Fulham 0-2 Newcastle: Geordies get the job done to reach FA Cup Fifth Round
Newcastle defied the critics with a much-needed win over Fulham, seeing the Toon progress to the Fifth Round of the FA Cup at Craven Cottage.
Sean Longstaff’s strike in the first half separated the teams at the break before Dan Burn turned the ball in to double the lead.
After hammering the Mackems in the Third Round, Newcastle went to Craven Cottage looking to bring the same clinical edge that saw them win on Wearside against a Fulham team which has seen inconsistency stain a good season.
It wasn’t the dominant display we saw against Sunderland, nor was it the exciting attacking performance that we saw against Man City. But the lads got the job done and are into the hat for the next round.
Following a set piece six minutes before half-time, the ball bobbled up to Sean Longstaff after a deflection off Bruno. The Whitley Bay-born midfielder slammed the ball into the net to give Newcastle the advantage.
https://twitter.com/NUFC/status/1751333834803572753
It was checked by VAR, but since Bruno was not the goalscorer there was not deemed to be any advantage gained from the ball clipping his elbow on the way through to Longstaff.
Jacob Murphy also had the ball in the back of the net before half-time, but he strayed into an offside position and a wonderful goal-scoring return to the starting 11 was not to be.
A wicked delivery from Trippier provided the second. Whipped in for Botman to head towards goal, the keeper stopped the ball from going in from Botman, but only parried as far as Burn who blasted it home from less than six yards.
https://twitter.com/NUFC/status/1751342747108229402
But Newcastle were disjointed, sloppy in possession, and still looked lethargic even after a couple of weeks off. It will be a cause for concern since this was Fulham’s sixth game since the turn of the year and they looked much more energetic. A win tonight was ultimately all that mattered, but we'll have to be better at Aston Villa next Tuesday.
Bruno particularly looked off the pace. He misplaced several passes and did not really produce anything of note. He also looked like he was playing with less fire than usual.
However, the story of the day in the FA Cup was one of being clinical. Earlier in the afternoon sixth-tier Maidstone United pulled off a 2-1 upset with only two shots against Ipswich. Newcastle also had fewer chances than their hosts.
Fulham had a handful of chances but they were met by Trippier, Botman, Schar, or no one at all. It was a typical case of the home side being made to pay for their missed chances. Their best chance in the second half came 15 minutes from full-time, seeing Jimenez nod over from a floated cross.
The Toon began to grow into the game after the hour mark, remarkably so given the lack of energy that was displayed in the first half. The second wind enabled them to carve a couple of chances on the flanks as Gordon looked to add to his tally for the season.
Newcastle progress into the Fifth Round of the FA Cup for the first time since 2020 and only the second time in 17 years. We will find out our Fifth Round opponents at around 2pm on Sunday January 28 on ITV1.
NUFC XI: Dubravka - Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn - Longstaff, Bruno, Miley - J Murphy, Isak, Gordon.
SUBS: Karius, Dummett, Krafth, Hall, Livramento, A.Murphy, Parkinson, Hernes.
