Newcastle United 1-0 Ipswich Town - Half-Time Saturday, 26th Apr 2025 16:04 Alexander Isak’s injury time penalty has given Newcastle United a 1-0 half-time lead over 10-man Town at St James’ Park, Ben Johnson having seen red for the Blues. Injury and suspension-hit Town made four changes from last week’s 4-0 loss at home to Arsenal with Liam Delap, Luke Woolfenden, Cameron Burgess and Jack Taylor returning to the XI. Woolfenden came in at right centre-half with Dara O’Shea moving to right-back with Axel Tuanzebe absent, presumably due to a knock. Burgess was back at left centre-half with Jacob Greaves moving to left-back with Newcastle-born boyhood Magpies fan Leif Davis suspended following his red card last week. Taylor was in midfield alongside skipper Sam Morsy with Jens Cajuste dropping to the bench, again probably due to a minor injury. Delap, a sub for the last two matches due to a rib injury, returned as the central striker with George Hirst dropping to the bench. While 10 were missing due to injury or suspension, Omari Hutchinson was back on the bench following his hamstring injury. Youngsters Somto Boniface and Tommy Taylor were also among the subs. Newcastle made one change from the team which started the previous seven games with Joelinton having picked up an injury and Joe Willock coming into the team. Former Town academy youngster Nick Pope was in goal. Town started brightly and were the first to take a shot at goal, former Sunderland man Jack Clarke picking up a loose Dan Burn pass and then hitting a shot which deflected wide for a corner. From the flag-kick, the ball reached Delap beyond the far post but his strike was blocked. But the home side quickly began to take control and dominate possession with Burgess and Greaves both heading away crosses into the box. On 10, Jacob Murphy sent a dangerous low ball across the edge of the six-yard area but fortunately for Town with no one on hand to add the final touch. Three minutes later, Fabian Schar failed to clear having dispossessed Julio Enciso and Delap seized upon it and hit a low which which deflected behind. In the 18th minute, Delap picked up an overhit Newcastle corner in the right-back position and drove forward leaving Burn behind him but his pass to the unmarked Enciso breaking down the middle was too far in front of the Paraguayan and home keeper Pope was able to claim. A better ball and the on-loan Brighton man would have been in on goal. Four minutes later, the Magpies had the ball in the net, but the goal was ruled out. O’Shea headed a cross from the right straight up in the air, keeper Alex Palmer looked to punch but was bundled over by Bruno Guimaraes as the Magpies skipper headed into the net. Referee Michael Salisbury immediately blew for a foul on the keeper and VAR upheld the decision, much to the annoyance of the home fans. On 28, there was a VAR check after a clash between Morsy and Willock, the Newcastle man having had a pop at the Town skipper earlier in the half. On this occasion, Morsy had pulled the ex-Arsenal man over and was the subject of the check, but no action was taken. On the half hour, Johnson was shown the game’s first yellow card after breaking towards the area past one defender before being felled by Burn’s outstretched leg just outside the box. However, referee Salisbury inexplicably judged that Johnson had dived and booked him. Two minutes later, Enciso shot over from well out on the right. Newcastle created their first big chance of the game in the 35th minute. Murphy floated a cross into the box and Isak, who bagged a hat-trick in the game at Portman Road, heading over when the Sweden international will feel he should have done better. Within seconds, Isak had another opportunity, another cross from the right reaching him but this time he scuffed his volley wide. Two minutes later, Town were reduced to 10 men. Johnson, already on a yellow card following the controversial dive decision, hauled back Isak on the Newcastle left. It was a clear booking and following the earlier decision referee Salisbury issued Town’s fifth red card of the season and Johnson’s first of his career. While the second caution was difficult to contest, the first was as poor as the one issued to Tuanzebe at Aston Villa earlier in the season and for a second time this season, Town were made to pay for what seems to be an anomaly of VAR that yellow cards which lead to red cards aren’t checked while all straight dismissals are. Newcastle sought to turn the screw following the dismissal but with Town remaining resolute in defence. On 40, Clarke was sacrificed for Ben Godfrey, making his first Blues appearance in more than two months. The Town goal began to lead a charmed life, O’Shea somehow diverting a low Murphy cross from the right away from the line and out for a corner off Palmer. On 42, Woolfenden somehow kept out Guimaraes’s overhead kick, the Town centre-half diverting it over for a corner. Burn and Delap repeatedly clashed holding up the restart and eventually referee Salisbury booked both of them. The pair subsequently ended up on the turf again after the corner was taken but no further action was taken. As the half moved into its scheduled final minute, Isak scuffed another shot away, the ball falling to Murphy, whose shot struck Palmer’s post with the keeper perhaps getting a touch on its way. Seconds later, the home side were awarded a penalty. Enciso pulled at Murphy as the ex-Norwich youngster burst past him into the area. Initially, referee Salisbury waved away the protests but after a VAR check took a second look and pointed to the spot. Isak confidently beat Palmer from the spot to claim his fourth goal against Town this season. There was no further action in a half which had been going as well as might have been expected for Town until Johnson’s red card, or perhaps the former West Ham man’s first wrongly awarded yellow card. The Blues had defended steadfastly at one end, while creating one or two openings at the other. However, the red card saw the home side put Town under more pressure with chances coming more frequently before Enciso gave the referee and VAR a decision to make with his pull, even if the contact almost certainly had nothing to do with Murphy going to ground. With Newcastle having the lead and the Blues with 10 men, the second half promises to be another game of attack-versus-defence as Town seek to keep the Champions League-chasing Magpies at bay and relegation back to the Championship seems certain to be confirmed at the whistle. Newcastle: Pope, Trippier, Schar, Burn, Livramento, Bruno Guimaraes (c), Tonali, Willock, Murphy, Barnes, Isak. Subs: Dubravka, Ruddy, Botman, Wilson, Gordon, Krafth, Osula, Longstaff, Murphy. Town: Palmer, O’Shea, Woolfenden, Burgess, Greaves, Morsy (c), J Taylor, Johnson, Enciso, Clarke (Godfrey 40), Delap. Subs: Walton, Boniface, Luongo, Cajuste, Hutchinson, T Taylor, Chaplin, Hirst. Referee: Michael Salisbury (Preston). VAR: Jeremy Simpson.
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