Miley puts smile on Newcastle faces and breaks Fulham hearts

Toremedy a local let down, enter the local hero.

- Andy Brassell

After 56 years without a trophy before glorious victory at Wembley in March Newcastle were never going to let go of the Carabao Cup without a fight, but few of the impressionable children walking up Barrack Road for a pre-Christmas treat imagined their heroes having to hang onto this silverware this grimly before Lewis Miley’s stoppage time winner. The Magpies had dominated without often threatening the killer blow, with the constant threat of their own nerves undermining them after the miserable derby defeat at Sunderland that cast a cloud of gloom over St James’ Park well before the Wednesday afternoon rain set in.

Yoane Wissa marked his long-awaited first start for the club with a goal inside ten minutes, tapping in after Benjamin Lecomte could only push out Jacob Murphy’s cross, the first even half-chance that came the home side’s way after a tepid start.

Tension had lingered in the air at kickoff. Instances of genuine anger with manager and team have been as rare as hen’s teeth in the four years of Eddie Howe, but Sunday’s slide to defeat at Sunderland pushed many to feelings reminiscent of some of the indignities of the latter days of Alan Pardew or the Steve Bruce era.