Newcastle United scored four goals in 11 minutes in the first half to keep their hopes for qualifying the Champions League alive with an exciting victory of 4-3 Nottingham Forest In St James’ Park on Sunday, but had to stand under a strong pressure in the second period.
Newcastle goes to fifth place with 44 points of 26 games, apart from the top four on the difference in goals only. The high -flying forest has lost for the second consecutive week, but remains in third place with 47 points compared to the same number of games.
The forest led early through Callum Hudson-OdoiLong -range strike, but Newcastle broke into life with four fast 18 -year -old goals Lewis Miley,, Jacob Murphy And a splint of Alexander IsaacThe first a penalty, which gave them an advance of 4-1 at halftime.
The forest was the best team of the second period and created many chances against a nervous home team, as Nikola Milenkovic net and a late goal by Ryan Yates almost won visitors which would have been a deserved point.
“It was a brilliant half-time, the reaction after conceding was really good,” Isak told Sky Sports. “We dropped the second half a little and conceded botched goals. I am obviously happy to win the match.
“The most important thing was to win. We want to win more comfortably, but it was a big victory.”
It was the proverbial game of two halves, with Newcastle completely dominant in the first but then sweet in the second.
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The local team had five shots on the target in the first half and none in the second in a performance that will give Manager Eddie Howe a lot of reflection despite the three points.
“We made mistakes, Newcastle also made mistakes. But it was two completely different halves. We started well, we marked, and they just rolled over us,” said forest director Nuno Espirito Santo.
“There was nothing else in the first half about us. Each time Newcastle had the ball they scored. In the second half, we were much better.”
Forest led in six minutes when Hudson-Odoi pierced a 30-meter low shot in the lower left corner, before Newcastle took control with a goal blitz that started half-time.
Miley was selected in hectares of space in the penalty box and pulled low in the net, before the local team continued when Murphy gathered the ball in the back of his thigh.
Newcastle received a penalty when the Lewis Hall cross on the left hit the arm of the defender of the forest jumping Lifemealorswhich was judged in a unnatural position.
Isak went down to the middle with his kick and while the forest goalkeeper Matz Salts I have a strong hand, he could not prevent the ball.
The local team added a fourth with Isak marking its 50th goal in the Premier League during its 76th appearance. He timed his race in the perfection box and his shot died in the net of the trunk of a defender.
Newcastle almost scored a fifth at the start of the second half when Fabian Schaer’s head from a corner returned from the post.
But the hosts inexplicably fell from the pace after that and the forest created chance after chance until Milenkovic begins the ball in the net at close range.
Yates fired in a third for visitors while the clock struck 90 minutes, but they could not force an equalizer in injury.
