Classic Encounter: Marshall & Elliott Score In Six-Goal Thriller
City have secured victories in their last five meetings with the North East club on Tyneside, but this latest classic encounter feature involves a closely-fought Premier League fixture from 1997.
Newcastle United 3 Leicester City 3
Saturday 1 November 1997
St. James' Park
Premier League
Following a ninth-place finish in 1996/97, Leicester City had started their second consecutive top flight season brightly, ahead of a clash with Kenny Dalglish's Newcastle United.
A total of six wins and three draws from their opening 12 games had Martin O'Neill's side riding high in fourth position in the Premier League table.
The Magpies had also begun the campaign in fine form, winning five of their first seven league fixtures, to set up an intriguing clash at St. James' Park.
The hosts raced into an early lead courtesy of John Barnes' fourth-minute penalty, converted by the former England international after Ian Marshall brought down Temuri Ketsbaia in the area.
However, fresh from a 1-0 home victory over West Ham United just five days earlier, the Foxes responded within eight minutes. Marshall atoned for his earlier foul by equalising, before prodding home his and Leicester's second just after the half-hour mark.
This time it was Newcastle who responded, on the cusp of half-time, as Danish forward Jon Dahl Tomasson headed in Des Hamilton's centre to ensure the sides went in level at the break.
City regained the advantage less than 10 minutes after the interval when Matt Elliott rose highest at the back post to powerfully nod the ball past Shay Given, providing Steve Guppy's second assist of the game.
But after Emile Heskey was shown a red card by referee Gary Willard for a clash with Philippe Albert with two minutes to play, the 10 men of Leicester were unable to hold onto their lead.
John Beresford latched onto Ketsbaia's through ball and found the net in the final minute of normal time, despite the best efforts of the on-rushing Pegguy Arphexad.
The enthralling encounter finished all square as City reached an impressive tally of 22 points from 13 games. And despite two tricky patches of form in December and March, O'Neill's men went on to finish the season in the top half of the table.
Two runs of seven games unbeaten after the turn of the year helped record a very respectable 10th-place finish for the Foxes.
City: Arphexad, Kaamark, Prior, Elliott, Izzet, Parker (Savage 68), Lennon, Guppy, Marshall, Heskey, Claridge (Fenton 87).
Goals: Marshall 12', 32', Elliott 54'.