Key events
73 min: The VAR re-run shows Soucek’s boot-length denied the Potts family a family celebration. Sky keep referring to Steve Potts but forgetting poor old Danny, currently without a club.
71 min: Chris Paraskevas is back in touch: “…should have stuck with the assignment. (Update: 0 pages of 10 completed. Notes marked up.)“
70 min: West Ham rampant, Bowen skidding in a shot that Pope reads well. Pope was culpable for the first goal but he’s been his team’s best player since then.
Hammers goal ruled out!
68 min: Nice play, taken short to Diouf and Kilman’s header forces yet another Pope save. Big Hammers pressure…and Potts shoots. A debut goal?! No, offside. Aargh, Soucek’s toenail was offside, and Potts’ fine finish comes to naught. VAR confirms. Poor Fred. Poor Steve, pictured in the crowd.
67 min: Free-kick in a dangerous position for West Ham. Once Joelinton stops complaining, Paqueta smashes goalward, and Pope does well. Another corner.
65 min: Howe is going for it. He has to. Sven Botman is off, and Harvey Barnes goes on the wing, with Jacob Murphy behind him. Thiaw is back in the centre of defence. Howe rolling the dice, and beginning to look desperate.
62 min: If Newcastle are trying to force the issue there’s not much evidence of force. Soucek has gone up front as the big man. He’s no Chris Wood, Nuno’s former talismn. Murphy whips a shot at goal. He’s the continued danger man.
60 min: Tomas Soucek comes on, to add his height to the defence of a long throw. Wan Bissaka heads Big Dan Burn’s throw away.
59 min: Big Dan Burn forces a corner. Jacob Ramsey, just on, is limping. The Hammers clear that with ease. Off goes Callum Wilson after a worthy shift, applauded by both sets of fans.
58 min: Paqueta buys time by buying a foul. He’s been “at it”.
56 min: If West Ham are more defensive minded, then Newcastle still full of torpor. Saw them at Brighton the other week – a better team, sure – and they gave a rather similar performance. What’s going on? It can’t just be Isak? Isak who, you may well ask.
54 min: Osula is a speedier player than Woltemade, and runs the channels, forcing a shot on goal when other teammates were ready to receive.
53 min: Even Murphy’s touch deserting him as he up-and-unders a ball that lands in Areola’s hands. Poor stuff so far, lacking in ideas.
51 min: Early heave from Newcastle; West Ham sat back deep, a dangerous proposition that feeds into Nuno’s line of thinking rather too often.
49 min: Woltemade barely touched the ball; Newcastle play Athletic Club in midweek. West Ham continue to look up for this contest. Tonali is dropping deeper to get the ball.
48 min: Joelinton has gone left, Schar into central defence with Thiaw going to full-back, and Ramsey into midfield.
Away we go for the second half
46 min: Eddie Howe wasn’t very happy with that half. Woltemade, Gordon and Krafth OFF. Schar, Osula and Ramsey ON.
The big news for the relegation battle is Wolves pulling the trigger.
Tony Potts: “So Potts’s tackle was a foul but the penalty call wasn’t? I swear, in no other country would that penalty be denied…”
Brian Robson in British Columbia: “Newcastle have a dead ball specialist right? Why do they show nothing that hasn’t been thought of in any Sunday league game? In order to prove my hipster credentials, they are, like Nick Pope flapping at Paqueta’s shot, at sixes and sevens.”
Peter Oh: “Holy guacamole Botman! What an unfortunate own goal!”
Half-time: West Ham 2-1 Newcastle
What a difference those 40 minutes have made. A poor start for West Ham turns to a fine performance, and they leave the field accompanied by a huge cheer at the break. Newcastle have been abject, West Ham have made them look so.
Goa! West Ham 2-1 Newcastle (Botman, 45+5 OG)
Wan Bissaka sets off on a saunter down the flank, and his cross comes off Botman and bounces in. How’s your luck? The Hammers have, though, deserved this.
45+3 min: Summerville, lively all game, cuts inwards and shoots on goal. This time, Pope reads the angles correctly.
45 min: Five added minutes to this half. Joelinton, makes a burst, and fires at goal. Areola is forced to make a save.
44 min: Nick Pope sweeps up as Bowen is the target for a long ball; plenty of those from the Hammers. Nuno has been reading the manual; Newcastle’s midfield keeps being bypassed.
42 min: Murphy has been Newcastle’s shining light, and he zings in a shot that just travels over the bar. He’s been a fine player for the Toon. Was Rafa Benitez the boss who signed him?
41 min: When Paqueta is on, he’s on. And he looks up for this one. Only a desperate tackle stops Summerville being released. Where was this West Ham all season?
39 min: Here’s the Newcastle response, Murphy sets up Gordon, fine shot, fine save from Areola. Corner again, and cleared.
37 min: Pope got his hand to the ball, but not enough of a hand. Newcastle have been poor since the goal but perhaps let’s credit West Ham. That famed midfield trio have been circumvented.
Goal! West Ham 1-1 Newcastle (Paqueta, 36)
Oh that was coming. Summerville’s cross is palmed away, Paqueta’s shot is low and Pope is far too slow in getting down to it. Huge celebration from the Brazilian.
33 min: Nuno is prowling; his team, for the first time maybe, are responding to whatever the plan is, and adversity. Wilson has been a decent focal point. Now why wasn’t Nuno selecting him?
32 min: Summerville wins another corner. Potts’ kick is a beauty, and Kilman’s header is tipped over by Pope. The Hammers hammering on the door. The next kick not as successful but hacked clear in mounting anxiety.
31 min: Paqueta is in range, and fancies this one. Bruno acts as draught excluder but Paqueta’s kick is low and heading in. Fine save from Nick Pope.
