Leeds fail to shake off violent reputation

English football needed a big, diverting result from here on Saturday. Thanks to Newcastle United it got one. When Nolberto Solano ran clear in the last minute to make it 4-3, it did not feel absurd to suggest that the trumpet-playing Peruvian struck a chord that he can never have hoped would be heard so widely.

Yet for some even that proved insufficient distraction. Afterwards we were immediately carted back to violence and Leeds United.

It would be great, for football's sake, to reclaim the game. But, even though Newcastle staged a fantastic comeback from 3-1 down after 56 minutes, the post-match debate was dominated by Mark Viduka's twin strike on Nikos Dabizas.

Dabizas left on a stretcher just before the interval after Viduka had caught him with an over-the-ball tackle which Bobby Robson described as "mad and violent". Jeff Winter showed the Australian-Croat a yellow card, a decision Robson considered a dereliction of duty.

Earlier, less obviously, Viduka had caught Dabizas with an arm that crushed the Greek's nose. When Viduka then twisted Newcastle's other centre half, Andy O'Brien, inside out in the process of giving Leeds a 2-1 lead, Robson was contemplating "a villain-to-hero story".

David O'Leary thought Robson's an overreaction - "Is he still harping on about it?" - but the issue is sure to make the renewal of activities at St James' Park in less than three weeks somewhat spicy.

"A very, very bad tackle," said Alan Shearer in a tone of flat menace. "Very, very nasty," said Dabizas, "two inches lower and he could have shattered my leg to pieces. He had already broken my nose." The glorious diversion was interrupted.

Newcastle had just won their fourth game in a row, three of which were away from home, and the last three having been recoveries from deficits, but there was still a refusal to engage in title talk. "Leeds, Liverpool, Arsenal and Man United are all bigger and better," said Shearer.

But, understandably excited by their mini-achievement, Robson was more expansive: "We're not quite a brilliant team yet," he said, "but we're on the verge of becoming a brilliant team. We are a talented, fit, forceful team. We have no physical incapabilities, we're winning at the end of matches."

Gary Speed and Kieron Dyer were at the heart of Saturday's triumph. It was Speed's block tackle in the 38th minute that set Dyer on his way to creating Craig Bellamy's opener. Dyer flew past Ian Harte on the way.

Within 60 seconds, Lee Bowyer, making his first appearance since being cleared of assaulting an Asian student, equalised. After Viduka had scored his marvellous goal followed by Harte's 20-yard drive, any lingering anxiety about the occasion should have been erased. Bowyer's comeback would be the story.

Newly confident, however, Newcastle played their way back, and when Nigel Martyn could only parry a Dyer shot, Robbie Elliott's diving header made it 3-2. Eirik Bakke then handled Speed's flick in the area and Shearer whacked in the penalty.

With seconds to go, Dyer's sliding pass inside Harte left Solano free in the area and Newcastle had their ninth goal of the week, their second 4-3 win of the season and many grateful admirers.

LEEDS: Martyn, Kelly, Ferdinand, Mills, Harte, Bowyer, Batty, Johnson, Kewell (Bakke 47), Viduka, Fowler. Subs Not Used: Woodgate, Keane, Robinson, Smith. Booked: Viduka, Kelly. Goals: Bowyer 38, Viduka 50, Harte 56.

NEWCASTLE: Given, Hughes, O'Brien, Dabizas (Distin 45), Elliott, Solano, Dyer, Speed, Robert (Bernard78), Shearer, Bellamy (Lua-Lua 90). Subs Not Used: Acuna, Harper. Booked: Elliott. Goals: Bellamy 38, Elliott 59, Shearer 71 pen, Solano 90.

Referee: J Winter (Stockton-on-Tees).