Steve Bruce slams Newcastle defending in capitulation at Leeds United

Newcastle boss Steve Bruce compared his side’s defending to ‘something you see on a park on a Sunday’ after they conceded three times in the last 13 minutes to lose 5-2 at Leeds.

Having seen off Crystal Palace and West Brom this month, the Magpies were chasing a third successive win for the first time since November 2018 but they imploded in the closing stages at Elland Road.

Ciaran Clark had headed them level, exposing Leeds’ set-piece fragilities, but Newcastle midfielder Sean Longstaff dithered on the ball in his own area, leading to Stuart Dallas putting the hosts ahead again after 77 minutes.

Steve Bruce hammered his side’s defending after Newcastle were beaten 5-2 by Leeds United

The visitors were then caught twice on the counter in the last five minutes as Ezgjan Alioski finished well before Jack Harrison spectacularly found the top corner from 25 yards, much to the chagrin of Bruce.

‘Up until 75 minutes I thought we were comfortable. I thought we looked a threat when we equalised,’ he said.

Jack Harrison’s long range effort was one of three goals Newcastle conceded in a quick burst

‘Of course Leeds are always going to ask you questions the way they play, they do it very well, but we’ve gifted them the two or three goals at the end. 

‘Unfortunately they’re something which you see on a park on a Sunday.

‘We can’t make those mistakes we’ve made here. The third goal in particular where we gave the ball away cheaply in our own box. You get punished for things like that at this level.

‘At the wrong time we’ve given away poor goals, not defended well enough and got punished. It’s unacceptable.’