Residents of Wembley can look forward to some rousing renditions of the Blaydon Races at the end of February when Newcastle make their first appearance in a major final this century. Perhaps appropriately, it was a local hero, the North Shields-born Sean Longstaff, who scored the two second-leg goals that ensured Eddie Howe’s side won this Carabao Cup semi-final, sparking wild celebrations on Tyneside.
Almost 24 years after losing the 1999 FA Cup final to Manchester United, Newcastle finally have an opportunity to win their first trophy since the Fairs Cup in 1969. Small wonder some fans of a certain age were spotted leaving St James’ Park in tears.
Bruno Guimarães will almost certainly start the final but Howe’s midfield catalyst must miss the next three Premier League games, against West Ham, Bournemouth and Liverpool, after being sent off for stamping on the ankle of Southampton’s Sam Edozie in the 82nd minute. Although the Brazilian almost certainly did not intend to hurt Edozie it was a reckless and dangerous challenge that could have caused a fractured limb and was upgraded from a yellow to a red card by the referee, Paul Tierney, after a VAR review.
“I think it was a mistimed tackle and it doesn’t look great,” said Howe, who tried and failed to sign central-midfield cover before the transfer window’s closure “I thought the red card was harsh. It’s a huge blow for us.”
Not that anything could strip the smile from the Newcastle manager’s face. “I feel good, very good,” he said. “I’m very proud of the players, it was a brilliant first 20 minutes from us and I’m so pleased Sean has the headlines, he’s Newcastle through and through and he’s an excellent player. He’s been pivotal this season.”
Longstaff scored five minutes after a highly evocative kick-off against a swirling sea of black and white scarves and flags complemented by a formidable wall of noise. Within five minutes that soundtrack had “We’re going to Wemberlee” on repeat after Longstaff’s perfectly angled shot flew across Gavin Bazunu and on into the far corner. Newcastle were 2-0 up on aggregate and St James’ Park was ecstatic.
Nathan Jones’s left wing-back Kyle Walker-Peters proved powerless to prevent Kieran Trippier sashaying past him before cueing up Longstaff for a superbly created goal initiated when Guimarães’s dancing feet swept the Brazilian beyond a couple of thoroughly confounded midfield minders. Southampton had paid the price for failing to pick up Longstaff’s late blindside run into the box and were seriously up against it.
When Lyanco failed to check Joe Willock’s advance as he played the cleverest of one-twos with Joelinton, Willock slipped the ball to Miguel Almirón. The otherwise unusually quiet Paraguayan crossed low, and at pace, straight into the path of the onrushing Longstaff who once again shot into the bottom corner, for his second goal.
Not so long ago Longstaff was out of form and suffering from mild depression but now he ranks among England’s finest midfielders. “It’s a special and really emotional night for everyone in Newcastle,” he said. “It’s been so long since a night like this here. If, 12 months ago, you’d said this would happen people would have laughed at you.”
After Longstaff’s second goal it was all too easy to appreciate why Jones’s side are currently bottom of the Premier League and Newcastle third in the table but when Willock momentarily lost concentration, Southampton reminded everyone of the team who had turned the first leg into a tight contest. Adam Armstrong and Ché Adams had been tasked with ending Nick Pope’s extraordinary run of clean sheets and the latter succeeded.
Howe’s goalkeeper had kept 10 in a row at kick-off but Adams ensured that sequence concluded when, having intercepted Willock’s slapdash pass, he took a steadying touch and drove the ball crisply past the England goalkeeper from almost 25 yards. “Southampton’s goal changed the dynamic, part of our problem was psychological; we were feeling the pressure,” said Howe.
Jones is never averse to switching formations and, attempting to alter the narrative, Southampton’s changed to a back four to positive effect at the outset of the second half. Galvanised by the introduction of Roméo Lavia and Romain Perraud his side improved considerably during a very different ensuing 45 minutes.
Suddenly they were enjoying both possession and midfield control and Armstrong, a former Newcastle forward, missed a wonderful chance before Guimarães’s dismissal gave Gallowgate Enders a somewhat nervy denouement.
“We gave ourselves a mountain to climb in the first 20 minutes,” said Jones. “But our reaction was fantastic and I thought we were the better side from there on in.” His only problem was that Longstaff had already booked Newcastle’s Wembley ticket.
