Newcastle’s Karl Darlow has debut to forget as West Brom win at last
West Brom 1 - 0 NewcastleHome team scorers
Darren Fletcher 78
Darren Fletcher leaps to score his side’s goal but Newcastle’s stand-in keeper Karl Darlow will be disappointed he could not keep it out. Photograph: Jan Kruger/Getty Images
Monday 28 December 2015 17.18 GMT Last modified on Monday 28 December 2015 17.20 GMT
Karl Darlow’s debut disaster plunged Newcastle into further relegation trouble as West Brom triumphed at The Hawthorns. The goalkeeper allowed Darren Fletcher’s header to squeeze past him on his Premier League debut to hand Albion a 1-0 win. Darlow was only a late replacement for Rob Elliot after he was taken ill in the buildup to the game and dropped to the bench.
Fabricio Coloccini cleared off the line from James Morrison while he and Paul Dummett hit the woodwork for Newcastle and Victor Anichebe struck the bar for West Brom.
Defeat left Newcastle in the bottom three and two points from safety while Albion’s first win in six games moved them six points above the drop zone.
Saido Berahino started on the bench for the eighth straight game with Anichebe given his first Premier League start since May. The West Bromwich Albion manager Tony Pulis insisted pre-match that Berahino was even lucky to be a substitute and hinted at internal problems.
The tone of Darlow’s match was set when he had to be rescued inside two minutes of his top flight debut by Coloccini when the skipper hacked Morrison’s shot off the line. The goalkeeper then turned Morrison’s drive wide before Albion survived a scare.
Moussa Sissoko had stolen the ball inside Newcastle’s half and his lung-bursting 60-yard run was only halted by a last-gasp challenge from Gareth McAuley as the midfielder prepared to pull the trigger.
Both sides were prepared to press during an entertaining opening and Aleksandar Mitrovic hit a shot which deflected over while Dummett blocked Fletcher’s drive. Darlow looked nervy, skewed a punch over his own bar, and Albion noticeably targeted the keeper at set-pieces but they could not force a first-half opener and almost fell behind 10 minutes after the break.
Newcastle had started well and Dummett’s header hit the underside of the bar and Coloccini’s follow up was deflected onto the post. Chris Brunt was then forced to clear Mitrovic’s effort over his own bar - as the striker called for a penalty with West Brom ragged.
Newcastle’s plight forced them to up the tempo and, sensing the danger Pulis called for Berahino, with the striker replacing Morrison with 20 minutes left.
But it was Anichebe, who had faded after a bullish first half, who came closest on 74 minutes. Darlow’s nerves got to him again and he shanked his clearance behind for a corner and from the resulting delivery Anichebe’s header bounced onto the bar. Darlow did not escape a second time when his error gifted Albion the lead 12 minutes from time.
Claudio Yacob’s cross was met by the unmarked Fletcher and Darlow should have dealt with his downward header but he allowed it to squirm past him and over the line.
The keeper made a smart save from Anichebe to prevent Albion doubling their lead and then turned Berahino’s drive wide with four minutes left but his gaffe proved costly.
Guardian