Hughes' strike leaves Robson stuck in time warp
Newcastle United 1 West Bromwich Albion 2 aet; score at 90min, 1-1
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Your support makes all the difference.In an effort to inspire his players for Carling Cup action last night, and to put some silverware in the trophy cabinet that time forgot, Sir Bobby Robson showed his first-team squad video clips of Jackie Milburn and Co returning to Tyneside with the FA Cup in the 1950s. The trouble was Sir Bobby then sent out a half-strength side to face West Bromwich Albion at St James' Park.
With six changes to the team who overwhelmed Portsmouth in the Premiership last Saturday, and with Alan Shearer on the bench for 99 minutes, Newcastle paid the price for their half-hearted approach against the First Division leaders. They fell behind to an own goal by Shola Ameobi after 29 minutes and, though Laurent Robert equal-ised midway through the second half, a cool side-footed finish by Lee Hughes 11 minutes into extra time halted the Magpies' winning run at five matches.
Albion's reward is a fourth-round tie at home to a Manchester United side whose weekend League Cup line-ups tend to be an altogether different proposition. "It's a terrific draw for us" said the Albion manager, Gary Megson. "But we want to be playing these teams week-in, week-out by getting promoted."
Newcastle had enough chances to have won - right from the opening stages, when Lomana LuaLua curled a shot wide and then nodded a Steve Caldwell header on to the top of Russell Hoult's crossbar.
Ameobi was prominent, too, and on the quarter hour the former England under 21 international ought to have opened the scoring - for Newcastle, that is. Latching on to an excellent cross-field pass by Hugo Viana, he hared up the right flank, then cut inside of Phil Gilchrist before pulling a left-foot shot wide of the far post.
As it was, Newcastle were left playing catch-up after Ameobi's unwitting goalscoring touch in the opposite goalmouth - a close-range deflection after Thomas Gaardsoe had headed on a left-wing corner by Artim Sakiri in the 29th minute. They might have caught up within five minutes but when LuaLua dispatched a right-wing cross to the far post the unmarked Ameobi directed his header against the near upright.
After 20 minutes of second-half pressure, Robert finally broke through for Newcastle, the French winger playing a one-two with Ameobi on the left side of the area before clipping a left-foot shot over Hoult. But Hughes, an 84th minute replacement for Rob Hulse, settled the tie. Taking Neil Clement's prompting pass on the left side of the Newcastle penalty area, the Albion hero calmly steered a right-foot shot past Steve Harper.
Newcastle United (4-4-2): Harper; Griffin, Caldwell, Bramble, Bernard; Solano, Jenas, Viana (Speed, h-t), Robert (Shearer, 99); LuaLua, Ameobi. Substitutes not used: Given (gk), A Hughes.
West Bromwich Albion (3-5-2): Hoult; Gregan, Gaardsoe, Gilchrist (Volmer, 97); Haas, Johnson, O'Connor, Sakiri (Wallwork, 59), Clement; Dobie, Hulse (L Hughes, 84). Substitutes not used: Murphy (gk), N'Dour.
Referee: N Barry (Scunthorpe).
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