Jonjo Shelvey makes instant impact with Newcastle

Jonjo Shelvey ended a “perfect” week on Tyneside with a priceless victory which breathed new life into Newcastle’s Premier League survival bid.

The €15m arrival from Swansea played a part in both his side’s goals, and although he was later involved in an unseemly spat with Hammers striker Enner Valencia, it was a day to remember.

Shelvey paved the way for Ayoze Perez’s sixth-minute opener when his pass was expertly laid off by Georginio Wijnaldum for the former Tenerife frontman to curl an inch-perfect shot past keeper Adrian’s outstretched arm.

But the raking cross-field ball from which full-back Daryl Janmaat set up Wijnaldum for his ninth goal of the season nine minutes later was even better and left Steve McClaren purring.

Shelvey and Valencia came together off the ball seven minutes before the break with the striker going to ground, but McClaren later dismissed the clash as a bout of “handbags” and is expecting to hear no more about it.

What might have been a much more comfortable afternoon took a twist when Chancel Mbemba left a back-pass woefully short to allow substitute Nikica Jelavic to reduce the deficit.

NEWCASTLE:

Elliot, Janmaat, Mbemba, Coloccini, Dummett (Saivet 57), Colback, Shelvey, Sissoko, Wijnaldum, Perez (Gouffran 80), Mitrovic (Lascelles 90). Subs not used: Aarons, Darlow, Riviere, Toney.

WEST HAM:

Adrian, Tomkins (Jenkinson 75), Collins, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Noble, Kouyate, Obiang (Jelavic 46), Antonio (Moses 70), Valencia, Payet. Subs not used: Randolph, Reid, Song.

Ref:

Neil Swarbrick