Southampton 0-1 Newcastle: Joelinton goal gives Newcastle EFL Cup semi-final advantage

Newcastle United hold a slender advantage from the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg as Joelinton’s goal gave them victory at Southampton.

Newcastle will now be favourites to reach their first major Wembley final since the FA Cup in 1999 as they attempt to end a trophy drought stretching back to the 1969 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup win.

And if Newcastle do complete the job in the second leg on Tyneside they will owe a debt of gratitude to Nick Pope, who made two vital second-half saves from Southampton substitute Che Adams with the score still goalless, extending his remarkable personal record to 10 successive clean sheets.

Southampton, who had what they thought was an equaliser from Adam Armstrong disallowed for handball by VAR, saw their night of frustration complete when defender Duje Caleta-Car was sent off in the closing minutes for a second yellow card.

Joelinton was a central figure, seeing a first-half goal contentiously ruled out for handball then blazing over an open goal when it seemed easier to score, before hitting the target to make Eddie Howe’s side firm favourites to reach Wembley.

The two sides meet at St James’ Park in the second leg on Tuesday, 31 January.

Newcastle’s march continues

Newcastle United’s dream season under Howe now carries the real prospect of a Wembley appearance to go alongside their challenge for a place in the Premier League’s top four and next season’s Champions League.

They needed the outstanding interventions of keeper Pope to keep Southampton at bay when they threatened after the break but Newcastle always carried a threat, even if much of their finishing was wayward, and eventually sharp work by substitute Isak delivered a chance Joelinton could not miss.

Newcastle’s defence is so mean-spirited this season that one goal is invariably enough and so it proved as, for all Southampton’s effort, they simply could not break through, leaving the Toon Army packed into a corner of St Mary’s celebrating at the final whistle.

Howe will know Newcastle were not at their best and showed nerves at times, but there will be satisfaction at getting this part of the job done against a Southampton side that disposed of favourites Manchester City here in the quarter-final.

It leaves Howe’s side in a favourable position for the second leg in front an expected capacity crowd at St James’ Park, with a Wembley final against either Manchester United or Nottingham Forest as the prize on offer.

More to follow.