Steve Bruce facing greater scrutiny at Newcastle United after Carabao Cup scare

Bruce had been stung by some of the criticism that has come his way so far this season before his team got to Rodney Parade, where Newcastle United beat Newport County 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

“Everything I do is analysed,” Bruce had said ahead of the fourth-round tie. “I understand one thing. Our performance against Brighton, and against Tottenham, were nowhere near what we are capable of. I accept I get criticism for that, but it's the constant ‘he doesn't know what he is doing, why has he picked this team? This is the way forward, we should be playing like this blah, blah, blah’.”

Bruce, a boyhood fan, will know exactly how Tyneside reacts to lacklustre cup performances, and the analysis of this game will be uncomfortable. This performance wasn’t good enough for 60 minutes, but his team, thankfully, are through to the next round.

What a difference a week makes. A week earlier, Newcastle hadn’t stopped scoring against Morecambe, having recorded a club-record 7-0 win in the competition at the Mazuma Stadium.

That game was all but over inside the first 30 minutes. This time it took United 87 minutes to find the net.

Newport striker Padraig Amond had warned Newcastle that they’d be in for a “culture shock” at Rodney Parade, where they’d been changed in an unheated marquee at the back of the stand.

"They need to hope it’s not windy and raining, because there’s no heating out there,” said Amond. “Newcastle are in for a culture shock – this is not an easy place for anyone to come to.”

It had been raining heavily it down in Newport in the hours before kick-off time, and Bruce named a strong starting XI. In came Ryan Fraser, while Miguel Almiron and Jonjo Shelvey also started the game.

Rodney Parade’s notorious pitch was in pristine condition because of a lack of rugby so far this season, and the surface should have suited Newcastle, but they found themselves behind with just five minutes on the clock. Scott Twine crashed a shot from 30 yards against the crossbar, and a shot from Tristan Abrahams bounced over Mark Gillespie after Emil Krafth failed to deal with the rebound.

Newcastle struggled to make any headway after the goal. Newport pressed high up the pitch, and the visitors couldn’t pick their way through to the final third.

Their best hope of an equaliser seemed to lie with Jacob Murphy and Ryan Fraser on the flanks, but getting the ball to them was a problem for United.

And they went into the break relieved that Newport weren’t further ahead after Amond put a chance over the bar.

Chances came and went after the break, and Newcastle, improved by substitutes Callum Wilson and Joelinton, looked to be going out of the cup when Shelvey took the ball on the edge of the box. The midfielder twisted and turned before firing an unstoppable shot into the top right-hand corner to equalise.

The game went to penalties, and Newcastle won despite Joelinton missing his spot kick.

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