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Joe Willock scored his first Premier League goal of the seasonNewcastle continued their impressive resurgence under Eddie Howe with a valuable draw at West Ham that edges them five points clear of the Premier League relegation zone.
Howe's side are unbeaten in the league since Christmas, despite this result bringing their three-game winning run to an end.
Craig Dawson headed the opener for West Ham from Aaron Cresswell's enticing free-kick after goalkeeper Martin Dubravka had earlier tipped a Jarrod Bowen effort onto the crossbar.
But the visitors capitalised on a defensive lapse on the brink of half-time when Joe Willock guided a deft finish onto the far post and watched it creep narrowly over the line.
Newcastle remain 17th but are now five points clear of Norwich, while West Ham missed the chance to return to a Champions League place and stay fifth.
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Newcastle cope without injured stars
Howe only picked up one win in his first eight games as Newcastle boss after replacing Steve Bruce in November, but has collected three from five league games since the turn of the year to move the club clear of the drop zone.
It is form to rival that of the current top four, and this draw comes despite the loss of Kieran Trippier, who has had an immediate impact at St James' Park at both ends of the pitch, and electric winger Allan Saint-Maximin - arguably Howe's two most important players.
Without the marauding Saint-Maximin, Newcastle lost someone with the ability to provide a threat from virtually anywhere on the field, with only West Ham's Declan Rice carrying the ball further than the Frenchman in the Premier League this season.
But in his absence, Howe found Willock and Joelinton in impressive form, with the latter almost sneaking in at the back post early on during a spell of nervy West Ham defending.
Despite their bright start, Newcastle looked set to enter the break a goal down, only for the usually assured Rice to miscue a header into Willock's path. The 22-year-old midfielder was alert and scored his first goal of the season from a tight angle as Hammers goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski failed to scramble his shot off the line.
The former Arsenal midfielder also zipped an effort wide from distance in the pouring rain in a second half that saw both sides struggle to assert themselves, and Newcastle will no doubt be the more satisfied with a point.
More to follow.
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West Ham United
Squad number1Player nameFabianski
Squad number24Player nameFredericks
Squad number15Player nameDawson
Squad number4Player nameZouma
Squad number3Player nameCresswell
Squad number28Player nameSoucek
Squad number41Player nameRice
Squad number20Player nameBowen
Squad number22Player nameBenrahma
Squad number8Player nameFornals
Squad number9Player nameAntonio
Squad number11Player nameVlasic
Squad number31Player nameJohnson
Newcastle United
Squad number1Player nameDúbravka
Squad number17Player nameKrafth
Squad number5Player nameSchär
Squad number33Player nameBurn
Squad number13Player nameTargett
Squad number28Player nameWillock
Squad number8Player nameShelvey
Squad number7Player nameJoelinton
Squad number21Player nameFraser
Squad number20Player nameWood
Squad number23Player nameMurphy
Squad number24Player nameAlmirón
Squad number39Player nameBruno Guimarães
Line-ups
West Ham
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Fabianski
- 24FredericksBooked at 21minsSubstituted forJohnsonat 45'minutes
- 15Dawson
- 4Zouma
- 3Cresswell
- 28Soucek
- 41Rice
- 20BowenBooked at 90mins
- 22BenrahmaSubstituted forVlasicat 73'minutes
- 8FornalsBooked at 90mins
- 9Antonio
Substitutes
- 7Yarmolenko
- 11Vlasic
- 13Areola
- 16Noble
- 23Diop
- 31Johnson
- 33Král
- 42Alese
- 51Chesters
Newcastle
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Dúbravka
- 17KrafthBooked at 31mins
- 5Schär
- 33BurnBooked at 90mins
- 13Targett
- 28WillockSubstituted forGuimarães Rodriguez Mouraat 88'minutes
- 8Shelvey
- 7Joelinton
- 21FraserBooked at 75minsSubstituted forAlmirónat 79'minutes
- 20Wood
- 23Murphy
Substitutes
- 3Dummett
- 6Lascelles
- 18Fernández
- 24Almirón
- 26Darlow
- 34Gayle
- 36S Longstaff
- 39Guimarães Rodriguez Moura
- 50De Bolle
Live Text
Match ends, West Ham United 1, Newcastle United 1.
Second Half ends, West Ham United 1, Newcastle United 1.
Dan Burn (Newcastle United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United) is shown the yellow card.
Offside, Newcastle United. Emil Krafth tries a through ball, but Fabian Schär is caught offside.
Corner, Newcastle United. Conceded by Craig Dawson.
Pablo Fornals (West Ham United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Miguel Almirón (Newcastle United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Pablo Fornals (West Ham United).
Substitution, Newcastle United. Bruno Guimarães replaces Joseph Willock.
Attempt blocked. Pablo Fornals (West Ham United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Nikola Vlasic.
Attempt blocked. Tomas Soucek (West Ham United) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is blocked.
Substitution, Newcastle United. Miguel Almirón replaces Ryan Fraser because of an injury.
Ryan Fraser (Newcastle United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Ryan Fraser (Newcastle United).
Nikola Vlasic (West Ham United) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Joelinton (Newcastle United).
Tomas Soucek (West Ham United) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Substitution, West Ham United. Nikola Vlasic replaces Saïd Benrahma.
Corner, Newcastle United. Conceded by Ben Johnson.
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