Perez strike eases pressure on Pardew

TOTTENHAM 1

(Adebayor 18)

NEWCASTLE UNITED 2

(Ameobi 46, Perez Gutierrez 58)

Alan Pardew’s half-time substitutions inspired Newcastle to a much-needed comeback victory at Tottenham, where Ayoze Perez capped his full debut with the goal that secured back-to-back victories.

Bouncing around the bottomthree after a bruising start to the campaign, it had looked like the Magpies would struggle in north London.

However, Emmanuel Adebayor’s header was wiped out by half-time substitute Sammy Ameobi seconds after the restart, before fellow sub Remy Cabella set-up Perez to secure Newcastle an unlikely 2-1 win.

The result was a timely shot in the arm for under-fire Pardew, who built on their maiden win against Leicester with a first away victory for seven months.

Adebayor deservedly put Mauricio Pochettino’s side ahead in the 18th minute.

But it was Newcastle who secured victory, with Ameobi making the most of lax defending to start the comeback just after half-time.

Things got worse still for Spurs, when Cabella crossed for Perez to put Newcastle ahead and, try as they might, there was to be no leveller as Tottenham lost a third League match of the season at White Hart Lane.

It was a result that looked unlikely in a dominant, if uninspiring, first-half display by Spurs, who appealed for a spotkick against Daryl Janmaat inside the opening two minutes.

Jan Vertonghen, Christian Eriksen and Ryan Mason all failed with longrange efforts, before Newcastle leftback Paul Dummett missed an audacious attempt of his own from 40 yards. Jack Colback wasted a fine opportunity when the normally reliable Hugo Lloris unconvincingly punched away a Moussa Sissoko cross, before a real moment of class led to an 18th-minute breakthrough.

WASTEFUL

Last-ditch blocks kept Nacer Chadli and Eriksen at bay, but Mason showed impressive ingenuity to clip in a cross for Adebayor to direct home.

It was a glorious header, which proved the difference at half-time as Spurs failed to create any further shots on target.

Danny Rose was unable to keep an effort down after a superb Erik Lamela prod put him through, before the leftback saw a hopeful appeals for a spotkick rightfully waved away.

Chadli wastefully blazed over a volley at the end of an uninspiring first half in which Newcastle had looked poor.

Cabella and Ameobi were brought on in a bid to change things, but Pardew could not in his wildest dreams imagined their impact.

Five touches and around eight seconds was all it took for Newcastle to pull themselves level, with Eric Dier caught napping froma fine Colback pass, which Ameobi rifled home.

Pochettino and many of the Spurs substitutes were not even back at their seats when the goal was breached - a shock to the system Spurs could have recovered almost immediately had Fabricio Coloccini not bravely denied Eriksen turning home a squared ball from Rose.

That block saw Newcastle remarkably turn the match on its head.

Despite having looked to receive a pass from Sissoko in an offside position, Cabella sent in a cross that full debutant Perez headed home.

The visitors’ relief was clear by the wild celebrations, which would have been repeated had Cabella managed to end a solo run by squeezing his effort inside the near post, rather than into the side-netting.

It was a let-off the home faithful thought they had capitalised on in the 66th minute, when Eriksen caught out Tim Krul directly from a corner - but the Newcastle goalkeeper’s blushes were saved by the linesman indicating the cross had gone out of play before curling back in.

Harry Kane, fresh from coming on, could not beat Krul with his first attempt of the afternoon as Spurs upped the ante, with Aaron Lennon also failing to hit the target.

A low, driven cross from Kane somehow evaded his team-mates and Roberto Soldado had an effort blocked as an equaliser proved beyond them.