We didn’t have any goalmouth action but I felt we were good in the game – Eddie Howe
Eddie Howe watched on as Newcastle United drew 1-1 at Selhurst Park.
An excellent free-kick routine sliced Crystal Palace open and Anthony Gordon’s excellent low cross saw Marc Guehi unable to do anything other, than turn the ball into his own net.
Crystal Palace had been the bigger threat in the match, the Newcastle goal apart.
However, as Eddie Howe says, after ‘weathering the storm’ following that 53rd minute opener, for the final 20+ minutes, United looked pretty comfortable most of the time, as the clock counted down.
Absolutely gutting then to see Joelinton lose his man in the 94th minute after a regulation Guehi cross from wide left, Munoz left with a free header from close in, Nick Pope got a hand/arm to the ball but unable to keep it out.
Eddie Howe reflects on the 1-1 draw at Selhurst Park:
“It was a strange game.
“We didn’t have any goalmouth action but I felt we were good in the game.
“I felt we nullified them pretty well.
“In the main, I think we controlled it pretty well.
“It is really gutting to concede the goal at the end.
“I felt like we had weathered the storm and we would see the game out.
“We defended crosses well but one moment cost us today.
“In [our last] two games, we have let a lot of points slip.
“Killer blow at the end.
“We defended really well for the majority of the game and Nick Pope had important saves to make.
“When you come here you know you’re going to be examined in lots of different ways.
“We stood up to that really well until the end.
“It’s an absolutely devastating blow for us because we thought we were there.
“There was a lot of good from us in the first two thirds but nothing in the final third.
“We look a little bit low on confidence and we were lacking a cutting edge up front.”
Eddie Howe on Dan Burn:
“Dan has been nursing an ankle problem for the last few weeks.
“It is a gigantic performance from him, all things considered.
“I don’t think he deserved that [Crystal Palace] goal today.”
Eddie Howe on losing Alexander Isak to a hip problem in the 22nd minute:
“It was a contact injury and not a muscle pull, which is good news for us.
“We hope he will recover quickly but at this moment I don’t know.”
