Newcastle Grab Essential Victory in Premier League Fight After Beating Brighton

A run of five straight losses had placed Newcastle manager Eddie Howe under severe scrutiny, and a shaky opening at St James Park offered no relief for his position.

Jack Hinshelwood should have given Brighton an early advantage, as he connected with Kaoru Mitomas inviting pass yet managed only to shoot directly at the relieved Nick Pope.

The crowds unrest was building inside the stadium, and it almost surged even more when Carlos Baleba struck the ball off the top of the crossbar within the first 10 minutes, revealing that Newcastles goal was relying on good fortune right from the outset.

Although largely defensive, it was the home side who surprisingly went ahead courtesy of William Osula, with a humorous twist involved.

Brightons goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen dashed from his line but lost his footing, permitting Jacob Murphy to send in a cross that Osula nodded effortlessly into the deserted goal.

A second header followed shortly to extend the Magpies lead, with Verbruggen now positioned correctly yet helpless against Dan Burns fierce header from a Bruno Guimaraes corner burrowing into the net.

Brighton escaped going into halftime three goals down, as Verbruggen made a superb stop on Malick Thiaws pointblank attempt, which nearly ignited their response in the second period.

Hinshelwood featured prominently again, breaking clear to direct a header just over from the front post, while another major opportunity vanished for the Seagulls pursuing European qualification.

On his third try, Hinshelwood claimed his overdue strike just past the hour, converting Danny Welbecks clever pass with a powerful leftfoot drive into the top corner.

The vibe at St James Park altered following that strike, and as Brighton hunted an equaliser, they puzzled over how Pascals Gross alluring cross bypassed both Welbeck and Jan Paul van Hecke.

Brighton persisted in seeking a belated equaliser but failed to penetrate Newcastles resolute backline, allowing Howes squad to cling on for their second league home victory in seven outings, while Harvey Barnes enhanced the scoreline deep into stoppage time by seizing the ball and rifling it into the top corner for a third goal.