Newcastle United 2 Bristol City 2: Rafael Benitez’s men fight back from two goals down to earn a share of the spoils at St James’ Park
The away side recently let sip a three-goal lead against Derby County and their defence yet again collapsed in the second half as Ciaran Lee scored a late equaliser
NERVY Newcastle gave the rest of the promotion pack a pick-me-up after another St James’ stutter.
Rafa Benitez’s boys might have avoided a home humiliation to beleaguered Bristol City with a storming second half.
But this was hardly the stuff of champions and the Toon’s rivals will be licking their lips when they watch this one back.
Robins chief Lee Johnson insisted afterwards he has “no doubt” Newcastle will be playing Premier League football next term.
Yet the Toon Army will not share Johnson’s confidence after seeing their side again drop points at home against lowly opposition.
Newcastle have lost to relegation-threatened Wolves and Blackburn here — and also drawn with QPR.
So boss Benitez knows his trembling troops will have to play a lot better if they are to still have a comfortable cushion in the top two in ten days’ time.
The Magpies travel to Brighton on Tuesday after the Seagulls leapfrogged them to go top with a win over Reading.
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Then it is a trip to third-placed Huddersfield next weekend before a visit to the Royals who are in fifth.
If they can come out of those three fixtures unscathed, Newcastle’s top-flight return will be as good as sealed.
But a couple of defeats and it will be twitchy times on Tyneside for the run-in.
Newcastle cannot afford the kind of cock-up that cost them dear in the first-half here, when an embarrassing mix-up between Paul Dummett and Karl Darlow led to City’s second.
To the relief of Benitez, a Korey Smith own goal and a late, lucky Ciaran Clark effort meant parity was restored.
But the Spaniard said: “For me, it is two points dropped. I was really pleased with the reaction of the team after the first half. But my concern is that we made some mistakes that we cannot afford in the future.”
The Toon chief will not have been impressed with the defending for the Robins’ shock 11th-minute opener.
DeAndre Yedlin tried to play Aaron Wilbraham offside from Gary O’Neil’s cross.
But, instead, he merely allowed the recalled 37-year-old to nod past Darlow unmarked for his fifth goal of the season.
Worse was to come though, ten minutes later.
There looked to be no danger when Dummett went to cushion a header back to Darlow from O’Neil’s long ball.
Yet the left-back misread his keeper’s position and it allowed David Cotterill to tap in a maiden goal for the club — his first strike since scoring here for Birmingham in an FA Cup defeat last month.
But no doubt fuelled by a Rafa rocket, Newcastle at least rallied after the break.
They felt hard done by when Aden Flint got away with nudging Aleksandar Mitrovic over outside the box when the Serbian was running through on goal.
But Toon did grab a lifeline in the 59th minute when, from Christian Atsu’s cross, the ball went in off Smith’s back as Joe Bryan attempted to clear away from the sliding Jonjo Shelvey.
Matt Ritchie, Mitrovic and Atsu then all went close as Newcastle banged down City’s door.
And the home side’s deserved leveller finally came eight minutes from time in fortuitous fashion when Ritchie’s corner diverted in, this time off the back of Clark, who had seemingly ducked the cross as he went to head it.
You expected Newcastle to then go on and grab a winner, with Shelvey having three efforts on goal.
Yet it would have been a cruel blow for the Robins who, despite narrowly failing to secure their first away win since September, were delighted with their point.
This was a huge result for Johnson, whose job had been under threat after a run of ten defeats in 13 matches.
He said: “I’m very proud because this is an unbelievably difficult place to come.
“I’m taking every positive after a tough week in which we have had a lot of stick. I’ll never shirk the challenge.”