Joe Willock’s brace helped Newcastle United eke past Birmingham City in an FA Cup thriller to progress into the fifth round of the competition.
Birmingham took the lead inside a minute through ex-Man United prodigy Ethan Laird, who smashed past Nick Pope with the help of a deflection from Callum Wilson.
The Magpies then flipped the game on its head thanks to two goals that didn’t go without controversy from Willock and Wilson, with many questioning if Newcastle’s equaliser fully went over the line.
However, the highlight of the first half came when Tomoki Iwata leathered it into the top-right corner to draw parity for the Blues - an early goal of the tournament contender.
After a fiery second half, Willock’s second of the night sealed Newcastle’s win late on, ending Birmingham’s hopes of a major Premier League scalp in the cup.
Relive all the FA Cup action with our live blog below:
Birmingham vs Newcastle LIVE
- Newcastle break Birmingham hearts late on to progress in FA Cup
- 1' GOAL! Laird gives Birmingham the lead inside 60 seconds [BIR 1-0 NEW]
- 21' GOAL! Willock equalises in controversial fashion for visitors [BIR 1-1 NEW]
- 26' GOAL! Wilson prods home to flip game on its head [BIR 1-2 NEW]
- 40' GOAL! Iwata scores stunner to draw Birmingham level [BIR 2-2 NEW]
- 82' GOAL! Willock scores again to restore Magpies lead late on [BIR 2-3 NEW]
Birmingham City FC 2 - 3 Newcastle United FC
Willock taking advantage of limited minutes
20:54 , Will CastleJoe Willock hasn’t been afforded much game time this season, but his performance today will put him in good stead with Eddie Howe.
"I was just trying to give my best. It has not been an easy season for me, I've been waiting for my chance to push on and hopefully this is the start of the rest of my season,” Willock told BBC Sport.
"It's very exciting times. It's not an easy place to come to, we want to thank the fans. Hopefully we can go one better this time in the Carabao Cup [final] and far in this competition."
Newcastle leave it late to break Birmingham dreams of cup upset
20:17 , Will Castle
FULL-TIME! Birmingham 2-3 Newcastle
19:50 , Will CastleThat’s your lot. A fantastic FA Cup clash that sees Newcastle eke out League One high-flyers Birmingham to progress into the fifth round.
Joe Willock’s brace proved pivotal, with his second goal being the only strike of a fiery second half.
Birmingham 2-3 Newcastle
19:49 , Will Castle90+12 mins: Osula is down with a head injury. He’s being treated as we move past the 12 minutes allotted.
Isak to come on for the final seconds as Birmingham get the drop ball.
Birmingham 2-3 Newcastle
19:48 , Will Castle90+11 mins: Schar gets a big tackle in before trying to catch the keeper off his line from halfway.
His effort is caught, giving possession back to Birmingham for maybe one last attack.
Birmingham 2-3 Newcastle
19:46 , Will Castle90+9 mins: Newcastle get a corner and try to kill time by keeping it right there, in the corner.
Tonali’s attempts at body-shielding are largely unsuccessful as he concedes a goal-kick. Chance to lump it up the other end.
Birmingham 2-3 Newcastle
19:43 , Will Castle90+7 mins: Alfie May looks to drive towards the box and attempts to let fly, but his shot doesn’t have the pace or power and trickles into the arms of Pope.
Up the other end, Osula blazes over from outside the box.
This isn’t over quite yet. Another goal could come at either end.
Birmingham 2-3 Newcastle
19:41 , Will Castle90+5 mins: Newcastle have nearly survived the first half of this mammoth period of additional time.
They’re just trying to tick the ball around - but possession is now at the tired feet of Birmingham. Let’s see what they can do with it.
Birmingham 2-3 Newcastle
19:38 , Will Castle90 mins: OFF THE LINE! Jacob Murphy breaks in behind with acres of space and has the perfect chance to finish it off.
