West Brom 2 Newcastle 2: Jonny Evans’ own goal completes Toon comeback draw

ALAN PARDEW will be confirmed as the new Baggies boss today — and one of his first missions will be working out how to keep a lead.

Newcastle staged a spirited fightback at The Hawthorns to end their dreadful Premier League run.

But despite West Brom going ahead — just as they did at Wembley against Spurs — they did not have the confidence or defensive resolve to take the points..
It is the FIFTH time this season they have failed to win having held the lead. Former Newcastle boss Pardew will today sign a deal to be in charge until the summer of 2020, replacing Tony Pulis who was sacked last week.

Caretaker Gary Megson led the Baggies to an impressive point at the weekend — but was left wondering what might have been in this one. Having lost their previous four games, Newcastle were on a worrying slide towards the relegation zone. That looked like continuing after they fell two goals behind early in the second half. Boss Rafa Benitez abandoned the 4-4-2 formation he had used in the previous three games to go back to his more favoured 4-2-3-1, with Ayoze Perez in behind Joselu up front. It made no difference in the first half. When players cannot control simple through balls it does not matter what the formation and tactics are or who the manager is.

This is a team who can just switch off at any time. In the Premier League, even against West Brom, that can prove costly. Boss Rafa Benitez abandoned the 4-4-2 formation he had used in the previous three games to go back to his more favoured 4-2-3-1, with Ayoze Perez in behind Joselu up front. It made no difference in the first half. When players cannot control simple through balls it does not matter what the formation and tactics are or who the manager is. This is a team who can just switch off at any time. In the Premier League, even against West Brom, that can prove costly. For the third time in as many games Newcastle conceded in first-half injury-time.

Jonny Evans spread the ball out wide from the back, Kieran Gibbs supplied the cross and Hal Robson-Kanu steered a downward header past Karl Darlow. There were three Newcastle shirts in close vicinity and Robson-Kanu was on his own — but he still won it. Albion made it two in the 56th minute when Sam Field, recalled by Megson for the Spurs game and this, met Matt Phillips’ cross at the far post on the full with his left boot. But Toon bounced back off the ropes three minutes later when Ciaran Clark met Matt Ritchie’s corner with a thumping header to make it 2-1.

The visiting fans were up again in the 70th minute. Sub Rolando Aarons crossed to the far post and Ritchie got a shot on target, only for Ben Foster to make an incredible save, although Perez was flagged for offside having also slid in towards the ball. Newcastle were not finished, however, and when they won a free-kick outside the West Brom box a roar went up from the 2,666 travelling fans. Ritchie fired the ball into the near post and the ball ricocheted in off Evans’ backside.

They even had the ball in the back of the net again but the flag had gone up for offside before sub Aleksandar Mitrovic turned it in.

Still, the nature of the fightback buoyed the Toon faithful for the long journey home from the West Midlands.
Pardew, meanwhile, will have also seen plenty of positives as he returns after 11 months away from the Prem.

From The Sun