NEWCASTLE’S fine form came to a screeching halt as West Ham pulled one out of the bag to potentially save Julen Lopetegui’s job.
Eddie Howe’s side could have climbed into the top six with a win over the struggling Hammers.
But Tomas Soucek and Aaron Wan-Bissaka came up trumps to stun the Toon and earn a huge win for their under-pressure boss that lifted them to six points from danger.
Toon started fast and Alexander Isak had the ball in the net after peeling off the last man and dinking it over Lukasz Fabianski only for an offside flag to ruin the party.
But the Hammers knocked the stuffing right out of them in the tenth minute.
Soucek was given the freedom of St. James’ as he escaped Lloyd Kelly, in for the suspended Dan Burn, and headed home Emerson Palmieri’s outswinging corner.
This was not part of the script, but it was just the start Spaniard Lopetegui had dreamed about.
And he was kicking every ball in his technical area throughout an animated first half performance that led to him being booked for dissent by referee Craig Pawson.
That was his third caution of the campaign and he’ll now have to serve a touchline ban and miss Arsenal’s visit on Saturday.
Not that he cared one jot at the time as he continued to bark orders at his side while Toon could only muster a curling effort from Joe Willock that went wide.
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It was all feeling rather flat from those in Black and White and it could have got even worse as the visitors nearly doubled their advantage when Carlos Soler, replacing Guido Rodriguez, shot round the post.
Despite needing a new passport following his drama in the international break returning from Ghana, the tireless Michail Antonio was left requiring a shirt here.
After what seemed like his 100th tussle with the defence, he emerged with a huge rip right down the middle of his jersey, and he revelled in the minute or so it took for him to change it while the game was stopped.
Longstaff headed straight at Fabianski while Lewis Hall’s drive and shot got the locals back off their seats.
But both Anthony Gordon and Isak blew chances to go in level at the break.
The England winger capitalised on Jean-Clair Todibo’s poor clearance inside the area.
However, his strike was saved by the leg of the Hammers goalie before the striker had an effort deflected wide.
Harvey Barnes came on for Willock at the break and teed up Gordon to drag an effort off target.
But any momentum was soon cut short as West Ham doubled their lead eight minutes after the restart.
Lucas Paqueta won the ball back and Jarrod Bowen broke and found Wan-Bissaka on the underlap. The ex-Manchester United full-back took a touch before firing across goal and into the far corner.
Pope then saved from Bowen as things threatened to get worse before Sandro Tonali and Jacob Murphy came on along with Callum Wilson, making his first appearance of the season after injury.
But even that trio could not conjure up some magic for the Magpies, despite the returning forward being convinced he should have had a penalty when bundled over by Konstantinos Mavropanos.
That leaves them sat in tenth, while Lopetegui lives to fight another day at West Ham.
