ALAN PARDEW is hoping Emmanuel Riviere’s double success in Newcastle United’s dramatic extra-time win over Crystal Palace will spark a pronounced improvement in his side’s attacking fortunes.
Riviere scored the first two goals of his Newcastle career as the Magpies claimed a 3-2 victory at Crystal Palace to book an away game at reigning champions Manchester City in the fourth round of the Capital One Cup.
Riviere’s double cancelled out Dwight Gayle’s opener for Palace, and while the hosts took the game into extra-time when substitute Sullay Kaikai struck in the 92nd minute, Paul Dummett headed home Adam Armstrong’s cross to secure a deserved success.
With Papiss Cisse also having scored twice in last weekend’s 2-2 draw with Hull City, Newcastle’s two frontline strikers have now claimed four goals in two games, and after a fraught start to the season, Pardew is hoping the improved attacking form will help lift the Magpies off the foot of the table when the Premier League resumes with a trip to Stoke City on Monday.
“Anyone who has seen us play this year will know that it’s been the top of the pitch that’s been an issue for us,” said the Newcastle boss. “We’ve played well in games, but not had a cutting edge.
“Papiss scored two goals, and now Manu has scored two goals of his own, and that should be a massive confidence boost for the team. You’ve got to have belief you can score, so to get four goals from our strikers is really important.
“I’m so pleased for Manu. He’s worked tirelessly for the team without getting a goal, so that will be a massive lift for him.”
Riviere’s brace looked like securing a fourth-round spot for the majority of the second half, but Kaikai’s last-gasp strike, which came in the same month that Newcastle conceded a last-minute goal to Crystal Palace in the league, threatened to ensure more disappointment.
Mehdi Abeid’s dismissal in the first half of extra-time, which Pardew felt was harsh, made the Magpies’ task all the more difficult, but Dummett produced an excellent diving header to secure Newcastle’s passage to the fourth round.
“How he’s ended up in the opposition penalty area at that stage of the game, I don’t know,” said Pardew. “He’s a local lad, and he’s having to prove to the Newcastle public that he’s good enough. I think it’s hard for players to come through the academy system these days.
“We’ve signed a really good French player in Massadio (Haidara) and he gets more glamour than Paul. But Paul does what it says on the tin – he’s a good tackler, good in the air and getting better going forward.”
With last night’s game not having kicked off until 8pm, the fourth-round draw took place at the end of normal time at Selhurst Park, leading to a strange situation where the stadium announcer revealed the winners would be travelling to Manchester City, with the result of the draw flashing up on the big screens.
Both Pardew and Palace manager Neil Warnock agreed the situation was far from ideal, but while Manchester City’s 7-0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday last night underlined just how tough a task Newcastle will have to overcome, they will travel to the Etihad Stadium in an optimistic mood.
“I thought that was a really strange moment,” said Pardew. “They put it up on the screens, and I think that needs to be questioned to be honest.
“It’s a tough draw. Manchester City’s third team is pretty strong, so we’ll have to give it a good go when we go there. But we’ll look forward to the game.”
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