However, he takes too long with it and despite getting around the keeper, he gives enough time for Ben Davies to scramble back and clear Murphy’s shot off the line.
That could’ve been it. Instead, Newcastle now need to hold of Birmingham for TWELVE added minutes.
Birmingham 2-3 Newcastle
19:36 , Will Castle89 mins: Big block from Hanley to stop Newcastle from taking the game out of sight, blocking Tonali as he ran on to shoot.
Fatigue has kicked in over the last 15 or so minutes for the Blues.
Birmingham 2-3 Newcastle
19:31 , Will Castle85 mins: SAVE! Nick Pope throws a vital leg out after a Birmingham corner sees the ball bounce towards the bottom corner.
Huge reaction stop.
GOAL! Birmingham 2-3 Newcastle
19:29 , Will Castle82 mins: GOAL! That might do it for the Magpies!
Joe Willock runs onto the loose ball on the edge of the six-yard box and hits it low through the keeper to re-establish Newcastle’s lead.
Heartbreak for Birmingham.
Birmingham 2-2 Newcastle
19:27 , Will Castle81 mins: Infuriation from the St. Andrews faithful after Sandro Tonali was dispossessed deep in his own half, only for the referee to take what felt like an age to bring it back for a foul.
Birmingham 2-2 Newcastle
19:26 , Will Castle79 mins: Longstaff receives the ball after Dowell completely mistimes his header at the back-post, but can only scuff his effort inside the box as the chance goes begging.
Up the other end, Dykes leaves a mark on Krafth off the ball - lucky that the referee didn’t spot that as it wasn’t half blatant.
Birmingham 2-2 Newcastle
19:24 , Will Castle77 mins: Birmingham are bringing their attacking reinforcements on as Lyndon Dykes and Alfie May enter the action for Keshi Anderson and Jay Stansfield. Those two have entertained today.
Krystian Bielik has also come on for Scott Wright.
Birmingham 2-2 Newcastle
19:22 , Will Castle75 mins: Willumsson is latest in the book for a cynical sliding challenge on Willock to stop him on the break.
Ben Davies also just escaped a card for a tackle from behind. It’s all getting a bit feisty.
Birmingham 2-2 Newcastle
19:18 , Will Castle71 mins: Keshi Anderson wants a penalty after a tangle of legs with Longstaff - it’s a tricky decision for the ref, who is eventually saved by the linesman’s flag which signals an offisde.
Moments later, Klarer clatters into Willock rugby-style and goes into the book. It’s turning into a bit of a yellow card-fest, with Willock also being cautioned minutes earlier.
Birmingham 2-2 Newcastle
19:16 , Will Castle69 mins: Dowell tries to channel his inner Iwata and score an absolute screamer, but his long-range effort flies high into the stands.
Birmingham 2-2 Newcastle
19:14 , Will Castle68 mins: This game is just getting back up to pace after Leonard’s injury brought a seven-minute pause to proceedings.
Expect a hefty chunk of added time.
Birmingham 2-2 Newcastle
19:13 , Will Castle66 mins: Another injury concern as Schar clatters into the advertising board, helped towards that fate by Birmingham frontman Stansfield.
Schar is up and issues a word of warning to the striker, who was booked for his part in it.
Birmingham 2-2 Newcastle
19:09 , Will Castle63 mins: Leonard’s night comes to an end as he’s stretchered off to an ovation from St. Andrews.
Willum Willumsson is on. Personally a big fan of that name.
Birmingham 2-2 Newcastle
19:06 , Will Castle60 mins: Real concerns for Birmingham as Marc Leonard lies on the deck in some discomfort after fully feeling the brunt of a tackle from Lewis Miley.
The stretcher is out and oxygen is being administered. It doesn’t look good - a big blow for the Blues.
Birmingham 2-2 Newcastle
19:02 , Will Castle55 mins: Double switch for Newcastle as Dan Burn limps off in place of Fabian Schar, while Jacob Murphy enters the fray for Dan Burn.
