THERE are no pleasant ways to go out of a cup competition, but for an injury-ravaged Newcastle United side who had given everything to try to keep Chelsea at bay, this felt like an especially cruel exit.

Leading from the 16th minute to the second minute of stoppage time, the Magpies were eventually pegged back when Mykhailo Mudryk pounced on an error from substitute Kieran Trippier to sweep home.

The goal came at the end of a game that had seen Newcastle repel a series of increasingly-desperate Chelsea attacks, and led to a penalty shoot-out that swung the home side’s way when Trippier’s bad night continued as he missed his side’s second spot-kick.

Chelsea scored all four of their penalties, meaning Matt Ritchie had to score with Newcastle’s fourth penalty to keep their hopes alive. When his side-footed effort was saved by Djordje Petrovic, the game was up.

Newcastle’s players looked crestfallen, with the defeat especially harsh on them given how hard they had worked over the course of a draining 90 minutes. In many ways, this was a throwback away performance from the Magpies, harking back to the days when they would string men behind the ball and look to dig in against the Premier League’s big boys.

Needs must though, and while Howe will not want his side to make a habit of dropping deep and ceding possession – the Magpies had less than 25 per cent of the ball for most of the game - he will also take a great deal of justified pride from the way in which his players gave absolutely everything. The more adversity that is thrown at this Newcastle side, the more determined they are to come out fighting.

They will have to continue to dig in, as it was not just the final outcome that went against Newcastle last night. Once again, it was another mixed evening on the injury front. Fabian Schar and Joelinton were nowhere to be seen after their weekend setbacks, while Trippier and Dan Burn both started on the bench before coming on as half-time substitutes as Howe attempted to manage their minutes.

Sven Botman was back in the starting side for the first time since September, and impressed in the opening 45 minutes before being withdrawn at half-time, but Anthony Gordon only lasted five second-half minutes before his groin problem reappeared and he was forced to walk off. At the moment, it really is a case of having to patch up the walking wounded.

At least Newcastle’s injury-ravaged side had something to hold onto for most of last night’s game, although things might well have been different last night had the home side found the back of the net rather than the woodwork in the seventh minute.

Newcastle’s defenders allowed a corner to reach Conor Gallagher, who was loitering on the edge of the 18-yard box, and the England international curled a fine effort against the crossbar with Martin Dubravka beaten.

It was a let-off for the Magpies, and they made the most of it as they claimed the lead in bizarre circumstances nine minutes later. Callum Wilson’s persistence and technical excellence paid off, but Chelsea were the masters of their own downfall on more than one occasion.

Levi Colwill was the first home player at fault, conceding possession to Wilson as he rolled a pass back towards the halfway line from deep in the Newcastle half. Wilson went charging upfield, but lost control of the ball as he attempted to burst between two Chelsea defenders. Benoit Badiashile should have dealt with the danger, but somehow managed to get the ball caught between his feet, ceding possession once again to Wilson. It was a difficult chance, but Newcastle’s number nine flicked a brilliant first-time finish into the far corner.

It was a classic counter-attacking strike, and came somewhat against the run of play given Chelsea’s general dominance of possession for much of the night.

After taking the lead, Newcastle spent most of the rest of the first half repelling a series of opposition attacks, and their goal led something of a charmed life, not least when Bruno Guimaraes was in the right place at the right time to block Raheem Sterling’s goal-bound effort from just in front of the goalline.

Dubravka saved from Armado Broja on the stroke of half-time – the former Newcastle transfer target was a first-half replacement for the injured Enzo Fernandez – and made another fine save ten minutes into the second half as he flung himself to his right to keep out Sterling’s low strike.

It was one-way traffic for much of the second period, with Newcastle having to field Ritchie as a left winger and Lewis Miley as a makeshift forward, and Chelsea wasted a great opportunity when Nicolas Jackson fired wide after Broja picked him out with a pull-back from close to the byline.

The more Chelsea pressed though, the more Newcastle’s defenders and midfielders dug in to keep them out. Lascelles was fantastic at the heart of the back four, and he received stout support from those around him, most notably Livramento, who stuck to his task gamely against both Sterling and Cole Palmer.

However, just when it looked as though Newcastle had seen things out, so Chelsea struck to level things in the second minute of stoppage time.

Trippier has had a torrid time of things in the last few weeks, and he was punished for another error. Faced with a cross from the right, he chested the ball up in the air, allowing Mudryk to pounce on the loose ball and sweep home an equaliser.