Half time: Magpies 0 Blues 0

Chelsea dagger

93+26 secs Joelinton won a corner that Matt Ritchie took from the Strawberry Corner, only to fail to clear the first man and be headed clear It reached Allan Saint-Maximin, who sent over a glorious curling ball into the box from the left side of the box. 

Isaac Hayden got his connection spot-on to beat Arribazalaga, who could only get an ineffective hand to his header. The scorer ran towards the South East Corner, followed by Matt Ritchie - who leathered the corner flag in typical style, sending it spinning into the front row of seats, where it connected fairly and squarely with one fan's midriff. The cock of the North! 1-0

Full time: Magpies 1 Blues 0

Frank Lampard:

"It's football so you have to get your head around it very quickly. I am not a big one for stats but the feel of the game was domination.

"They had three headers in the game and one of them they scored with. Other than that, in the second half I don't really remember them endangering our box.

"We camped around their box, created chances. You won't always create clear-cut chances against Newcastle because they have so many bodies back behind the ball and fair play to them because they defend with everything.

"We dominated every aspect of the game. They hit the bar in the first half but the rest of the game was ours, except scoring.

"Newcastle defend their box, you won't make too many clear-cut chances against them. We controlled the game, we were at the end of their box. If we want to go to the next level we have to take chances and score in these kind of games.

"The lads have got their heads down in there. But the brutal reality of football is if you don't score, teams stay in the game and something like that happens at the end.

"At 0-0 I was going to say to them that they gave everything, because they pushed and pushed.

"If we are looking for people to bring in to the areas to win games when you are controlling it, it is scoring goals. It's clear from what I'm saying we know where we need to strengthen.

"We know we have problems at the top of the pitch in terms of we don't get enough goals. If you don't score you are always liable for a sucker punch and they got it.

"We can't work any more in training on finishing. You need to have that killer instinct in front of goal. We need to score more goals from front-line areas if we are going to get to where we want to be." 

A new TV programme was added to Saturday night's schedule: Dismayed in Chelsea.

To the evident annoyance of Frank Lampard, his team of away day specialists failed to score on the road for the first time since August. And worse still, the Blues proved unable to guard their goal up to the final whistle, missing out on even taking a point from St. James' Park as a consequence.

Having gained just one point from the last 12 on offer - a run that had coincided with an epic run of injury misadventures and raised fears of becoming embroiled in a relegation fight - Newcastle defied the odds once again to somehow conjure up an unexpected victory that verged on the illogical.

That came despite yet another enforced early substitution; Jetro Willems going to ground in obvious distress with a knee problem and having to be stretchered off with just 12 minutes played.

Although a further unwanted blow, that did at least bring the energy of Matt Ritchie to the side, Jamaal Lascelles, Jonjo Shelvey and Saint-Maximin also back in harness as the sick list shrank.

The reshuffle didn't curb United's initial enthusiasm and in the 22nd minute Federico Fernandez supplied the perfect cross for Joelinton to ping an almost-perfect header off the Leazes crossbar.

The woodwork at the other end was then rattled by Tammy Abraham although flagged offside, before N'Golo Kante was denied by Martin Dubravka's left leg. 

A second opportunity was then made and missed by the Magpies, Fernandez meeting a Shelvey free-kick and seemed certain to score, only to get in front of the ball and head over.

Honours even at the interval then, but with an absence of forward options in reserve for the home side hardly augured well, Saint-Maximin gingerly feeling his way back after an eight match absence and Miguel Almiron kept occupied with tracking back in his own half as the visitors pushed on.  

Aside from the first half header and a late wayward effort, Joelinton never had an opportunity to add to his midweek strike but did cause the visitor problems despite being continually out-numbered and routinely impeded, with very little comeback. He at least stuck to his task though.

Chelsea at times camped in United's half, but didn't fashion many clear openings, encountering some resolute defending. Chances fell to Willian and Abraham (the latter cleared by Ritchie) but Dubravka wasn't as severely tested as one may have thought despite his side having only 30% possession.

Our continual failure to retain possession always seemed likely to be our undoing; especially at those times when we began to start playing the ball back to our own goal - a ploy verging on the suicidal.

A trio of away replacements brought new challenges for Newcastle to reckon with; Ross Barkley no stranger to pulling the stings against us and Michy Batshuayi supposedly in the shop window. Neither made a telling contribution though and the clock ran down though as the game remained goalless.

Then with two minutes of normal time remaining, Almiron's fine ball to the far post was nodded back to Joelinton by Saint-Maximin. However the Brazilian swung wildly and could only slice his effort wide of the target, as the chance to be a hero was passed up.

That seemed to be our moment gone but Joelinton won a corner in the final minute of four added on and the crowd roared on Ritchie as he trotted over to the Strawberry Corner to take it.

That flag-kick was cleared but fell to Saint-Maximin, took a touch and swung over the perfect cross for Hayden to head downwards and into the Gallowgate goal to spark epic scenes. It mattered not one jot who got the contact, the timing was perfect and the win could ultimately be crucial.

By then Hayden was filling in at right back - after the below-par Emile Krafth made way for midfielder Sean Longstaff - adding another name to this season's stat of defenders grabbing crucial goals.

Referee Chris Kavanagh allowed the visitors one last attack but once that was cleared the official blew for time and three vital Premier League points were secured on what may be a pivotal day in terms of our fate this season - and looking beyond, perhaps even for the Head Coach; short on luck when it comes to injuries but seemingly receiving regular dollops of good fortune on the field.

With results elsewhere also going our way, United ended the day 12th in the league but just a couple of points behind eighth-placed Spurs and seven points clear of 18th-placed Aston Villa.

While the transfer window remains open with no deals done, doubts always remain whether this club will become active and to what effect. Bruce has toed the party line so far rather than used the media to try and challenge the owner, and that softly-softly approach may yet pay dividends - even if our current points tally makes it trickier to make a case for spending money.

In the more immediate future though, the pressure to get a positive result at Goodison on Tuesday has lessened and we go there arguably more confident and with greater selection options than when Everton visited Tyneside in the last game of 2019. And then there's the Cup. 

Biffa