When rampant Leeds United kept Newcastle United and Alan Shearer quiet at St James' Park

Seven defeats and four draws from the last 14 visits stemming back to August 1989.

Yet Leeds did enjoy three Premier League victories on Tyneside with the fantastic 3-0 success of Boxing Day of 1998 under David O’Leary particularly standing out.

O’Leary was nearly three months into his role as manager having succeeded George Graham on October 1 as Graham left for Tottenham Hotspur.

Graham’s Whites had finished fifth the previous season with the goals of new recruit Jimmy Floyd-Hasselbaink proving pivotal in rocketing the Whites up the table having only ended up in 11th in the previous campaign.

That meant European football for the first time in three years via the UEFA Cup though United’s European adventure was ended by Roma following a 1-0 defeat on aggregate after the second leg in November.

With O’Leary now in the dugout, a swashbuckling young Leeds side then won five of their next seven league games with their other two Premier League contests ending in defeats at Manchester United and Arsenal.

It was on the back of the 3-1 reverse at Arsenal that Leeds headed to St James’ Park on Boxing Day to face a Newcastle side that had slipped to a 13th-placed finish under Kenny Dalglish the previous season having finished runners-up in the last two campaigns and challenged for the title under Kevin Keegan.

Now in the hands of Ruud Gullit following his appointment in the summer, the Magpies were ultimately on their way to another 13th-placed finish whilst O’Leary’s Whites were destined to finish fourth.

Newcastle’s side featured Shearer alongside Duncan Ferguson upfront with former Whites favourite and the much-missed Gary Speed in midfield.

But a Leeds side that were ultimately heading to the Champions League in two more years raced to a 3-0 victory with Shearer and Ferguson kept at bay despite United missing Lucas Radebe, Robert Molenaar and Martin Hiden.

Shearer and Ferguson were partnered together for the first time and Shearer should have put the Magpies in front when having just Nigel Martyn to beat from 12 yards out after latching on to a long ball.

Shearer, though, flicked his effort well wide and Leeds made him pay when taking a 38th-minute lead through Harry Kewell who lashed home a fierce drive from inside the box from Hasselbaink’s miskick and then lay off.

Kewell then proved instrumental in Leeds netting their second as the Australian neatly turned and made his way into the Magpies area before firing a low shot at Shay Given.

The powerful effort was half saved but the ball was still trickling towards the goal line before Lee Bowyer pounced to slide home from one yard out.

Bowyer’s strike made it five goals from his last six games for the midfielder whereas Shearer had not scored in the league since September - going seven games without netting a top-flight goal.

That looked set to change when the striker connected with a trademark header to a corner that was flying into the top right yet David Hopkin cleared with a towering header of his own from underneath the crossbar.

Shearer was left shaking his head and matters then got even worse for the Magpies when O’Leary’s Whites bagged their third and the pick of the bunch in the final minute.

A sweeping move from right to left saw the ball played back into Hasselbaink who produced a devastating turn to take out the Magpies defence before firing a firm low shot past Given from just inside the box.

That made it eight goals in eight games for the striker and the commentary on the Boxing Day highlights said it all.

“Eight goals in eight games. James Floyd Hasselbaink. Sharpshooter.”

https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/football/leeds-united/he-will-give-everybody-huge-lift-newcastle-united-receive-massive-boost-ahead-leeds-united-clash-3109580

https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/football/leeds-united/yorkshire-evening-post-launch-leeds-united-only-digital-subscription-ahead-premier-league-campaign-2967964

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Thank you Laura Collins