Two goals from Joe Willock and one from Callum Wilson saw Newcastle progress to the Fifth Round of the FA Cup at St.Andrew's on Saturday evening.

The scorers were among nine changes to the starting line-up that had beaten Arsenal, only Dan Burn and Bruno Guimaraes retained from the side that reached the Carabao Cup Final on Wednesday.

That large-scale alteration brought Nick Pope back into the side, but his first touch was divert a goalbound effort from Ethan Laird that had hit Wilson onto the crossbar and into the net with less than a minute played.

Behind again to lower league opposition as was the case against Bromley in the Third Round, the Magpies replied by netting twice within a five minute period - but only vital save from Pope to deny Keshi Anderson.

Wilson's run created the equaliser, crossing from the left side of the City area to the back post, where William Osula pulled the ball back for Willock to fire goalwards from within the six yard line.

With no VAR or goal line technology in use, it was left to the referee's assistant to raise his flag and indicate a goal - replays confirming that home custodian Bailey Peacock-Farrell was behind the goal line in the style of Jordan Pickford when he scooped out the shot. 

1-1 became 2-1 with a goal from a similar range; Tino Livramento's centre from the right across the six yard box met by Willock. He couldn't direct a shot on target and Osula missed his kick when presented with an open goal, but Wilson was able to loop the ball in.

Starting a game for the first time since May 2024, Wilson saw another effort disallowed for offside before City's £15m signing Jay Stansfield headed Anderson's cross wide with the goal at his mercy.

What was shaping up to be a proper old-fashioned FA Cup tie - something that in our case routinely means that we're struggling against inferior opposition - yielded another goal before the interval, and one with rather more panache than any of the trio that preceded it.

A VAR assessment may have concluded that a colleague was offside, but the first-time effort that Tomoki Iwata launched past Pope from 25 yards out was as clean a strike that you will see.

United started the second half with Guimaraes replaced by Sandro Tonali; his presence and that of Jacob Murphy giving Newcastle a slightly more balanced look - albeit with Osula moving over from the right flank to a less effective role as centre forward.

With no further goals, extra time loomed until Willock latched on to Longstaff's ball inside the box and steered home a first-time shot in front of the celebrating away contingent with eight minutes left.

The winning goalscorer's evening had looked over earlier in the half after he pulled up following a lunging tackle, but he was able to continue after treatment. 

Willock and Schar also ended up clattering into the pitchside hoardings, as some robust challenges from City tested the nerve of referee Matthew Donohue; seemingly loathe to sanction players that he routinely encounters on league whistling duty.

To their credit, the black and whites didn't take up City's invitation to turn this tie into a kicking party, although the absence of Joelinton from the squad may have been timely in avoiding the declaration of a major incident in the Small Heath area.

The wisdom of fielding Alexander Isak with the tie at 2-2 also divided opinion; the possibility of him netting the winner balanced against the chances of ending up a victim of the home side's scorched earth policy. Thankfully, he barely got his boots dirty when arriving deep into time added on. 

United's progress to the last 16 within 90 minutes was aided by Pope's block after a corner before Murphy won his one-on-one with Peacock-Farrell, only for Ben Davies to make a goal line clearance.

Following a generous 12 minutes of added time after Marc Leonard was carried off following an accidental coming together with Lewis Miley, the whistle went on a cold and wet night when only the outcome will be recalled. This place has got no better.

Victory was achieved by a collection of players in various stages of form and fitness, unsurprisingly struggling to play flowing football in an unfamiliar line-up against opponents with one foot in the Championship.

Win it they did though; a sixth successive victory on the road our best form for over 30 years meaning that for many present, these really are the best trips we've ever been on. 

As others have pointed out, the scheduling of the Carabao Cup Final meanwhile means that for the first time ever we'll go into March still in two cup competitions. 

Sunday's removal of Liverpool from the FA Cup by Plymouth left Eddie Howe's side as the last in the Premier League capable of completing a domestic treble. We're not greedy though, any one will do....

Biffa