SUPER-SUB Allan Saint-Maximin’s assist and stunning solo goal within seven minutes of coming on moved Newcastle a precious six points clear of relegation.
Matej Vydra put Burnley ahead in the first half, with the Magpies offering virtually nothing in attack.
But the game turned when Steve Bruce brought the dazzling French winger on after 57 minutes.
First he set up Jacob Murphy’s equaliser with a jinking run down the right two minutes after his introduction.
And just five minutes later Saint-Maximin took centre stage with a magical run from his own half before leaving two defenders for dead with a deadly cut back and firing low past Bailey Peacock-Farrell.
Newcastle’s first win in eight, this was the first time in 26 attempts they have come from behind to claim all three points.
And how vital this victory was, moving them six points clear of 18th-placed Fulham with a game in hand.
It also pulls them to within just one point of Burnley, who are anything but home and hosed after this.
Clarets keeper Nick Pope missed out with a shoulder injury, handing Peacock-Farrell just a second Prem start – his first a 5-0 defeat at Manchester City last November.
Newcastle were without talismanic defender Jamaal Lascelles, who could be out for the season with a foot injury.
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And the three-man defence of Federico Fernandez, Ciaran Clark and Paul Dummett looked shaky from the off.
Vydra was a nuisance from the first whistle and had the Clarets ahead 18 minutes in.
Clark’s sloppy headed clearance found Westwood in acres of space in midfield, with the midfielder playing to Chris Wood on the left.
The New Zealander drove to the box and skinned the hapless Clark down the side before pulling back to a free Vydra to sweep home first time from six yards.
The red-hot Czech forward now has three in his last five league games, as many as he managed in the previous 53 combined.
After the encouraging draw against Tottenham last weekend, it was back to the usual dross the Toon Army have become all too accustomed with.
Bruce’s side finally mustered a shot on target after 37 minutes when Dwight Gayle nipped in front of his man to flick Jacob Murphy’s cross goalbound.
Peacock-Farrell was up to task, getting across to his right superbly.
But it fell to Sean Longstaff, who tried to nod home the rebound before he was booted in the face by James Tarkowski’s high foot.
Red Anthony Taylor gave nothing but VAR Stuart Attwell checked, only to somehow not give the penalty.
The PGMOL were quick to defend the officials, stating that Tarkwoski ‘played the ball first and then Longstaff has stooped and put his head into that area’.
While they can count themselves unlucky there, the Magpies were woeful for the first hour.
Dubravka’s excellent save bailed out Dummett from conceding a horrendous own goal before the break, before the Toon stopper tipped over Matt Lowton’s piledriver just after it.
As cross after cross and corner after corner swang into Newcastle’s box, the second goal was coming.
Bruce responded 57 minutes in by bringing the heavy artillery on, replacing the ineffectual Joelinton and Gayle with Saint-Maximin and Callum Wilson.
And within seven minutes the Toon were miraculously ahead courtesy of two stunners, with Saint-Maximin at the heart of both.
The Frenchman’s first action was to pick it up on the right of the box, selling one dummy and occupying three defenders before laying it off to Murphy at the edge of the box.
The wing-back then hit an absolute peach first time, arrowing it away from Peacock-Farrell into the far corner.
Dyche’s side looked shell shocked, so little had Newcastle done.
And it went from bad to worse five minutes later – thanks to Saint-Maximin’s stunning solo goal.
Picking it up from Jonjo Shelvey in his own half, the 24-year-old charged completely unchallenged to the edge of the box.
He then checked back on to his left peg through his legs, leaving two defenders in his wake, before firing low and hard into the bottom corner.
Saint-Maximin almost added a second assist in the 90th minute when he burned Tarkowski for pace but the centre-half got back on the line to clear Miguel Almiron’s goalbound effort.
The Newcastle win moves them up to 32 points, one behind Burnley, but crucially six clear of 18th-placed Fulham.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
