HAWAY TO WEMBLEY
Joelinton gives Newcastle a priceless advantage
ANT and Dec, the Likely Lads, Sting, Supermac, Shearer and the brickies from Auf Wiedershen, Pet — get your glad rags ready, Newcastle are at the gates of Wembley.
For 68 years the Toon have had as much joy in cup competitions as Frank Spencer with a tool kit. The more they craved success, the more fortune deserted them.
But in a feisty semi-final at St Mary’s, they held their nerve and rode their luck as England keeper Nick Pope’s 10th consecutive clean sheet took them to the edge of heaven – and their first cup final for 24 years.
And Joelinton’s fourth goal of the season may prove one of the most treasured in their history.
Whether they were running into Kevin Keegan catching a wave in Bill Shankly’s last game as Liverpool manager in 1974, Dennis Tueart’s bicycle kick two years later, or Manchester United en route for the Treble in 1999, Geordies have spilled enough tears at Wembley to fill the Tyne.
The black-and-white legions are desperate to make their first pilgrimage down English football’s most celebrated boulevard in 23 years – and Joelinton’s winner has given them a priceless advantage ahead of next week’s second leg at St James’ Park.
Saints competed with verve and gusto but their goose was cooked before Croatian defender Duje Caleta-Car’s late dismissal for two bookings.
Volleyed
Joe Willock volleyed two early chances so far over the top they almost caught the Isle of Wight ferry. But Newcastle’s best chances invariably fell to Joelinton, the Brazilian whose journey from misfit to cult hero has turned him into a mascot for transformation.
Five minutes before the break he thought he’d put Newcastle in front after Gavin Bazunu had parried a Willock effort, but ref Stuart Attwell ruled it out for handball.
Replays suggested it was a borderline infringement at worst, but VAR Andre Marriner saw no reason to overturn it.
Attwell was less exercised when Toon keeper Nick Pope, who had earlier shovelled a long-range Carlos Alcaraz shot to safety, ventured out of his box to head clear, wiping out Moussa Djenepo in the process.
No foul, according to the hapless officials, but the Mali striker was too dazed to continue.
Sub Alexander Isak’s cross picked out the fans’ favourite at the back post and, from pointblank range, even Joelinton couldn’t miss.
Saints thought they had equalised two minutes later, only for Geordie striker Adam Armstrong to be penalised for a hand-ball.
Toon have not always enjoyed their excursions to the English south coast but their previous trip here was a breeze.
Coasted
They coasted home 4-1, a defeat so emphatic that it was enough for Southampton to call time on boss Ralph Hasenhuttl after four years.
The Austrian’s successor, Nathan Jones, would have been a pointless answer in a poll of Southampton fans to nominate their preferred choice. But Jones proved, in two spells at Luton that he could take nuggets of coal and turn them into a formidable arrangement of charcoal.
Bazunu ............................................ 7 Walker-Peters ................................. 7 Lyanco ............................................. 7 Caleta-Car ...................................... 6 Salisu .............................................. 6 Diallo .............................................. 6 Alcaraz ........................................... 6 Ward-Prowse ................................... 7 Djenepo .......................................... 5 Orsic ............................................... 5 Mara ............................................... 5 SUBS
A Armstrong (Djenepo 45+4) 6, Adams (Mara 57) 6, Edozie (Orsic 57) 6, Lavia (Diallo 82), Bednarek (W-Peters 88)
Pope ............................................... 8 Trippier ........................................... 6 Botman ............................................ 7 Schar .............................................. 6 Burn ................................................ 6 Guimaraes ...................................... 5 Longstaff ........................................ 5 Almiron ............................................ 7 Joelinton ........................................ 6 Willock ............................................ 5 Wilson ............................................. 5 SUBS
Saint-Maximin (Willock 67) 6, Isak (Wilson 67) 6, Murphy (Almiron 78)