A number of defensive blunders cost West Ham in their bid to secure Champions League football on Saturday afternoon as Newcastle scraped their way to a 3-2 win at St. James' Park.
A fairly uneventful first half sparked into life ten minutes before the break as a mix-up between Issa Diop and Lukasz Fabianski saw the former bundle the ball into his own goal, before Craig Dawson was shown a second yellow card for a late foul in the build-up to the goal.
IT'S TWO!!!!!!!!!!
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) April 17, 2021
GET IN, JOE!!!!! pic.twitter.com/VheiZM0IyB
Just five minutes later the Magpies doubled their lead as Fabianski dropped a simple catch from a Newcastle corner and Joelinton was on hand to tap home.
Despite being down to ten men West Ham dominated possession in the second half and they pulled a goal back as Diop atoned for his earlier error to head home Jarrod Bowen's inch-perfect cross.
The Hammers surged forward in search of an equaliser and they were awarded a penalty after Ciaran Clark handled in the area.
Jesse Lingard smashed home their second of the afternoon from the spot, though the away side were struck with a hammer blow just minutes later as substitute Joe Willock powered home a header to grab all three points for Newcastle.
That's the match highlights out of the way, now to those all important Newcastle and West Ham player ratings.
NEWCASTLE PLAYER RATINGS
1. Goalkeeper & defenders
Martin Dubravka (GK) - 5/10 - Possibly should have done better with Diop's header having got a hand to the ball but nothing he could do about Lingard's penalty.
Paul Dummett (CB) - 6/10 - Defended well on the whole and showed good awareness to drop deep and cover his defensive partners when they moved out of position.
Federico Fernandez (CB) - 5/10 - Caught ball-watching in the lead up to Diop's goal and allowed the Hammers man a totally free header to halve the deficit.
Ciaran Clark (CB) - 5/10 - Ridiculous defending to raise his arms in the box and give West Ham the chance to level from the spot.
2. Midfielders & wing-backs
Jacob Murphy (RWB) - 6/10 - A constant outlet down the Newcastle right and linked up well with Saint-Maximin on a number of occasions.
Jonjo Shelvey (CM) - 6/10 - Picked up a needless booking early on following a late challenge on Jarrod Bowen. Was solid if not spectacular in the centre of the pitch.
Sean Longstaff (CM) - 7/10 - Neat and tidy in midfield and his range of passing was key to getting Newcastle's forwards into the game.
Matt Ritchie (LWB) - 7/10 - Tracked Vladimir Coufal whenever he advanced down the Newcastle left and did some good defensive work at the back post as West Ham fired late crosses into the box.
3. Forwards
Allan Saint-Maximin (RW) - 8/10 - Cut the West Ham backline to shreds whenever he had the ball at his feet. Looked lively on the break in the second half before appearing to limp off with an injury.
Joelinton (ST) - 7/10 - Scored in back-to-back home games for the first time since joining Newcastle. A threat on the break and used his pace well.
Miguel Almiron (LW) - 6/10 - Not as busy as Allan Saint-Maximin on the opposite flank but continued to make good runs and didn't neglect his defensive duties.
4. Substitutes
Callum Wilson (ST) - 6/10
Joe Willock (CM) - 7/10 - Superb header to grab all three points for his side.
Andy Carroll (ST) - N/A
WEST HAM PLAYER RATINGS
5. Goalkeeper & defenders
Lukasz Fabianski (GK) - 4/10 - Uncharacteristic errors which cost his side on the afternoon. Newcastle's first may have been more Diop's fault than his but the second was definitely on the Polish shot-stopper's shoulders.
Craig Dawson (CB) - 4/10 - Similarly to Jonjo Shelvey a silly early challenge saw him booked and he picked up a second yellow card just eight minutes before half-time following another late foul.
Issa Diop (CB) - 5/10 - Calamitous bit of defending saw him put through his own net and hand Newcastle the lead. Good header to notch West Ham's opening goal of the game but not a great afternoon's work.
Angelo Ogbonna (CB) - 6/10 - To say he was the best of the West Ham defenders really isn't giving him much credit at all. A few timely interceptions as Newcastle got in behind the Hammers backline.
6. Midfielders & wing-backs
Vladimir Coufal (RWB) - 7/10 - Did his best to drag ten-man West Ham up the pitch in the second and was the catalyst for most of the attacks the visitors launched.
Tomas Soucek (CM) - 6/10 - Didn't have the kind of influence on the game we've come to expect from him but was combative nonetheless.
Mark Noble (CM) - 6/10 - Probably still feeling dizzy after Saint-Maximin turned him inside out in the build-up to Newcastle's first goal. Kept things ticking over and showed a good range of passing.
Ben Johnson (LWB) - 5/10 - Showed a real lack of composure and quality with his deliveries whenever the Hammers emerged into Newcastle's half.
7. Forwards
Pablo Fornals (RW) - 6/10 - A really good work rate and played a number of clever through-balls as Coufal made overlapping runs.
Jarrod Bowen (ST) - 6/10 - Can't play the role Michail Antonio does for the Hammers but he did well to drop deep and link up play with the midfield. Superb cross to find Diop who handed his side a lifeline in the game.
Jesse Lingard (LW) - 7/10 - The Manchester United loanee was the brightest of the Hammers frontline as they tried to drag themselves back into the contest and he smashed home their second of the afternoon from the spot.
8. Substitutes
Said Benrahma (LW) - 6/10
Manuel Lanzini (ST) - N/A
Ryan Fredericks (RB) - N/A
Source: 90min
