Dan Burn, a longtime Newcastle supporter, scored the team’s first goal as tenacious Leicester finally gave up to put Newcastle on the path to their first League Cup semi-final in 47 years.
In front of a jubilant crowd of 52,009 spectators at St James’ Park, the £13 million January signing’s 60th-minute goal and a nice finish from Joelinton were enough to secure a 2-0 Carabao Cup quarter-final victory and keep the Magpies’ hopes of winning their first domestic trophy since their 1955 FA Cup victory alive.
Eddie Howe’s side once again failed to take advantage of first-half opportunities but eventually did not pay the price in this instance, three days after a significantly altered team was eliminated from that competition by League One Sheffield Wednesday.
With substitute Jamie Vardy making two uncharacteristic errors late on, the Foxes may have clawed their way back into the game, but Newcastle deserved to win.
Within a minute of the game’s beginning, they might have taken the lead when Sean Longstaff missed a cross from Miguel Almiron after the midfielder had raced upfield from deep inside his own half and found Joe Willock on the left.
Two minutes later, with Almiron again the catalyst, Bruno Guimaraes blasted a long-range effort beyond goalkeeper Danny Ward’s right post as the Magpies looked to replicate the explosive start to their Boxing Day trip to Leicester, which created the groundwork for a 3-0 Premier League victory.
The visitors simply could not force their way into the game, with Patson Daka threatening sporadically on the break, although former Magpie Ayoze Perez did warm Nick Pope’s hands with a 14th-minute drive.
Guimaraes missed the target once again after Willock and Joelinton had linked well down the left, and it took a fine reaction save by Ward to deny Longstaff after his defence had failed to clear Kieran Trippier’s 19th-minute free-kick.
However, Trippier had to improvise to clear Daka’s low cross with a back-heeled flick after Timothy Castagne had countered and Pope raced from his line to prevent Harvey Barnes from connecting with Perez’s through-ball.
The home side rather lost their way as the first half drew to a close, although Almiron whipped a shot into Ward’s midriff and the keeper then palmed away another Guimaraes strike amid a late flurry.
Joelinton’s low drive come back off the foot of the post within seconds of the restart, but Youri Tielemans saw his 50th-minute shot deflected over as the visitors responded.
Burn headed Trippier’s free-kick over when he might have done better and Ward denied Longstaff once again, but Burn’s moment finally arrived as the clock reached the hour mark.
A dream come true for Dan Burn! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/hgadim5VFq
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) January 10, 2023
The 6’6” full-back burst into the penalty area from the left after the Foxes had conceded possession cheaply and fired across Ward and inside the fire post to send the home crowd into raptures.
It was 2-0 within 12 minutes when Joelinton provided the perfect finish to Almiron’s perfectly-weighted pass, although Vardy passed up two glorious opportunities to reduce the deficit in quick succession as the home side slept.