Birmingham 2-2 Newcastle
19:01 , Will Castle53 mins: Birmingham enjoying a spell of pressure as Stansfield nicks the ball from Burn, allowing the Blues to come forward.
Leonard then whips in a cross for Laird, who can’t quite get enough on it.
Birmingham 2-2 Newcastle
18:56 , Will Castle51 mins: Birmingham get a free-kick and Dowell whips in a delightfully inviting cross, but no-one can get their head to it.
Birmingham 2-2 Newcastle
18:55 , Will Castle49 mins: Newcastle understandably looking to start this second-half with a more tempered approach after the exhilarating 45 minutes we just witnessed. Playing at that pace is hardly sustainable.
One change to note as well - Guimaraes is off as Tonali comes on for the Magpies.
BACK UNDERWAY! Birmingham 2-2 Newcastle
18:51 , Will Castle46 mins: Here we go again.
Anyone else still recovering from that Iwata goal?
HALF-TIME! Birmingham 2-2 Newcastle
18:41 , Will Castle
HALF-TIME! Birmingham 2-2 Newcastle
18:35 , Will CastleAnd breathe - for the next 15 minutes at least.
It’s all square as we head into half-time after 45 minutes of pure end-to-end chaos.
Birmingham took the lead inside a minute through ex-Man United prodigy Ethan Laird, who smashed past Nick Pope with the help of a deflection from Callum Wilson.
The Magpies then flipped the game on its head thanks to two goals that didn’t go without controversy from Joe Willock and Wilson.
But the highlight of the half came when Tomoki Iwata leathered it into the top-right corner to equalise for the Blues - an early goal of the tournament contender.
Give us more of what we just saw. Please and thank you.
Birmingham 2-2 Newcastle
18:34 , Will Castle45+2 mins: Birmingham have got under the skin William Osula, who is shown a yellow card after a bit of a squabble with Keshi Anderson.
Anderson all gets booked for his part in it all.
Birmingham 2-2 Newcastle
18:32 , Will Castle45 mins: Newcastle have a corner to try and regain the lead before half-time.
It comes to nothing and Birmingham counter, with Stansfield leading the charge. Newcastle bodies get back to survive.
Three added minutes to come.
GOAL! Birmingham 2-2 Newcastle
18:27 , Will Castle40 mins: GOAL! WHAT A HIT!
Iwata just missed a glorious opportunity due to a lack of conviction in his shot. That wasn’t a problem for him here.
It sits up nicely for the midfielder, who runs onto the ball with pace and BLASTS it into the top-right corner.
We all just collectively leapt out of our seats. You won’t see many better strikes than that.
Birmingham 1-2 Newcastle
18:25 , Will Castle37 mins: This has been BREATHLESS!
It’s Newcastle this time that are pushing for another, with William Osula doing well to try and fashion a shooting chance, only to see his effort blocked by a Birmingham body.
Osula then tries catching an out-of-position Peacock-Farrell with an effort from range, but the keeper shuffles across to gather.
Birmingham 1-2 Newcastle
18:22 , Will Castle33 mins: CHANCE! You expect Jay Stansfield to put them away.
Birmingham’s top scorer latches onto a delightful cross from Anderson, but his header (or shoulder) goes agonisingly wide of the post.
Things should be level here.
GOAL DISALLOWED! Birmingham 1-2 Newcastle
18:19 , Will Castle32 mins: GOAL DISALLOWED! William Osula knocks in from Bruno Guimaraes’ free-kick but the flag goes up for offside.
Birmingham 1-2 Newcastle
18:18 , Will Castle30 mins: You could say order has been restored, but this first half an hour has been something of beautiful FA Cup chaos.
GOAL! Birmingham 1-2 Newcastle
18:14 , Will Castle26 mins: GOAL! Newcastle have turned this contest right on its head!
