tattered....

36 mins Angelo Ogbonna fought off the challenge of Miggy Almiron on the halfway line and laid the ball back to Craig Dawson who took a heavy touch, allowing Joelinton to intercept.

Despite being on a yellow card, Dawson sent the Brazilian flying but not before he knocked the ball forward to Allan Saint-Maximin, who charged forward. Forced wide as he entered the box, he  managed to screw a weak shot that beat Lukasz Fabianski, only for Issa Diop to clear the ball against himself and it bounce into the empty goal at the Leazes End.

Shortly after signalling the goal, referee Kevin Friend showed Dawson a second yellow and then a red card. 1-0

and torn....

41 mins A Matt Ritchie flag kick from the North East corner of the ground appeared to be landing in the hands of an unchallenged Fabianski but the 'keeper inexplicably dropped the ball at the feet of Joelinton, who had the simple task of turning the ball home from a yard out. 2-0

Half time: Magpies 2 Hammers 0

73 mins A throw-in to Jarrod Bowen on the West Ham right saw him swing over a deep cross to the unmarked Issa Diop, who headed firmly past Martin Dubravka into the Leazes End goal. 2-1

80 mins Ciaran Clark got above Tomas Soucek to head away a long throw into the box from the West Ham right, only for VAR to belatedly confirm that the ball had hit the defender's raised arm in front of his head - referee Friend rubber-stamping the call after viewing the incident via a pitchside monitor.

Jesse Lingard then fired in the resultant penalty via the inside of the post.

In slight mitigation of Clark he had raised his arm to jump and it had nowhere to go, with it being stuck on the opponents head. The lack of a protest from either Clark or his colleagues confirmed that the call was harsh but right. 2-2

82 mins Matt Ritchie crossed from the left and Joe Willock powerfully headed in from six yards out with his second touch after arriving as a substitute.

Replays confirmed that the scorer was actually looking away from goal and it struck the back of his bonce. 3-2

Full time: Magpies 3 Hammers 2

Everybody needs a nutter
 

David Moyes commented:

"I thought the players showed great character. They came from 2-0 down with 10 men and got right back into the game. There are a lot of good things from it.

"Obviously, we gave away a couple of really poor goals in the first half, then the sending off adds to it as well, but we kept at it and we didn't change.

"We altered things a little bit at half time, but I thought the players put up a great effort, I really did.

"There's no drama. We're not getting too down about it. We've had a couple of really good results, we're doing ok. We think that's probably a chance lost to pick up some points, but it is very hard with 10 men.

"I thought the players did a great job to get back into it. Probably the disappointment is that when we got to 2-2, we couldn't see that last little bit out.

"There's no frustration whatsoever. The players are doing brilliant, we're at it, we came, and we put on a good performance. We didn't get the result we wanted but overall, the players are doing a good job.

"We're without a few injured players and we've put on another decent show. We want to keep trying to score goals, but we need to stop conceding them as well."
 

In the week that COVID restrictions began to ease, Newcastle provided some much-needed (PL) table service at Gallowgate on Saturday lunchtime - although the outdoor hospitality from both sides was worryingly abundant...

2-0 up at half time against a Hammers side down to ten men who netted an own goal before gifting Joelinton a second, Steve Bruce's side started snoozing in the afternoon sunshine and were duly punished.

Own goal transgressor Issa Diop was left alone to head home on 73 minutes before VAR confirmed a Ciaran Clark handball in the area and Jesse Lingard fired in the resultant penalty seven minutes later for 2-2.

Belatedly galvanised by conceding that equaliser, Newcastle stormed upfield and Jacob Murphy saw his shot cleared off the line by Ben Johnson.

From their next attack though, Matt Ritchie crossed from the left and Joe Willock headed in what proved to the winner with his first touch, having come off the bench just 83 seconds earlier.

The hosts then survived no less than eight minutes of time added on before they were able to celebrate a result that lifted them two places to the heady heights of fifteenth - nine points clear of the third relegation spot. Phew...

Resisting the temptation to recall Callum Wilson, Bruce made just one alteration from the starting line-up that won at Burnley - replacing Dwight Gayle with Saint-Maximin, who partnered Joelinton up front.

And while the Frenchman was at the heart of everything positive about Newcastle, the Brazilian also played his part in the victory.

Joelinton's appetite for the physical side of the game may sometimes be questioned, but he withstood the tackle that cost Craig Dawson a second booking and made the vital pass to set Saint-Maximin away.

Diop's intervention to try and block a routine effort on goal then saw the defender deflect the ball off one foot on to the other and into the net.

Within five minutes David Moyes looked on aghast at another Hammers calamity; Lukasz Fabianski obligingly dropping Matt Ritchie's corner in his own six yard box to present Joelinton with a tap in.

If there was one low point though, it was the rapidity of Joelinton's exit deep in added time when replaced by Andy Carroll. Thankfully the referee chose not to add any further time on.

The comparative rarity of enjoying a two goal interval lead and numerical superiority seemed to take a toll on the Magpies, who surrendered the initiative and became steadily more sluggish.

Super sub Willock appeared though to serve up a happy ending from another excellent Ritchie delivery, ensuring that the initiative remains with his side going into the final stages of the season.

That's now one just defeat in seven and seven goals scored in their last three games. Hardly the stuff of legend, but a damn sight better than the lame ducks we looked after losing at Brighton. 

The remedy was always in our own hands - and thankfully we've started to show that, without having recourse to Wilson's goals.    

Biffa