Blackburn 1 Newcastle 1 AET (3-4 on pens!) – First thing next morning Newcastle United fan / writer reaction | OneFootball

Blackburn 1 Newcastle 1 AET (3-4 on pens)

Instant fan / writer reaction from some of our regular contributors on The Mag.

Nat Seaton:

What a tense night. Thank you Dubravka for making the trip home bearable.

Three away wins to get us to the quarter final makes it well deserved, even though tonight we struggled.

Bottom line we are through and here’s hoping for a home draw.’

Matt Busby said to Joe Harvey…:

‘If we’d gone out there would have been no excuses.

We were poor from the get go and couldn’t hang onto the lead.

Still, winning a penalty shoot out is a novelty and we progress.

We can’t be as bad in the Quarters and it’s our last chance of getting a home draw so fingers crossed. HTL.’

David Punton:

‘Heroics from Dubravka but that was a bit of a mess from United.

A rare win on penalty kicks shouldn’t fully paper over the previous 120 minutes, where we were profligate, sloppy at the back and ponderous in midfield.

There’s a deep sense of dread when NUFC are taken to penalties, but the Slovakian stopper came up with the saves to edge us into sixth round, and hopefully a good draw.

The goal from Gordon was a bright spot on an otherwise frustrating night.

Perhaps Alan Shearer is right, though. You have to give Blackburn some credit for making a game of it. It isn’t easy to stroll games like this, especially when the fifth round is a midweek game.’

‘It’s all about being in the next round but apart from winning the penalties, that was rubbish.

Some of our players tonight were absolutely dreadful and some of them are incredible with the effort they put in.

Talk about a game of two halves, we have a team of two halves.

And a manager treading a thin line with performances like that.

Still it’s all about the win I suppose.’

Davey Hat-Trick:

‘Well, we’re in the draw, but by the skin of our teeth, and because of heroics by Martin Dubravka.

We should have had this won before the end of normal time.

We didn’t, because we were cautious, predictable and repetitive.

Passes went backwards not forward, and we didn’t assert ourselves. We lacked flair and we lacked a plan B.

Blackburn nearly did a number on us and credit to them for frustrating Newcastle and hitting us on the break.

I would have kept Karius in the team but Dubravka made some essential saves in the first 120 minutes and then became our shoot-out hero.

Let’s hope for a home draw.’

Bazoox:

‘Martin Dubravka has finally redeemed himself after sulking off to Man Utd.

That was pretty awful though and I am just glad that we are through.

Home draw now please.’

Billy Miller:

‘Wow, was that hard work?

Important thing is we’re in the quarter finals.

We’ve had one home draw (against last season’s treble winners) in six domestic cup ties so we’re bound to get an easy home draw right?

Don’t count on it!’

Tony Mallabar:

‘Just got back hyem from Blackburn and it’s 2.20am.

To say we got away with one is the understatement of the season.

Am not one for in-depth tactical analysis but for the first time under nice guy Eddie it looked like we had run out of ideas.

On the plus side we are through to the next round and what a cracking atmosphere provided by the 7200 travelling toon.’

Goals:

Gordon 71

Blackburn:

Szmodics 79

Possession was Blackburn 38% Newcastle 62%

Total shots were Blackburn 16 Newcastle 19

Shots on target were Blackburn 9 Newcastle 8

Corners were Blackburn 2 Newcastle 14

Referee: Jarred Gillett

Attendance: 22,730 (7,200+ Newcastle)

Newcastle team v Blackburn:

Dubravka, Trippier (Livramento 90), Lascelles, Schar, Burn, Longstaff, Guimaraes, Willock (Miley 62 (Anderson 116)), Murphy (Almiron 62), Gordon, Isak (Barnes 62)

Unused subs:

Karius, Ritchie, Krafth, Hall

Newcastle United confirmed matches to mid-April 2024:

Tuesday 27 February 2024 – Blackburn v Newcastle (7.45pm) BBC1

Saturday 2 March 2024 – Newcastle v Wolves (3pm)

Monday 11 March 2024 – Chelsea v Newcastle (8pm) Sky Sports

Saturday 16 March 2024 – Crystal Palace v Newcastle (3pm) ***If Newcastle beat Blackburn, NUFC will be playing in FA Cup sixth round / quarter-finals this weekend instead.

Saturday 30 March 2024 – Newcastle v West Ham (12.30pm) TNT Sports

Tuesday 2 April 2024 – Newcastle v Everton (7.30pm) TNT Sports

Saturday 6 April 2024 – Fulham v Newcastle (3pm)