RAFA BENITEZ’S substitution proved Jos the job as Newcastle salvaged a point against Swansea.
New Swans boss Carlos Carvalhal was eyeing his fourth straight win against the Toon when Jordan Ayew headed the visitors in front on the hour.
But Spanish striker Joselu spared Benitez’s blushes when he equalised just four minutes after coming off the bench.
Newcastle, though, will still be disappointed to only draw against the Premier League’s basement boys.
And they have now not claimed victory at St James’ Park for seven league games – their worst winless run here since they were relegated nine years ago.
For the Swans, this was a fourth point out of a possible nine since ex-Sheffield Wednesday boss Carvalhal took charge. But they will feel hard done by as they should have had a first-half penalty when Newcastle’s Mo Diame, who would then have been sent off, handballed in the box.
The Toon, whose starting XI all played for them in the Championship last season, had a hatful of chances early on. Dwight Gayle had one header straight at Lukasz Fabianski and then nodded another one wide when well placed.
Defender Paul Dummett lashed over from just six yards after Christian Atsu found him space. While Ayoze Perez was played in over the top by Matt Ritchie, but after brilliantly bringing the ball down, his shot was saved low by Fabianski, then his rebound was blocked by Ki Sung-Yueng.
The Toon really should have been made to pay for their misses nine minutes before the break but received a let off from referee Graham Scott.
Kyle Bartley headed down Tom Carroll’s corner and Mike van der Hoorn struck the loose ball towards goal.
But Diame, who was just three yards off the line, instinctively moved his arm and blocked the shot with his elbow - and would have given away a penalty and been sent off had Scott seen. Newcastle almost rubbed salt into Swansea’s wounds when Gayle headed in from Ciaran Clark’s flick – yet lineswoman Sian Massey correctly flagged for offside.
It was a surprise the game was still goalless at the break, but the visitors did something about that on the hour.
From Van der Hoorn’s cross, Ayew peeled off Ciaran Clark and though Karl Darlow saved his header, he palmed the ball back up to him in the air, and the Swansea striker nodded in the rebound.
It was doom and gloom for the Toon but Benitez made an immediate change, bringing off Gayle for Joselu in the 64th minute. And the switch paid off just four minutes later, as Joselu retrieved Perez’s blocked shot, turned, then shot through Alfie Mawson’s legs and past the unsighted Fabianski.
It was Newcastle’s first home league goal in almost six hours of football.
But they were unable to get another as the Swans frustrated them late on, with Jonjo Shelvey slapping away Benitez’s offer of a handshake when he was subbed off.
From The Sun
No comments:
Post a Comment