a wonderful solo goal a minutes before the break.

The Frenchman almost won it in the second half, firing straight at Illan Meslier after breaking clear of the Leeds defence, and after his side produced a defensive horror show in the first half, Bruce can at least take some solace from the way in which they tightened up in the second period after he switched to a flat back four.

They remain winless though, which is a worry, and aside from Saint-Maximin, they continue to look largely devoid of a threat. Having already lost Callum Wilson to injury, they would be in all sorts of trouble if anything was to happen to their other attacking talisman.

Saint-Maximin was single-handedly responsible for last night’s salvage operation, with came after a troubled start. It was a night that always had the potential to turn ugly from a Magpies perspective, with the concession of the opening goal within the first 15 minutes the worst possible way for Newcastle’s players to attempt to quell the festering discontent within the home crowd.

In truth, Leeds could have opened the scoring before they did, with Patrick Bamford hooking a swivelled volley over the crossbar in just the third minute and Raphinha prodding a first-time shot straight at Darlow moments later.

As expected, Darlow returned to the side to replace Freddie Woodman, whose absence from the bench was explained away by an injury sustained in training, but the returning shot-stopper was left clutching at thin air when the visitors broke the deadlock.

From a position close to the right touchline, Raphinha curled a left-footed cross into the 18-yard box. Rodrigo attempted to flick the ball between his legs, but while he failed to make any contact, the Spaniard appeared to put off those around him.

The ball continued on its original trajectory, and with Darlow having anticipated a change of direction, the Newcastle goalkeeper could only watch as it nestled in the bottom left-hand corner.

Immediately, the mood inside St James’ Park changed. The chants of ‘We want Brucie out’ that had been sporadically audible in the opening ten minutes rang voluminously around the ground. Bruce, hands behind his back in the technical area, busied himself in a conversation with his assistant, Graeme Jones. Briefly, songs relating to his Sunderland-managing past could also be heard.

Had Leeds scored again before the interval, goodness knows what might have happened. As it was, while the visitors created three excellent chances to extend their lead before the break, they all went unconverted.

Raphinha had a hand in all of them, repeatedly carving Newcastle apart on the counter-attack just as he had as Leeds ran riot at Elland Road last season. Matt Ritchie, whose eighth-minute booking was no doubt praying on his mind, barely got within the same postcode as the Brazilian.

Despite being in decent shooting positions himself, Raphinha repeatedly teed up his team-mates, but Rodrigo and Kalvin Phillips both failed to find the target with shots from the edge of the area and while Klich’s deflected effort was heading towards the goal, Darlow was able to get down to make a relatively routine save.

Newcastle’s defence was all over the place, with Bruce acknowledging the problems as he switched to a flat back four shortly before the break.

Things were much more positive at the other end though, with the Magpies fashioning three excellent first-half chances of their own before they finally levelled a minute before the interval.

The home side’s first opportunity came to nothing when Miguel Almiron dragged his shot wide after Ritchie’s cross was cleared into his path, and the second was wasted when Joelinton swept Saint-Maximin’s centre straight into Meslier’s midriff. Either side of the Leeds goalkeeper, and Newcastle would have been level.

Ritchie came within inches of scoring when he fired a 35th-minute effort against the base of the left-hand post, but Newcastle’s attacking adventure was rewarded nine minutes later when Saint-Maximin produced his now customary moment of magic.

Receiving the ball from Joelinton, the Frenchman danced his way across the face of the 18-yard box, evading two Leeds defenders in the process, before firing a superb strike into the left-hand corner. In last season’s home game against Leeds, a half-fit Saint-Maximin came off the bench too late to spark a revival. Last night, he was the Yorkshire club’s chief torturer all game long.

With Saint-Maximin and Raphinha going through their full bags of tricks, the action was relentless, even if the defending at both ends was occasionally laughable. Twice, in the opening eight minutes of the second half, Newcastle almost handed Leeds a second goal on a plate.

First, Darlow came hurtling out of his goal in a misguided attempt to reach a long ball, enabling Raphinha to hook the ball towards the net. Fortunately, from a home perspective, the Brazilian’s flick lacked pace and Jamaal Lascelles hammered clear.

A minute or so later, and Lascelles was the Newcastle player at fault, with his header from Dan James’ cross looping towards his own goal. Darlow was alert, and clawed the ball away.

Saint-Maximin – who else? – saw his near-post saved by Meslier, while at the other end, Klich fired a tame effort straight at Darlow after finding himself with the freedom of the 18-yard box.

Bamford wasted a great chance to restore Leeds’ lead, sweeping a first-time shot straight at Darlow, before Saint-Maximin almost had the final say with seven minutes left, galloping free but drilling a fierce strike too close to Meslier.