Romero's overhead kick rescues point for Spurs in breathless St James' Park finish

Tottenham Hotspur's Cristian Romero celebrates. Pic: Steve Welsh/PA Wire.

Premier League: Newcastle 2 Tottenham Hotspur 2

Tottenham fans haven’t been slow to let Thomas Frank’s side know their displeasure at times this season so it was rather ironic that their appreciation of this backs-to-the-wall point was somewhat lost from up in the gods at St James’ Park.

Making yourself heard from the away end is akin to attempting to hail a cab from the top of Mount Everest although the travelling faithful did enough to make their presence felt — just like their team.

Deep into stoppage time, Cristian Romero unfurled the most unlikely of overhead kicks after Newcastle failed to clear a corner to earn a deserved draw.

It had taken Tottenham 78 minutes to muster a shot on target, but it was worth it as the defender got across the front of Burn to beat Aaron Ramsdale at the near post with a stooping header for his first of the night from Mohammed Kudus’ cross.

A draw was the logical conclusion when a side that is so formidable at home hosts one that boasts as impressive a record on the road as Tottenham, who denied Newcastle a seventh consecutive home win.

Eddie Howe had to call on the cavalry to ensure his side made the running and it looked like a disputed 86th penalty from substitute Anthony Gordon had sealed victory after Romero’s late header cancelled out Bruno Guimaraes’ clinical finish seven minutes earlier.

Rodrigo Bentancur and Burn’s wrestling match at a corner looked in the realms of six of one, half a dozen of the other, but VAR thought differently and advised Tom Bramall to have another look. Once the referee headed to the screen, there was only one outcome and Gordon sent Guglielmo Vicario the wrong way from the spot.

Spurs had won just once in six since exiting the Carabao Cup at St James’ Park at the end of October but even without the steadying influence of the rested Micky van de Ven, they repelled with relative ease what little of note Newcastle threw at them before half-time.

It took 20 minutes for Lewis Miley to register the contest’s first shot on target and the youngster should have done better with a tame low effort easily saved by Vicario after a deflected Harvey Barnes cross broke to the unmarked midfielder on the edge of the Spurs area.

The hosts were unfortunate not to break the deadlock 10 minutes before the break when a smart three-man move released Joelinton into the box for the Brazilian to outpace Rodrigo Bentancur and beat Vicario with a low angled drive which bounced back off the foot of the post.

The scare brought a belated first effort on goal from the visitors. whose defensive solidity came at the expense of their attacking threat. That almost changed as a deft near post Lucas Bergvall’s instep flick from a Kudus centre flew inches over.

Newcastle could face an FA probe after Tottenham keeper Vicario ended the first half protesting to referee Bramall shortly before half-time to suggest he’d been on the receiving end of a couple of unspecified objects thrown from the Leazes stand behind his goal. It was a surprise Kevin Danso hadn’t already headed them away as the defender repelled most things sent his way in a sterling display from the imposing Austrian international.

It was quickly back to the day job for the Italian at the outset of the second-half as he was down smartly to save well from Barnes after the winger burst into the box to fire in a low effort at the near post. The rebound fell invitingly for the lurking Nick Woltemade but Danso was alert to clear the German’s follow-up header off the line.

The pressure eventually told with 19 minutes remaining. 

Shortly after his introduction, Gordon used his pace to glide past Pedro Porro and send over a centre which was ferried via Woltemade for Guimaraes — thrown on at the break to add more impetus to midfield — to find the bottom corner with a precise finish from a dozen yards.

Vicario levelled before Gordon restored the lead but the Spurs skipper had other ideas to double his tally for the night in a breathless finish.

NEWCASTLE (4-3-3): Ramsdale 6; Livramento 7, Thiaw 7, Burn 6, Hall 7; Miley 7 (Schar 90, 6), Tonali 6 (Guimaraes 46, 8), Joelinton 7; Murphy 5 (Elanga 67, 5), Woltemade 6, Barnes 7 (Gordon 67, 8). Booked:.

TOTTENHAM (4-3-3): Vicario 7; Porro 6, Romero 8, Danso 8, Udogie 7; Sarr 6 (Gray 87, 6) ), Bentancur 6, Bergvall 7 (Simons 77, 5); Kudus 7 (Odobert 87, 6), Kolo Muani 6 (Richarlison 77, 5); Johnson 3 (Tel 77, 5).

Referee: Tom Bramall