Newcastle 2-1 Fulham
by Roger Domeneghetti
at St James’ Park

NEWCASTLE maintained their grip on the League Cup thanks to Lewis Miley’s injury-time header, which secured their third League Cup semi-final in four seasons.

St James’ Park was near capacity, but there was a strange atmosphere, almost churchlike at times. The congregation was expectant but fearful following the weekend’s bruising derby defeat against Sunderland, which Magpies’ skipper Bruno Guimaraes had described as “embarrassing and frustrating.”

The question was how would Newcastle respond? Inconsistency has been the chief characteristic of Howe’s team this season.

Other than during a run of five wins in six games in October, they have failed to win back-to-back matches.

Yet, they have won seven of their last eight at home, a draw against Spurs a fortnight ago the only blemish.

Eddie Howe made six changes, including giving Yoane Wissa his first start for the club. The striker made an instant impact, pouncing on a loose ball to open the scoring after just 10 minutes.

Fabian Schar sent a long diagonal cross-field pass into the path of Jacob Murphy on the right touchline. He swept in a cross that Benjamin Lecomte could only parry into the path of Wissa.

Schar’s pass was instrumental and it was poor keeping but Wissa positioning and instinct were something Newcastle had been missing since Aleksander Isak’s move.

The goal was very much against the early run of play. Fulham had started the brighter. In the first nine minutes, they made 20 successful passes in their opponents’ final third. Newcastle had had just two.

Order was quickly restored six minutes later. Sasa Lukic ghosted into the box to meet Antonee Robinson’s inviting cross. No Newcastle midfielder tracked the Serbian, and Schar and Malick Thiaw parted like the Red Sea to give him the time and space to place his header beyond the Aaron Ramsdale.

Newcastle thought they’d grabbed a second midway through the second half, Joachim Andersen putting through his own net, but it was chalked off for offside against Ramsey in the build-up.

With penalties approaching, Newcastle dug deep. Miley nearly squeezed home a low curling shot, but Lecomte was alert tipping it round the post. He could do nothing about Miley’s header from the resulting corner, the 19-year-old leaping the highest among a cluster of bodies to set up a semi-final against Manchester City.