Full-time: Newcastle United 1 West Brom 1

NEWCASTLE claimed a precious point to aid their Premier League survival battle as they finally ended a club-record sequence of eight successive defeats.

Ayoze Perez’s clinical low strike cancelled out Victor Anichebe’s header to secure a 1-1 draw with West Brom.

The result could prove crucial in the final reckoning, and with Hull City suffering a 1-0 home defeat to Burnley, the Magpies find themselves two points clear of the relegation zone with two games remaining.

They produced a much-improved performance from the desultory display that saw them crash to a 3-0 defeat at Leicester last weekend, but still needed an element of fortune with Craig Dawson and Chris Brunt both hitting the woodwork for the Baggies.

John Carver made two changes to the side that were embarrassed at the King Power Staadium, and both were enforced with Vurnon Anita and Remy Cabella replacing suspended duo Daryl Janmaat and Mike Williamson.

Newcastle at least managed to survive the opening minute without conceding – something they could not manage at Leicester – but they could hardly have come closer to falling behind in the eighth minute.

Once again, their vulnerability at set-pieces was apparent, with Dawson comfortably out-jumping the Newcastle defence to glance Craig Gardner’s corner against the post with Tim Krul beaten.

The Magpies saw plenty of the ball before the interval, but their initial attempts to construct a telling attacking move came to nothing.

Ryan Taylor failed to test Ben Foster with a long-range free-kick, and with Remy Cabella especially wasteful in the final third, West Brom were rarely troubled.

The exception came on the half-hour mark, with Joleon Lescott clearing Moussa Sissoko’s goalbound effort off the line. Taylor delivered a free-kick from the right, and after Sissoko saw his first shot charged down, he drilled in a second effort that Lescott hacked clear.

Two minutes later, and Newcastle were behind as they were undone by yet another routine delivery from a wide position.

Former Sunderland midfielder Gardner swung over a free-kick from the right-hand side, and Anichebe stole ahead of Taylor at the front post to head home.

With Leicester and Aston Villa both winning at that stage, and Hull drawing with Burnley, the goal dropped the Magpies into the relegation zone, but their stay in the bottom three only lasted nine minutes before Perez claimed a crucial equaliser.

Newcastle’s goal also came from a set-piece, although there was an element of fortune to it as Taylor appeared to have scuffed his free-kick delivery into the box.

Thankfully, Perez was alert to the opportunity, and after controlling on the edge of the area, the Spaniard squeezed a low shot through a host of bodies to find the bottom right-hand corner of the net.

The goal ensured Newcastle entered the break on level terms, but they were fortunate not to fall behind again within three minutes of the restart.

Gardner burst beyond his marker to reach Darren Fletcher’s cross at the back post, but his first-time volley flew wide of the upright.

With their position at the foot of the table remaining precarious, Newcastle dominated possession markedly in the second half, but the majority of their attacks broke down through a combination of poor delivery into the area or a lack of numbers in the box.

Carver’s response was to introduce Papiss Cisse in the 68th minute, with the striker coming off the substitutes’ bench to make his first appearance for two months following the end of his seven-match suspension.

Unsurprisingly, it took Cisse a while to get up to the pace of the game, and while he was adapting, West Brom claim within inches of reclaiming the lead as they struck the woodwork for a second time.

Dawson crossed from the right-hand side, and while Brunt’s initial header was saved, the winger followed up with a prodded close-range strike that rattled the crossbar.

Moments later, and the Baggies went close again. A swift break ended with Anichebe playing in Saido Berahino, but the substitute could only drill a first-time shot straight at Krul.

Cabella threatened a late winner for Newcastle with an 86th-minute strike that sailed over the crossbar, and Sissoko went even closer in stoppage time, but his low strike was parried by Foster.

 

Newcastle (4-2-3-1): Krul; Anita (Abeid 90), Coloccini, Dummett, Gutierrez; R Taylor, Colback; Perez (Ameobi 85), Sissoko, Cabella; Riviere (Cisse 68).

Subs (not used): Woodman (gk), Satka, Aarons, Gouffran.

West Brom (4-5-1): Myhill; Dawson, McAuley, Olsson, Lescott; Gardner (Berahino 68), Yacob, Mulumbu (Morrison 55), Fletcher, Brunt; Anichebe (McManaman 78).

Subs (not used): Rose (gk), Wisdom, Baird, Ideye.