Newcastle 2-1 West Brom
by Harry de Cosemo
 

FORMER loanee Dwight Gayle came back to haunt West Brom on Saturday as Newcastle ended a difficult couple of weeks with a 2-1 win.

There had been fears that the game wouldn’t go ahead after Newcastle were hit by a high number of coronavirus cases, but they were still able to put out a strong side.

And Gayle, who won 39 caps at West Brom two seasons ago, came up with the crucial moment eight minutes from time having not played for the Magpies all season due to injury.

Manager Steve Bruce said that the outbreak had left his side struggling, but praised the medical staff for their initial reaction.

“We tried to play it down and we weren’t looking for any excuses, but [the players] stuck together,” he said.

“I couldn’t be more pleased. With the problems we’ve had, their effort and endeavour was spot on.

“The medical department’s decision to shut [the training ground] was spot on.”

Newcastle were missing a number of key players due to the outbreak, which forced the postponement of their last game at Aston Villa.

But they took the lead within 20 seconds when Miguel Almiron finished emphatically after great combination play between Callum Wilson and Joelinton.

The match settled down after a ferocious start, and West Brom began to get a foothold with possession. But they were far too tentative in their build-up play, while Newcastle were direct and played with purpose on the break.

The visitors began to look more dangerous towards half-time as Conor Gallagher – looking for a third goal in as many games – became more involved.

And the Baggies didn’t have to wait long after the break for their leveller – just five minutes in fact – as Darnell Furlong volleyed home from Matt Phillips’s cross. 

Gallagher, a driving force in West Brom’s initial recovery, created space for himself and shot straight at keeper Karl Darlow moments later.

Gayle was summoned and could have immediately restored Newcastle’s lead when he headed Ritchie’s corner goalwards, had it not been cleared off the line by Phillips.

After fellow ex-West Brom loanee Jacob Murphy was introduced, Gayle made his mark. The pair combined when Murphy’s pinpoint cross was headed in emphatically off the bar, giving keeper Sam Johnstone no chance.

Slaven Bilic, who is under growing pressure with just one win in 11 games, said that there wasn’t much between the two teams.

“It is very frustrating. It was a game of little margins again,” the Baggies manager said.

“We have to admit that it was a game of two halves. In the first half, they scored very early – incredibly early – from a situation that you have to do better in stopping the long ball …

“After that, it was their physicality, especially up front, and their quality up front that was better than ours.”