Jamal Lascelles saved Newcastle with a last-gasp draw as the Premier League strugglers secured a 1–1 draw against Aston Villa on Friday in a dramatic finale. With only four minutes left in St James’ Park in favor of Steve Bruce when Newcastle defender Syaoran Clarke struck an Ollie Watkins header into his own net. But Newcastle captain Lascelles dismissed his troubled team at St James’ Park in a few seconds from the final whistle. “The goal he scored was a little flirt,” Bruce said. Then you have to show a desire to get back into it and we did it. We were at least entitled to it. “
Despite surviving nerve-jangling, Newcastle are without a win in their last five league matches and the threat of sinking into the Championship is more severe than the week before.
They are just two points above the charge zone and both Fulham and fourth lower Brighton in the third floor will go above them if they win this weekend.
Bruce said, “There are still 10 games left. We have to show the same attitude. I’m still sure we’ll be fine.”
The Magpies were 10 points clear of Fulham last month, but now Bruce is fighting to avoid the sack as a turbulent season approaches boiling point.
The former Manchester United defender has been in the dressing room row alongside Newcastle winger Matt Ritchie, while quarreling with the media and facing criticism from disappointed fans.
The clash against Brighton next week looms as a defining moment in Newcastle’s campaign.
Bruce said, “There is no question to manage Newcastle. There is always a very big spotlight and that is the way it should be. I am ready for the challenge and I hope that my experience proves to be important.”
In the absence of injured Callum Wilson, Newcastle striker Dwight Gayle was handed just his second start of the season.
Newcastle had failed to win any of the six league games when Wilson was absent this season and once again became impotent without him.
Villa had the upper hand in the first half and Martin Dabravka had to step out of his line to stop Watkins in his tracks.
The trebugate retried again to retract the agile strike from a tight angle.
Bruce’s men were desperately in need of a stroke of luck to get on the scoresheet and Villa defender Matt Target almost gave him a gift when his crooked header forced Emiliano Martinez to save.
Jacob Murphy came off the bench for Newcastle and made an impact almost immediately, cutting inside the Villa area for a curling strike that closed the bar from behind.
Villa snatched the lead in the 86th minute when Watkins halted to complete Target’s cross with a header that hit Clarke on the knee and landed in the woodwork.
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Newcastle refused to surrender and Joselinton’s attempt was saved by Martinez before Lascelles saved the day.
In the fourth minute of stoppage-time, defenders sprang up most to throw Martinez’s previous header from Murphy’s cross.
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