Toon clean up Karl’s clanger
JAMAAL Lascelles made up for Karl Darlow’s clanger-of-the-season contender as Newcastle came back from behind to claim a vital point at Norwich.
The defender’s late equaliser was a boost for manager Rafa Benitez, who is at loggerheads with the Newcastle hierarchy over transfer policy, with the Spaniard having seen no significant new recruits arrive at St James’ Park last month.
Whether Benitez, who has also seen his name touted as a potential successor to Arsene Wenger at Arsenal, will still be in place on Tyneside come August depends on the success of this campaign, and Newcastle were also helped by Ipswich drawing at Brighton, a result that prevented the Seagulls from claiming the Championship top spot from the Magpies.
Norwich, for their part, have been in cracking form in 2017 following a dismal autumn that saw supporters calling for the sacking of boss Alex Neil and the Canaries are now pressing hard for a play-off return. But it was Newcastle who opened the scoring after just 23 seconds when Jack Colback’s pass set up Ayoze Perez for a simple turn and finish past John Ruddy.
Norwich’s defence was all over the place and Ruddy did well five minutes later to divert Aleksandar Mitrovic’s effort wide. The Canaries decided attack was the best form of defence and were rewarded by Jacob Murphy’s 12th-minute equaliser. Cameron Jerome deserved the plaudits, however, for outmuscling Lascelles, legally according to referee Andrew Madley, on the left of the box and squaring back for a tap-in at the far post.
Suddenly Norwich were in front thanks to Darlow’s 17th-minute clanger. The keeper came out with the intention of hitting a bouncing ball downfield but got the thinnest of touches to allow Jerome to nip in and find an unguarded net.
It was glorious chaos and Ruddy denied Mitrovic’s pointblank header. Both sides continued to tear into each other and Steven Whittaker was only just wide from another Norwich attack before Mitrovic almost bulldozed his way through at the other end – and Lascelles saw a header from a corner cleared off the line.
The second half began in a fury as well, with Wes Hoolahan going down in the Norwich box off the ball and claiming that Jonjo Shelvey had elbowed him, but Madley’s long investigation produced no sanction.
Newcastle almost levelled when DeAndre Yedlin’s pullback from the right was met first time by Matt Ritchie, who saw his shot hit the underside of the bar and bounce down on to the line, but not over it.
Mitrovic forced another save from Ruddy before almost setting up substitute Mo Diame in front of goal after Ritchie had been replaced by Christian Atsu.
Striker Dwight Gayle, after a month out with a hamstring injury, then replaced Mitrovic for the final 15 minutes.
Lascelles equalised with a back-post volley in the 81st minute after Perez picked him out with an inch-perfect delivery from the right of the Norwich box to save Newcastle’s night.