Livramento drives with the ball on the overlap and puts it into the danger area, where it turns into a pinball affair. In the chaos, Wilson gets his studs to the high ball and forces it over the line.
Not as much controversy about that one. The Magpies lead.
GOAL! Birmingham 1-1 Newcastle
18:10 , Will Castle21 mins: GOAL! Newcastle do have their equaliser - but it isn’t without controversy.
Osula latches onto Wilson’s cross and pulls it back to Willock, whose effort looks to be incredibly saved by Peacock-Farrell.
However, the linesman signals that the ball went over the line, awarding the goal to Newcastle.
Replays aren’t definitive in showing whether it fully crossed the line. But with no VAR or goal-line technology, the goal stands!
Birmingham 1-0 Newcastle
18:06 , Will Castle19 mins: Newcastle enjoying much of the ball but it’s when the hosts gain possession that you feel another goal might be on the cards.
Magpies are happy to be patient with it, while the Blues are equally content with pouncing on the counter.
Birmingham 1-0 Newcastle
18:03 , Will Castle15 mins: SAVE! Anderson catches a volley delightfully on the edge of the box, requiring the outstretched arm of Nick Pope to deny Birmingham a second.
It took a slight deflection of Dan Burn which made the effort even harder to stop.
Birmingham 1-0 Newcastle
17:59 , Will Castle12 mins: Livramento shows great tenacity to get to the byline and pull it back towards a Newcastle shirt.
Birmingham get bodies in the way to make a goal-saving block.
Birmingham 1-0 Newcastle
17:58 , Will Castle9 mins: Newcastle are gaining a foothold in the contest.
William Osula gets taken out by Alex Cochrane after beating his man with a step over, and are now enjoying a lot of possession.
They’re trying to take the sting out of this.
Birmingham 1-0 Newcastle
17:52 , Will Castle4 mins: It’s been a frantic start at St. Andrews.
Birmingham get another set-piece opportunity and whip in a second inviting delivery of the game so far, this time it’s cleared by Newcastle.
When you want to cause an upset, that’s how you kick things off.
GOAL! Birmingham 1-0 Newcastle
17:48 , Will Castle1 min: GOAL! AND THEY’VE ONLY SCORED FROM THAT CORNER!
Former Man United prospect Ethan Laird smashes past Pope from close range, with a big deflection off Callum Wilson helping it on its way.
What a noise. What a start.
KICK-OFF! Birmingham 0-0 Newcastle
17:47 , Will Castle1 min: KICK-OFF! We’re underway at St. Andrews.
Within 20 seconds, Birmingham have a corner.
Here come the players
17:44 , Will CastleBoth sets of players are making their way out to an electric St. Andrews atmosphere, on a gloomy late afternoon.
Kick-off imminent.
Jay Stansfield speaks on his record transfer fee
17:41 , Will CastleJay Stansfield’s arrival in League One broke all the norms the division had previously known, with his £12m transfer fee obliterating the previous record for an acquisition.
Even the player himself knows how crazy it was for Birmingham to shell out that much cash.
“I wouldn’t say I feel under pressure,” Stansfield told BBC Sport.
“I think it’s a crazy fee to be honest and it’s privileged to have that fee on my back and I can’t thank club for having faith and backing me to be a player of that quality.”
Kick-off fast approaching
17:35 , Will CastleWe’re less than 10 minutes out from kick-off as Birmingham look to cause one of the upsets of the weekend against their Premier League visitors.
The Blues are flying this season, currently four points atop League One with two games in hand, and will aim to elevate their season even further with a major Premier League scalp.
St. Andrews is going to be absolutely bouncing. Follow all the action, right here.
When is the FA Cup fifth round draw?
17:20 , Will CastleBirmingham and Newcastle will be vying for a place in the fifth round as both teams look to keep their FA Cup dreams alive.
