After Newcastle defeated Blackburn in a penalty shootout to advance to the FA Cup quarterfinals, which the Magpies manager claims they are “desperate” to win, Eddie Howe expressed his “relief” after the game.
At Ewood Park, Newcastle’s hero was Martin Dubravka, who stopped Sammie Szmodics from scoring in normal time and then deflected Dominic Hyam’s penalty onto the post.
After a thrilling match, the Premier League team’s Harvey Barnes missed his penalty kick, while Fabian Schar, Bruno Guimaraes, Elliot Anderson, and Anthony Gordon scored their attempts to advance.
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“Howe expressed relief as the only feeling present. “The cup tie was fiercely contested. Although neither team gave up and gave it their all to win, we are happy to be in the hat for the next round.
“Everyone recognises the FA Cup’s significance, which makes the players really delighted.
This keeps us in the competition, which we really want to win, and it also brings us one step closer to Wembley. Hopefully, we can secure a strong draw as we are just one game away.
“Our target this year is the FA Cup and to finish as high as possible in the Premier League, and this is hopefully pivotal towards that.”
In the 71st minute, Gordon scored the first goal for Newcastle following a deft run down the right wing by replacement Miguel Almiron. It happened shortly after Gordon had a clear opportunity on goal, but Rovers custodian Aynsley Pears denied him.
But Blackburn, ranked sixteenth in the second division, trailed by only eight minutes.
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After Dubravka acrobatically touched Dilan Markanday’s attempt against the underside of the crossbar, Szmodics pounced to score his 24th goal of the season across all competitions.
In injury time, Rovers had a chance to win in the third minute, but Dubravka’s legs stopped Yasin Ayari’s shot, forcing extra time.
A thrilling extra-time session saw Szmodics’ third attempt saved, and Schar, Gordon, Sean Longstaff, Dan Burn, and Guimaraes also squandered golden opportunities for the visitors before spot kicks decided the match.
