Newcastle United are in the Carabao Cup final after beating Southampton 3-1 on aggregate over the two legs. The Magpies, who had a slender 1-0 lead going into Tuesday's tie, wasted no time setting the tone as they raced into an early two-goal lead thanks to a Sean Longstaff double.
Southampton fired back against the run of play as Che Adams pounced on a momentary lapse of concentration from the Newcastle defence, firing beyond a helpless Nick Pope. But Eddie Howe's side battled on and braved the second-half storm before Bruno Guimaraes made it a nervy final 10 minutes after being shown a red card for a late tackle on Samuel Edozie.
Newcastle toughed it out to book their place at Wembley for their first cup final since 1999. Here are the moments you may have missed from the momentous St James' Park win.
Double Longstaff delight
Semi-final goal hero Sean Longstaff wasn't the only Longstaff to be smiling from ear to ear inside St James' Park on Tuesday evening. The younger of the brothers was in attendance with his family as Sean stole the show to send Newcastle to Wembley.
As Longstaff netted the first of his two strikes, the TV cameras panned straight up to Matty, who was on his feet applauding his brother for a fine finish. Things would get even better moments later as the midfielder found the net to give Newcastle a three-goal cushion on aggregate.
Matty continues to recover from ACL surgery after suffering a knee injury while on loan at Colchester in recent weeks.
Our 48-page Carabao Cup final special is available to pre-order now! Click HERE to get your copy as Newcastle United prepare for a historic day out at Wembley. Also available to purchase through local participating retailers from February 15th.
Southampton sending off
Bruno Guimaraes' red card stole the headlines towards the back end of the tie but Southampton also had to deal with their own red card on the stroke of half-time. As the players and coaches headed for the tunnel at the interval, one away member of staff made his feelings clear to referee Paul Tierney, voicing his unhappiness at one of his decisions.
Tierney brandished a red card to one of Southampton's coaches, banishing him to the stands for the remaining 45 minutes. Nathan Jones refused to comment on the incident at full-time, insisting it had nothing to do with the outcome of the game.
Shelvey's dressing room goodbye
Jonjo Shelvey was given a warm ovation as he made his way out onto the turf at half-time to say his Newcastle goodbyes. The midfielder drove back up to the north east this afternoon after completing a medical at Nottingham Forest, eager to enjoy one last St James' Park evening under the lights.
In a fitting tribute to his seven-year contribution on Tyneside, Shelvey was also allowed to join in with the team photo at the end of the tie, as Newcastle celebrated making the final.
“Jonjo has been a loyal servant to the club for many years and I want to thank him sincerely for his efforts and commitment during my time here," Howe said of Shelvey. "He is a brilliant player who has given so much to the cause, and he leaves with our best wishes for the future.”
Staveley's special guest
Amanda Staveley, Mehrdad Ghoudoussi and Jamie Reuben often welcome special guests to the VIP area at St James' Park and Tuesday evening was no different. Have Newcastle gained a new fan in the form of Idris Elba?!
The famous actor-turned-DJ seemed to enjoy the football on display as he accompanied the Newcastle owners for the game - despite the fact he's an Arsenal fan! Maybe he wouldn't have been as impressed if the Magpies were a tad closer to the Gunners in the Premier League table.
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