Newcastle Beat Fulham 1-0 At St James’ Park
Substitute Alexander Isak made sure the “work was worth it” says manager Eddie Howe, as the Newcastle striker marked his return from injury with an 89th-minute winner against Fulham.
Club record signing Isak, on his first league appearance since September, nodded home from close range at a jubilant St James’ Park to send Newcastle back into third in the Premier League.
It came after Aleksandar Mitrovic’s converted penalty for Fulham was unusually disallowed when he accidentally kicked the ball onto his standing foot as he slipped while striking the ball.
It was a dramatic final 30 minutes to a tight game which Newcastle edged without being able to create clear chances.
In the end Isak, who made a promising start to life on Tyneside before his injury, was in the right place to convert strike partner Callum Wilson’s knock-back.
“The goal was a special moment,” Howe said.
“You want to hit the ground running at a new club and he did before the injury.
“He had to wait and watch the team do well in his absence. He’s worked hard. For these moments the work was worth it.”
Fulham manager Marco Silva was booked for protesting after the final whistle, with his side unfortunate to see their five-game winning run ended.
Isak delivers for Newcastle
Newcastle are now one point behind second-placed Manchester City.
They have a five-point buffer over Tottenham as they continue their unexpected push for Champions League qualification, although Spurs will cut it to two if they beat leaders Arsenal later on Sunday.
Sweden striker Isak, a £60m signing last summer, scored twice in his first three games before being sidelined by a thigh injury.
Here he was sent on in the 71st minute and only had two touches in the Fulham box, one of which proved pivotal.
Newcastle had hit the post through a Fabian Schar free-kick in the second half but, without midfielder Bruno Guimares – who left the field in tears at half-time because of injury – they had been kept at arm’s length by an impressive Fulham.
Newcastle registered a fifth successive clean sheet in the Premier League for the first time, and an unbeaten run of 14 games is their joint best in the top flight.
