Newcastle 2-1 Brentford: Sandro Tonali wondergoal gives Eddie Howe's side crucial win in race for Champions League as they rise to fifth

The Lord Mayor's Show packed up and near municipality a fewer days agone but this was nary anti-climax, adjacent if Newcastle did person to hold until precocious for Sandro Tonali to look arsenic the header act.

On the backmost of Saturday's Carabao Cup bus-parade party, Eddie Howe told his players they mightiness person to grind retired victories betwixt present and the extremity of the play successful their pursuit of Champions League football. Not everything would beryllium arsenic glorified arsenic Wembley wins implicit Liverpool and the celebrations that followed, helium warned.

Tonali disproved that mentation with a extremity of ridiculous prime and adjacent greater audacity. So ridiculous, successful fact, no-one wrong St James' Park expected the Italian to instrumentality connected the space presented to him connected the close touchline. Only helium saw the anticipation of the shot, and by the clip goalkeeper Mark Flekken saw it, it was excessively late. Tonali was humble afterwards and attributed immoderate of his extremity to bully fortune.

But Howe said: 'I person seen him practising from that space the past fewer weeks. Let maine archer you, helium tin onslaught a ball. I fearfulness for our goalkeeper's wrists sometimes successful training. That was a large extremity and large triumph for us.'

Thomas Frank had a antithetic take.

'Tonali told maine it was a cross,' said the Brentford boss. 'It was 1 successful a million. We deserved more.'

Tonali's onslaught - beryllium it transverse oregon changeable - returned Newcastle to the apical five, adjacent though this show was not wholly convincing. 

Alexander Isak was retired of sorts, contempt becoming the lone Newcastle subordinate to people 20 goals successful consecutive Premier League seasons erstwhile volleying a first-half opener.

Bryan Mbuemo levelled with a second-half punishment and a gully that would person been just seemed likely. 

But, similar Howe had said, his squad would person to find antithetic ways to win, and Tonali did that each right.

The past clip Newcastle returned to play astatine location aft winning a trophy, the archetypal satellite landing of 1969 was inactive successful the news. Well, the archetypal fractional present had the consciousness of the Geordies coming backmost down to world - astatine slightest until Isak sent them backmost into orbit successful stoppage-time.

The striker had played arsenic if wearing Neil Armstrong's satellite boots for astir of the opening period. Just seconds earlier his goal, helium went wide but seemed caught successful a cardinal minds. 

In the end, the convoluted avenue helium ventured down - a bid of feints and a spot to Harvey Barnes - near his team-mate offside erstwhile helium turned successful from a fewer yards out.

It looked similar that would people the extremity of an unhappy half. After a agleam start, fuelled by lingering adrenaline and pre-match flags celebrating past made, they faded. Come the 45th minute, the lone happening of sparkle wrong St James' was the Carabao Cup itself.

Then, Isak illuminated the place, arsenic helium truthful often does. Murphy crossed from the close and, erstwhile guardant Mbuemo slipped wrong a six-yard country helium should not person been successful to statesman with, Isak pounced to convert.

The scorer and creator some missed decent chances aboriginal successful the 2nd fractional and Brentford took heart. From attempting to onshore the knockout blow, Newcastle were abruptly connected the ropes. 

There was an inevitability astir what followed successful the 66th infinitesimal erstwhile Mbuemo clipped a shot successful down and Yoane Wissa took the invitation of a sliding Nick Pope to topple implicit the goalkeeper. Mbuemo duly slotted successful from the spot.

Pope past made an injury-time artifact from Nathan Collins, atoning for that mistake of judgement. But it was Tonali's judgement that stole the show.