Brave performance goes unrewarded against Magpies

A battling and spirited performance deserved better but ended with us empty-handed as Newcastle United took the points with a 2-1 win at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday lunchtime.

Having to contend with a long injury list and an illness which swept through the squad this week, we still produced a display full of character and commitment, with Academy graduate Brandon Austin epitomising the manner of the display with an assured and composed performance in goal on his Spurs debut at the age of 25. This was Austin’s 50th appearance in a Premier League matchday squad and his first competitive game in our colours.

We took an early lead through a fine diving header from Dominic Solanke before Newcastle hit back immediately through Anthony Gordon, with Alexander Isak applying the finishing touch to a well-worked move to give the visitors the advantage going into half-time. We were the dominant team throughout most of the second half, Solanke close again with another couple of headers but we just couldn’t fashion that one chance to equalise.

It was an explosive start to the game with two goals in the opening six minutes to warm everyone up on a freezing afternoon. We took the lead in the fourth minute, Solanke’s diving header from Pedro Porro’s cross beating Martin Dubravka but the visitors responded almost immediately, Gordon with an angled drive past Austin, although what seemed a clear handball from Joelinton in the build-up was cleared by VAR and the goal stood.

A superb run from Brennan Johnson led to another chance for us in the 11th minute, the ball breaking for Solanke whose shot was well blocked by Sven Botman, while Austin made a smart save at the other end to keep out another Gordon effort.

A big opportunity came the way of the Magpies just after the half-hour mark, Jacob Murphy’s low ball across the six-yard box touched just wide of the far post by Isak with Gordon waiting at the back post to tap home. However they did take the lead on 38 minutes, Murphy again down the right and this time his cross was diverted by Radu Dragusin onto Isak and he side-footed home from close range. The visitors were certainly having the better of the exchanges at that stage but we kept persevering with our football and Timo Werner almost got on the end of the another dangerous Pedro Porro cross as the half drew to a close.

With just a one-goal deficit we were always in the game and almost levelled 10 minutes into second half, Dubravka getting down low to save Pape Matar Sarr’s shot with Johnson firing the rebound against the post from a very tight angle. At the other end, Archie Gray blocked Sandro Tonali’s fierce drive with Gordon blazing the rebound way over the bar.

We made a triple change just after the hour with Heung-Min Son, James Maddison and Yves Bissouma on for Werner, Lucas Bergvall and Sarr as we searched for a way back into the game and we certainly had the upper hand for much of the second period. Maddison almost drew us level in the 82nd minute, curling just wide from a short corner before a crazy scramble in the area saw Johnson fizz the ball across the face of goal without it getting a touch before substitute Sergio Reguilon picked it up and drilled back across goal, again nobody on hand to touch it home.

With 10 minutes of stoppage time added on, we continued to be the team playing the better football and Solanke was just over the bar with a looping header from Dejan Kulusevski’s cross, although Austin had to be on guard to push away a shot from Harvey Barnes at the other end. Another Solanke header brought a diving save out of Dubravka as the clock ticked down but that proved to be our last chance of the afternoon.

Match data

Goals: Spurs – Solanke 4; Newcastle – Gordon 6, Isak 38.

Yellow cards: Spurs – Reguilon; Newcastle – Burn, Joelinton, Botman, Isak.

Referee: Andrew Madley.

Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Weather: Light cloud, light winds, four degrees.

Attendance: 61,293.