Newcastle United vs Aston Villa. Premier League.
St James' Park, Newcastle.
Report and highlights as Jamaal Lascelles's late header earns Newcastle a dramatic draw with Aston Villa at St James' Park; Aston Villa had looked set for the win after Ciaran Clark's own goal; Newcastle stay 16th in the Premier League, now two points clear of the drop zone
Saturday 13 March 2021 08:46, UK
Jamaal Lascelles' stoppage-time header saw Newcastle snatch a 1-1 draw with Aston Villa at St James' Park.
Ciaran Clark's 86th-minute own goal had appeared to have given Villa all three points, until the Newcastle captain's 94th-minute header rescued a point for Steve Bruce's side.
As a result, the hosts stay 16th in the table, although they are now two points clear of the drop zone, while Dean Smith's side remain in ninth place.
Newcastle were in desperate need of a morale-boosting win having gone four league games without a victory, a run that had seen them fall to within a point of the bottom three at just the wrong time of the season.
Villa, menwnhile, were once again without their influential captain Jack Grealish, who was missing due to illness, as the visitors looked to improve on a record of just four wins in 21 matches when the England international was absent.
However, both sides could have done with a player of Grealish's imagination in a lacklustre first half that was cagey and tight, and lacking in any meaningful attacking play.
The only occasion either goalkeeper was called into action before half-time was when Trezeguet and Anwar El Ghazi - on for the injured Bertrand Traore - exchanged passes on the right-hand side of the box, before the former stung Martin Dubravka's palms with a fiercely struck drive.
The second period, though, followed a similar pattern to the first as Villa pushed for the breakthrough, with Ezri Konsa going close with a glancing header, while Newcastle largely looked to catch their opponents on the break.
Matt Targett inadvertently headed Isaac Hayden's centre goalwards, before Joelinton failed to pick out a team-mate in the six-yard box after making space for himself in the box with a smart turn.
Jacob Murphy came desperately close to opening the scoring with seven minutes to go, but having twisted and turned to earn him some space in the box, the substitute crashed his effort against the bar as the game appeared destined to end goalless.
But there was late, late drama in the north east as first Ollie Watkins got a head on to Targett's inviting left-wing cross, with the ball somehow ending up in the net via a huge deflection off Clark, who was credited with an own goal.
Just as Villa thought they had done enough to earn the win, though, Lascelles met Murphy's cross with a powerful header in the fourth minute of stoppage time to score a goal that could prove vital come the end of the campaign.
Newcastle boss Steve Bruce: "There's still a long way to go yet. The tickly bit hasn't come upon us just yet, so we've got all that to look forward to.
"We've got a big, huge game, as we know, next week, but 10, 11 games to go, it's still all to play for.
"To get off the the floor the way they have after the hideous goal they have conceded. The way they've gone about their work tonight...
"I thought we were marginally the better side and had the better opportunities and it would have been cruel if we hadn't have got something from the match."
Aston Villa boss Dean Smith: "It's two dropped from scoring in the 89th minute or whatever it was.
"We were fortunate to score the goal, but you certainly take those and then we should go and see the game out.
"We got a great opportunity to get a three or four v one and go and finish the game off to make it 2-0 and we messed that up, and then we messed a few clearances up and they end up scoring with 10 seconds to go, so we're disappointed."
While Villa's improvement on the whole has been massive this season, no player has come on quite as much as full-back Matt Targett and he showed that again at St James' Park.
Dogged in the tackle, Targett was rarely troubled by Newcastle's forwards and offered an outlet going forward all the time. It's a shame his teammates failed to get on the end of any of his balls into the box.
Newcastle take on fellow strugglers Brighton at the Amex on Saturday March 20 at 8pm.
Meanwhile, Villa face Tottenham at Villa Park on Sunday March 21 at 7.30pm, with both matches live on Sky Sports Premier League.