Here’s everything you need to know about the fifth round draw:
When is the draw?
The draw for the fifth round of the FA Cup will take place on Monday, 10 February at 7.10pm.
How can I watch the draw?
The draw will be broadcasted live on BBC One. Subscribers can also watch online via BBC iPlayer.
Results from across the fourth round today
17:14 , Will CastleHere are all the results from today’s fourth round ties.
Leyton Orient 1-2 Manchester City
Coventry City 1-4 Ipswich Town
Everton 0-2 Bournemouth
Leeds United 0-2 Millwall
Southampton 0-1 Burnley
Wigan Athletic 1-2 Fulham
Ongoing after going to extra time:
Preston North End 0-0 Wycombe Wanderers
Stoke City 3-3 Cardiff City
Birmingham looking to end 18-year wait for win over Newcastle
17:10 , Will CastleBirmingham fans haven’t had much joy against the Magpies in years gone by.
They have won just one of their last 15 meetings with Newcastle in all competitions (D7 L7) - which happened to be a 5-1 away win in an FA Cup third round replay in 2007.
They’re back up against each other in the same competition - can they end their winless run tonight?
Newcastle’s near misses: The six times glory slipped by since last major trophy
17:05 , Will CastleWhile attention turns to the FA Cup tonight, Newcastle United moved a step closer to ending a 70-year wait for a major domestic trophy when they saw off Arsenal in midweek to reach a second Carabao Cup final in three seasons.
The Magpies completed a 4-0 aggregate victory over the Gunners at St James’ Park on Wednesday and will now face either Liverpool or Tottenham at Wembley on Sunday, March 16.
Here is a look at Newcastle’s near misses on home soil since winning the FA Cup in 1955.
Newcastle’s near misses: The six times glory slipped by since last major trophy
Jay Stansfield restored to the starting XI for Birmingham
16:59 , Will CastleAs expected, League One record signing Jay Stansfield is back in the starting XI for Birmingham as Chris Davies’ side looks to cause an upset against Premier League opposition.
Ethan Laird, Ben Davies, Tomoki Iwata and Keshi Anderson also make their returns to the lineup.
Changes across the board for Newcastle
16:56 , Will CastleWholesale changes for Newcastle, as was expected coming into today’s clash.
Eddie Howe switches out nine players from their Carabao Cup win over Arsenal in midweek, with ex-Birmingham loanee Dan Burn and skipper Bruno Guimaraes the only players to keep their spot.
Callum Wilson is chosen to lead the line as formidable top scorer Alexander Isak sits on the bench, held in reserve in case of emergency.
Birmingham vs Newcastle: Confirmed lineups
16:47 , Will CastleBirmingham XI: Peacock-Farrell; Laird, Klarer, Davies, Cochrane; Iwata, Leonard; Wright, Dowell, Anderson; Stansfield.
Subs: Allsop, Bielik, Hanley, Sampsted, Harris, Willumsson, Dykes, May, Jutkiewicz.
Newcastle XI: Pope; Livramento, Kraft, Burn, Targett; Bruno G., Longstaff, Miley; Osula, Wilson, Willock.
Subs: Dubravka, Ruddy, Trippier, Schar, Tonali, Isak, Hall, Murphy, Neave.
Every FA Cup fourth round tie
16:40 , Will CastleThe FA Cup is fully back into the swing of things as the fourth round proper takes place across the weekend.
We’ve already had a couple ties to sink our teeth into, with Manchester United leaving it late to knock out Leicester City and Ruud van Nistelrooy at Old Trafford as Harry Maguire’s stoppage-time goal earned the holders a place in the fifth round on Friday night.
Manchester City then managed to spare their blushes at Leyton Orient in Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off, coming from behind to eke out a 2-1 win at Brisbane Road.
Here’s everything you need to know about FA Cup the fourth round.
