Anthony Gordon and Bruno Guimaraes came off the bench to see Newcastle through to the fourth round of the FA Cup after Eddie Howe was forced to turn to his big guns to see off League Two Bromley.
Howe made nine changes to the side that beat Arsenal in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final in midweek as he tried to rest key players, but saw his players fail to impress in a first half that saw Cameron Congreve fire the visitors into the eighth ball. – minute advantage.
Lewis Miley equalized before half-time but Howe was so displeased that he sent off Gordon and Guimaraes after the restart and saw the England international convert a 49th-minute penalty before 21-year-old striker Will Osula wrapped up a 3-1 win and eighth on the trot for the first time since 2016 with the first goal for the club.
Harvey Barnes made early inroads as the Magpies looked for a quick start against Bromley’s back five and the £38m man should have done better after bursting into the box six minutes from time only to fire into the side netting from an unexpected angle. when there were more realistic options inside.
However, it was the visitors who sent their traveling fans into raptures two minutes later when Corey Whitely fed Congreve 25 yards out and he escaped Miley’s attention before firing a left-footed shot past the outstretched Martin Dubravka.
They might have been in dreamland 14 minutes ago when full-back Danny Imray intercepted Lloyd Kelly’s pass for Matt Targett deep inside his own half and raced high before firing over Dubravka but wide of the far post.
However, the Magpies were level within two minutes when, after Osula had rounded keeper Grant Smith from Miley’s ball but failed to get a shot in, Barnes repeated and Miley drilled a long-range shot past the keeper into the net.
The home side had to remain patient as Bromley got players behind the ball and they were commendably organised, but they didn’t help themselves with a lack of pace and penetration hampering their play.
Howe delivered a transparent verdict on a tepid first-half display when he sent on Guimaraes and Gordon for Joelinton and Barnes, and the former Everton striker wasted little time in making an impact.
Ben Thompson tripped Targett as he entered the box and Gordon sent Smith the wrong way from the spot to make it 2-1.
Guimaraes in particular brought much-needed urgency as the Magpies upped their tempo with Gordon seeing a shot blocked from a well-worked corner in the 58th minute.
But it was Osula who extended their lead three minutes later when he cut in from the right and blasted an unstoppable drive past Smith to end any hopes of a comeback.
What’s coming up?
