Newcastle United 2-0 West Bromwich Albion
LONDON, November 9, 2014 (AFP) – Newcastle United’s impressive revival continued as they climbed into seventh place in the English Premier League table with a 2-0 win away to West Bromwich Albion on Sunday.
Goals from Ayoze Perez and Fabricio Coloccini at The Hawthorns saw north-east side Newcastle, who struggled at the start of the season, extend their unbeaten league run to five straight games — a sequence that now includes four successive victories.
Perez put Newcastle ahead on the stroke of half-time when, from 12 yards out, he skilfully backheeled in Daryl Janmaat’s cross.
Janmaat was again the provider as Newcastle doubled their lead in the 62nd minute.
The full-back’s cross was not properly cleared and Newcastle captain Coloccini found space in the box to head home as manager Alan Pardew’s men tightened their grip on the game.
Elsewhere, Stoke City also moved up into the top half of the table with a 2-1 victory away to Tottenham Hotspur that ended the north London club’s run of three straight wins in all competitions.
Former Barcelona star Bojan Krkic scored his first Premier League goal in fine style to give Stoke a sixth-minute lead at White Hart Lane when he cut inside from the left wing and ran at the retreating Spurs back four before unleashing a hard, low shot into the corner.
Stoke were 2-0 up in the 33rd minute when, after a poor clearance by Spurs’s Danny Rose, Mame Diouf burst into the area and squared the ball to Jonathan Walters, who finished with his left foot.
Tottenham pulled a goal back in the 77th minute when Nacer Chadli met Rose’s cross wih a powerful finish.
But hopes Mauricio Pochettino’s side might manage a draw were dented when they had to play the final five minutes down to 10 men after defender Kyle Naughton was sent off for a crude foul on Victor Moses.
Sunday’s other early kick-off match in the English top flight saw Sunderland and Everton share the points in a 1-1 draw at the Stadium of Light.
Free-kick specialist Seb Larsson broke the deadlock in the 67th minute, although the Swede bent his shot past Tim Howard through a huge gap in Everton’s defensive wall.
But Everton were level in under 10 minutes when Seamus Coleman was brought down in box by Connor Wickham.
Leighton Baines missed his first penalty in the top flight at Old Trafford last month and was lucky not to be denied on this occasion when Sunderland goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon dived over his scuffed spot-kick down the middle.
Everton’s pleasure in gaining a draw would have been tempered by the sight of midfielder Gareth Barry being carried off on a stretcher with what appeared to be an ankle injury.
Arsenal will go into the top four if they avoid defeat away to Swansea in Sunday’s late kick-off match.