LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TOONEL
Eddie spies a great escape but says: There’s no let up
EDDIE HOWE is conjuring a great escape... but insists Newcastle still have work to do to avoid relegation.
We have four away games now against difficult opponents. So today was important, but we have not achieved everything.
United’s winning streak was extended, taking them seven points clear of the bottom three, in the relative comfort of 14th place.
Outside St James’ Park fans were in jubilant mood, having witnessed the latest – this time gritty and hard-fought – victory in a mighty league fightback.
Back on November 6, Howe sat in the stands at Brighton to watch his new club draw, before taking full charge.
They ended that day in 19th, with four points, winless and adrift.
Four months later they are on an unbeaten run of eight Premier League games dating back to December 19, and have won five out of the last six.
A goal and an assist within two minutes from Ryan Fraser did the damage early.
Magpies boss Howe said: “We have come from a long way back. We knew we had to win, draws were not good enough.
“We are still in a relegation battle. It is important that the players feel that too. There is no let up.
“We have four away games now against difficult opponents. So today was very important and we have not achieved everything.
“In the dressing room the players are pleased but not over the top, and know we are in the middle of an important spell.
“It was a tough game.
“We knew we wouldn’t have the ball for spells and it was about how well we defended.
“It came down to how good we were out of possession.” Brighton deserved more, but for all their second-half dominance couldn’t dent a stoic Newcastle defence, marshalled by their former player Dan Burn, who United nabbed in January for £13million.
The returning Geordie was “a giant”, Howe said.
Potter’s side are on their own streak... four defeats in a row with an aggregate of 1-9.
If they had a quality forward they’d be dangerous, and didn’t look like a team who have won just one game in eight.
Potter said: “Performance-wise we did a lot well, but football is about scoring more than your opponent. It was a blow to go 2-0 down so quickly after being the better team. We recovered, and in the second half improved and pushed.
“It was a big improvement from the last two games. The boys are suffering in terms of results but we will learn.
“It is a bad run, four defeats. Before that we’d not lost many.”
Newcastle were 2-0 up after 14 minutes, one scored and one made by Fraser. The first was a sweeping break away, Chris Wood turning Lewis Dunk in his own half and setting Jacob Murphy sprinting in behind the high Brighton backline and on goal.
The winger dinked over Robert Sanchez, hit the post but Fraser was on hand to blast home the rebound from close range.
Howe talked pre-match about getting the best out of the Scotland winger, who has “hit his best rhythm” after being restored to the side by his former Bournemouth boss.
It was Fraser’s laser-like free kick from wide on the right which picked out defender Fabian Schar who got ahead of Danny Welbeck to head home in the 14th minute.
The Swiss star is out of contract in the summer and talks are planned
about a new deal. His intelligent ball playing on top of solid defending has made him a mainstay for boss Howe, who also recalled him when he took the Toon job.
It was a dream start for United, with the atmosphere in St James’ Park electric, including a revival of the early-90s chant of “Up the football league we go”.
Strangely Newcastle were not playing well and were overrun in midfield and hanging on in the second half.
It took the visitors until the 54th minute to get back in the game.
Unmarked Dunk powered home a close-range header from Pascal Gross’s corner giving Albion a lifeline they didn’t take.