Baggies trouser late victory

PAUL SCHARNER extended Newcastle’s winless Premier League run to six games as West Brom won on the road for the second time in five days.

The Austria international snatched victory five minutes from time as a five-goal thriller went the way of the visitors.

Roy Hodgson’s men took the lead on three occasions as Peter Odemwingie and Gareth McAuley with his first goal for the club struck before the break. However, on both occasions, Demba Ba dragged Newcastle back into it, firstly with a fiercely-struck free-kick and then with a close-range 81st-minute finish.

But the Baggies refused to accept a point and Scharner made the most of a poor defensive display to claim a victory that leaves the Magpies with just two points from the past 18 available.

Alan Pardew’s side fell behind with 20 minutes gone. Cheick Tiote’s pass was cut out by Nicky Shorey, who fed the hugely impressive Chris Brunt and watched as he produced a superb defence-splitting pass to put Odemwingie in behind Fabricio Coloccini.

The striker controlled deftly before firing confidently past keeper Tim Krul off the foot of the post to silence the home fans among a crowd of 51,060.

Ba thought he had levelled within two minutes when he drilled home from Leon Best’s knock-down, but an offside flag ruined his celebrations.

But West Brom’s lead lasted just 14 minutes as Ba curled a free-kick high to Ben Foster’s left with the keeper unable to deny the Senegal international despite getting a hand to it.

Newcastle attempted to capitalise on their equaliser, but they were caught again with a minute of the half remaining.

Brunt floated a free-kick to the far post, where Scharner was allowed to helped it back across goal for McAuley to score from close range.

Midfielder Haris Vuckic, starting his first Premier League game, thumped an injury-time drive against the bar with Foster beaten, and the visitors survived to go in ahead at the break.

The game might have been over on 53 minutes when Youssouf Mulumbu once again carved Newcastle open to put Shane Long in on goal. The Republic of Ireland international rounded Krul with ease, but his shot from a tight angle came back off the crossbar.

But it was Ba who dragged the Magpies back into the game, converting Ben Arfa’s 81st-minute pass with relish.

Vuckic might have won it with a dipping long-range effort which Foster had to turn over, but the Magpies were caught once again at the death when Scharner stabbed the ball past the helpless Krul from Odemwingie’s header.

NEWCASTLE: Krul, Simpson, Perch, Coloccini, Santon (R Taylor 46), Obertan (Sh Ameobi 72), Vuckic, Tiote, Gutierrez, Best (Ben Arfa 61), Ba.

WEST BROM: Foster, Reid (Jones 6), McAuley, Olsson, Shorey, Thomas (Dorrans 68), Mulumbu (Thorne 76), Scharner, Brunt, Odemwingie, Long.

Referee: Anthony Taylor (Cheshire)