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Newcastle defeated 10-man Burnley 2-1 at St James’ Park despite a nervy finish that saw Josh Laurent miss a glorious headed chance to equalise in the dying seconds. Bruno Guimarães scored directly from a corner before Anthony Gordon converted a penalty, with Zian Flemming pulling one back from the spot for the visitors.
Newcastle Survive Late Scare to Beat 10-Man Burnley After Guimarães Corner Goal
Newcastle took the lead through an unlikely source when Bruno Guimarães’s corner swerved wickedly before dropping directly into the net past Martin Dubravka. The Brazilian midfielder’s set piece caught everyone by surprise, including Burnley goalkeeper Dubravka, who was making his first return to St James’ Park since leaving Newcastle during the summer transfer window.
The match turned decisively in Newcastle’s favour when Lucas Pires received a straight red card for felling Anthony Gordon just outside the penalty area. The Burnley defender brought down the Newcastle winger when he was clean through on goal, leaving his team to play the majority of the match with 10 men and facing an uphill battle.
Newcastle doubled their advantage from the penalty spot through Anthony Gordon after Lesley Ugochukwu was penalised for handball in first-half stoppage time. Gordon, who had earlier grazed the post with his left foot, made no mistake from 12 yards to give the home side a commanding 2-0 lead going into the break against the depleted visitors.
Burnley refused to surrender despite their numerical disadvantage and pulled one back when Zian Flemming converted a penalty in stoppage time after Jacob Ramsey was adjudged to have handled the ball. The visitors then came agonisingly close to snatching a dramatic equaliser when Josh Laurent miscued a glorious headed chance in the dying seconds, much to Newcastle’s relief.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe acknowledged his team’s struggles but praised their recent form, stating they have taken 10 points from the last possible 12. The victory comes ahead of a demanding eight-day period featuring Wednesday’s Champions League trip to Bayer Leverkusen and next Sunday’s north-east derby at Sunderland, with Howe describing the performance as having “a bizarre ending and a sluggish start.”
