Brighton 1-1 Newcastle: Alexander Isak’s last-minute penalty rescues a point for Magpies after VAR denied Magpies TWICE – as Yankuba Minteh scores against his old club

From the thrills, spills and penalties of a white-knuckle ride that lurched between the Amex Stadium and Stockley Park, Newcastle maintained a grip on their Champions League destiny, and for that there was almighty relief. Only three more rollercoasters to go.

Eddie Howe said there would be highs and lows in the four remaining weekends of Premier League fixtures, with six teams attempting to squeeze into the four qualifying spots behind champions Liverpool.

But here, in one chaotic and curious half of football, he went through more ups and downs than you would on Brighton’s pleasure pier. Not that much of the second period made pleasurable viewing for Howe. Not when his side were awarded two penalties by Craig Pawson only for both to be overturned by VAR. 

A third, in the 89th minute, was allowed to stand. From it, Alexander Isak levelled to claim a point that was deserved. It means seven more guarantees top five.

But history told us Newcastle would not win here. The Amex is their equivalent of a trip to the dentist in the Premier League. Eight visits, still no victories. It is a long and invariably painful excursion, and for the most part this was no different. 

At least they left wearing a smile, for the point extracted could be invaluable, even if it was like pulling teeth at times.

The hosts were leading through Yankuba Minteh’s first-half strike when Howe turned to Anthony Gordon to enliven his side early in the second half. The winger won the first of Newcastle’s trio of spot-kicks. 

Pawson, though, had got it wrong. Tariq Lamptey’s foul was outside the area and VAR bailed out Brighton, as well as the referee.

Pawson pointed to the spot not long after but, again, he had missed Joe Willock’s dive. VAR did not. You soon began to wonder if Pawson signalling for a goal-kick was in fact another penalty. 

It was a mystery, then, when he passed up the chance to award one at the other end, Sandro Tonali clumsily kicking through the back of Matt O’Riley, only for play to continue. The folk at Stockley Park were probably too busy supplying PGMOL with explanations for the previous two.

Finally, one minute from time, Pawson got one right. Fabian Schar’s free-kick was blocked by the hand of Yasin Ayari and, despite another delay in which the VAR officials were understandably scrutinising Pawson’s work, the award remained. 

Credit to Isak for rolling into the bottom corner, given he had not enjoyed his best game and had already prepared to take two penalties before the ball was removed from his grasp.

But the twists and turns were not done with the equaliser. During nine minutes of added time – long enough for Pawson to give another three penalties, you suspected – both teams had a chance to win it. 

Brighton substitute Diego Gomez headed wide from six yards and, for Newcastle, Callum Wilson was denied by Bart Verbruggen after blasting on goal from eight yards.

The crazy conclusion was in contrast to the sedate opening. At one point in the first half, Howe clapped his hands furiously. Not in applause, but in an effort to quicken his team. It was like an exasperated parent attempting to hasten the ascent to bed. Or, in this case, getting them to wake up.

Newcastle had plenty of the ball but did nothing with it. They probably had too much of the ball, given their strength lies in exploiting space with pace. Once Brighton led when former Newcastle winger Minteh stepped inside Tonali and finished from eight yards, the visitors were faced with a wall, and no ideas as to how to scale it.

Belatedly, in the 37th minute, they had a shot on target. Not that Verbruggen would have considered it a shot, so weak was Bruno Guimaraes’ shovelled effort from 18 yards. Come half-time, Newcastle were reduced to tossing long balls towards Isak. 

Unsurprisingly, Brighton centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke enjoyed the heading practice. Newcastle needed an injection of intent, and it arrived when Gordon was brought on in the 56th minute. His first involvement was to commit Lamptey to a mis-timed trip and Newcastle celebrated a penalty. It was soon the home fans celebrating the downgrade to a free-kick on the fringe of the area.

Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler has previously bemoaned the length of time it takes VAR to make decisions. He was not complaining here. Take all day, lads. 

In the 70th minute came a second lengthy inspection and a second penalty overturned, and rightly so. Willock was booked when replays showed Van Hecke made no contact with the midfielder as he burst towards the byline.

There was a danger the two non-awards, as they turned out, could halt Newcastle’s momentum. But still they fought, kicked and clawed their way to a result that felt a great deal different to defeat, as Howe later admitted.

It was not polished, but this trip to the dentist was not as excruciating as it may have been.