NEWCASTLE blew top four rivals Nottingham Forest away with a blistering 11-minute turnaround.
But they nearly threw all their good work away as they managed to cling on despite a late Forest flurry.
AFPAlexander Isak scored twice in two minutes to make the score 4-1[/caption]
GettyLewis Miley scored his first Prem goal of the season[/caption]
GettyCallum Hudson-Odoi opened the scoring[/caption]
Callum Hudson-Odoi silenced St James’ in the opening moments as the Magpies looked set for a third-straight top-flight home defeat.
Though those fears were short-lived as they wrapped up the points before half-time in a stunning comeback.
Alexander Isak helped himself to a brace after goals from Lewis Miley and Jacob Murphy ignited the transformation.
Nikola Milenkovic pulled one back before Ryan Yates set up a nervy ending, but Toon held on just to close the gap on Forest to just three points.
Things could not have started any worse for Newcastle as they gift-wrapped Nuno Espirito Santo’s men the lead.
Less than six minutes were on the clock when Jacob Murphy’s attempted turn inside from Tino Livramento’s throw was pounced on by Callum Hudson-Odoi.
The Forest winger raced away from the desperate Murphy towards goal and hit a low strike from 25 yards straight into the bottom corner.
You could feel the frustration around the ground mounting as the away fans up in the heavens celebrated wildly.
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However, instead of folding like they did at the Etihad against Manchester City the week previous, the Toon roared back in thunderous fashion.
Lewis Miley, making his first Premier League start of the season, first had a shot deflected wide but the teen was not to be denied moments later.
Forest could only clear Lewis Hall’s free-kick to the midfielder, in for Sandro Tonali, and he showed great calmness to move the ball out of his feet before drilling through TWO defender’s legs and in to equalise.
It was a great moment for the local lad, made even better by the fact he is now the first player to score more than once in the top flight for the club aged 18 or younger.
The equaliser was deserved, as was Newcastle’s second to take the lead shortly after.
And it was redemption for Murphy after more great work from the impressive Hall.
The left-back powered down the left after meeting Isak’s backheel and into the box.
His attempted cross deflected off a defender, looped over Matz Sels, and fell for Murphy to bundle home at the back post.
Isak’s part in the build-up was the first flash of brilliance from the Swede and when the goals are flowing his name is never far from the scoresheet.
And it was not long before he had taken his tally to 20 for the season from the penalty spot.
Hall was right at the heart of it again, this time his cross being stopped by the arm of Oli Aina, and after a VAR check, a spot-kick was awarded.
They say fortune favours the brave, but it was perhaps more sheer luck that was on Isak’s side as he added the third.
He seemed to be caught in two minds whether to smash it or go for the Panenka and ended up having a bit of both.
Sels, who had been getting pelters on his return to St James’, almost recovered to save it only to agonisingly tip it up into the net.
Forest were crumbling and it got even worse as they conceded a fourth and it was another landmark for Isak.
Joe Willock was the architect on this occasion, and he slipped in the red-hot forward to finish, albeit with the help of a deflection, for his 50th Premier League goal for Newcastle.
Toon were running riot with just one minute and 51 seconds between Isak’s strikes.
If this was a boxing match then Espirito Santo would have seriously been considering throwing the towel in.
Morgan Gibbs-White blasted straight at Nick Pope but there looked to be little hope for the visitors at the break as they slumped off.
Anthony Elanga is best advised to avoid X as he embarrassingly blew a huge opportunity to get one back for Forest after the restart,
Neco Williams did brilliantly to head Gibbs-White’s cross back across, but somehow, from under the crossbar and with the goal gaping, unmarked Swedish winger Elanga somehow fired over.
Newcastle had lost all of their intensity since the break, and their passiveness was eventually punished just after the hour mark.
A Forest corner was passed back into the mixer from Chris Wood, and Nikola Milenkovic managed to flick home.
Suddenly the whole atmosphere had changed as another ex-Magpies, Elliot Anderson, had an effort blocked as pressure started to build.
Right on 90 minutes Ryan Yates punished sloppy marking to set up a tense finish but they were unable to find a late leveller.
They remain in the top four and above Newcastle, but a third defeat in four has seriously dented their momentum in the chase for Champions League football.
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