Schmidt gets Pat on back from boss
MIGUEL ALMIRON never stopped smiling or working hard during a 324-day wait for his first Newcastle goal.
So when he smashed home a volley from 12 yards to win this game, the celebrations were wild. It was a big moment for club and player.
Steve Bruce ran on to the pitch and could hardly contain his joy. “My hip nearly came out celebrating, and my knee,” said Bruce. “I got carried away.”
Almiron ran to the corner flag and hugged a ball boy, joined by team-mates and subs.
Even ref Simon Hooper had a laugh as he showed Almiron a yellow card for
taking his shirt off and whirling it around his head. Relief, mixed with joy for the win but also for a selfless, dedicated young player who had toiled hard to justify being the club-record signing in January.
Bruce said: “I am delighted. He is a great pro, great lad and popular. You want people like that to succeed. He has got it off his back.
“He played a bit deeper today. He has played there in the US. He scored and it was his best performance for a while.”
It took a towering head down from Andy Carroll, from a Fabian Schar cross, to hand Almiron his moment. One bounce and smash. A goal in his 26th start. More will come.
“The fans realise he’s a good player,” Bruce said explaining why no one had got on his case. “They are educated in what they see. He lit the place up, gave us sparkle when he arrived last season.”
The victory hoisted Newcastle to ninth. Top half at Christmas is beyond the expectation of fans who stayed loyal and those who boycotted in the summer when Rafa Benitez walked away saying they had no ambition.
The mean streak in Newcastle has seen them concede just seven goals at home this season – only Leicester have leaked fewer.
This season grit, organisation, tenacity and spirit can take a side far, squeezing out wins from tight games.
Bruce added: “We have some hard games ahead. Man U, Everton, Leicester – it is relentless. They have a good spirit and a good attitude to go to work. They keep having a go.”
Bruce surprised Roy Hodgson by switching formations and picking a five-man midfield, Almiron dropping into the left side of a central trio.
Palace’s best chance fell to Wilfried Zaha in the first half 10 yards out. He was slipped in the clear but Martin Dubravka saved well.
Zaha and Patrick Van Aanholt exchanged sharp words after the home side scored.
Roy Hodgson said: “They might have had words about how the pair of them defended the cross. To concede so close to the end was disappointing. I was hoping we could win it second half not lose it. We created a lot of goal chances. We didn’t take them.
“There was also a risk a cross would fall, Andy would out-jump us, and it fell nicely for them.”