Birmingham's FA Cup journey so far
16:20 , Will CastleTonight’s glamour tie against Premier League opposition represents a free shot for Chris Davies’ side, who have breezed through the early stages of the competition so far.
The Blues overcame Sutton United in the first round before defeating Blackpool at Bloomfield Road in the second - a team they were relegated alongside in the 2010/11 Premier League season.
They then beat Lincoln 2-1 to reach this stage of the competition, with a first minute goal from Ayumu Yokoyama putting them in the driving seat for the game’s entirety.
Magpies chasing a cup double?
16:00 , Will CastleThe FA Cup could form part of a cup double for Newcastle, who are already planning on trip to Wembley after reaching the EFL Cup final on Wednesday night with a 2-0 victory over Arsenal.
However, the Magpies will be eager for a smoother ride at St. Andrew’s after suffering an early scare in their third round tie against Bromley - conceding the first goal before eventually toppling the League Two outfit 3-1.
Predicted line-ups
15:40 , Will CastleBirmingham XI: Allsop; Klarer, Davies, Cochrane; Laird, Dowell, Iwata, Gardner-Hickman, Anderson; Dykes, Stansfield.
Newcastle XI: Dubravka; Trippier, Schar, Krafth, Targett; Miley, Tonali, Longstaff; Murphy, Wilson, Osula.
Newcastle wary of danger man Stansfield
15:20 , Will CastleIt’s no secret Jay Stansfield has ability that far outweighs the competition in League 1.
The division’s record signing has backed up the hype with 14 goals in 21 matches, averaging a goal every 116 minutes.
Both he and Alfie May are more than equipped to give the visitors issues, particularly as Newcastle might be suffering after a busy schedule.
Odds and prediction
15:09 , Jamie BraidwoodOdds
Birmingham win - 9/1
Draw - 4/1
Newcastle win - 1/2
Prediction
Even a much-rested Newcastle side should have more than enough for the League One leaders.
Birmingham 0-2 Newcastle.
Birmingham vs Newcastle: What is the team news?
15:03 , Jamie BraidwoodIn his pre-match conference, Eddie Howe confirmed that Sven Botman will miss the weekend’s match after picking up a knock against Arsenal.
The Magpies boss also hinted that he would make several changes, with Callum Wilson and Emil Krafth both in contention to start, alongside William Osula, Matt Targett and Sean Longstaff.
Birmingham vs Newcastle: What is the team news?
15:02 , Jamie BraidwoodFor the hosts, Lee Buchanan is the only long-term injury, with the left-back ruled out for the rest of the season.
Birmingham boss Davies will hope to welcome back Paik Seung Ho after the South Korean has missed the last few weeks of action, while Willum Willumsson could also return. Tomoki Iwata made his return against Huddersfield last month, and should be fit to start once again.
Is Birmingham vs Newcastle on TV? Kick-off time, channel and how to watch FA Cup fixture
15:02 , Jamie BraidwoodWhen is Birmingham vs Newcastle?
The FA Cup fixture will kick off at 5.45pm GMT on Saturday 8 February at St Andrews in Birmingham.
What TV channel is it on?
This fixture will be shown free-to-air on BBC One in the UK, with subscribers also able to watch online via BBC iPlayer. Coverage begins at 5.30pm.
Good afternoon
15:01 , Jamie BraidwoodBirmingham City host Newcastle United in the fourth round of the FA Cup tonight, with the League One leaders looking to bring an upset at St Andrew’s.
Chris Davies’ side lead the third division by four points with two games in hand, putting them in a brilliant position ahead of the fourth round. And their advantage in the league means they can afford to put everything into trying to earn a famous upset this weekend.
Newcastle will still be buoyed by their 4-0 aggregate win over Arsenal in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup in midweek, with Eddie Howe’s team booking their place in a second League Cup final win three years.
And a likely much-changed Magpies side will want to get the business done against lower-league opposition as they continue to hunt an end to the club’s 70-year trophy drought.
