NEWCASTLE, England (AP) — Newcastle came back from two goals down in the second half to secure a wild 4-4 draw against relegation-threatened Luton in an end-to-end Premier League game on Saturday, with Harvey Barnes marking his return from a long injury layoff by netting the equalizer.
Newcastle led twice in the first half thanks to a brace by Sean Longstaff but then needed goals from Kieran Trippier and Barnes — who came on for his first appearance since September — to rescue a point after the visitors had taken control early in the second half.
The score had been 2-2 at the break, with Luton twice canceling out Longstaff’s goals thanks to replies from Gabriel Osho and Ross Barkley.
Carlton Morris then put Luton ahead from the penalty spot — having to take his spot kick twice after not waiting for the referee’s signal — and Elijah Adebayo doubled the lead just three minutes later.
Barnes then came off the bench, and after Trippier had given Newcastle hope, he smashed home a left-foot drive in the 73rd to equalize.
Newcastle pushed for a winner through 10 minutes of stoppage time, but the visitors stood firm to earn a draw that keeps them one point above the relegation zone.
The Magpies went ahead after just seven minutes when 17-year-old Lewis Miley sprayed the ball out to Trippier, who looked up before picking out the fast-arriving Longstaff and watched as he fired past keeper Thomas Kaminski.
Luton leveled in the 21st when Morris turned Barkley’s free kick back across goal and Osho headed past keeper Martin Dubravka off the underside of the crossbar. But Newcastle was back in front just two minutes later after Kaminski could only parry Anthony Gordon’s shot, and Longstaff controlled the rebound and drilled into the back of the net.
Five minutes before the break, Barkley set Alfie Doughty away down the left before making his way into the penalty area to fire into an empty net to make it 2-2 after Dubravka had turned the wide-man’s cross into his path.
Luton’s penalty came in the 59th after a lengthy VAR review, and Morris scored from the spot at the second time of asking having initially beaten Dubravka before the whistle had gone.
The Hatters looked headed for a massive win three minutes later when Barkley slid the ball into the path of Adebayo, who beat Dubravka emphatically to make it 4-2.
But Eddie Howe’s side reduced the deficit with 23 minutes to go when Trippier volleyed Bruno Guimaraes’ cross past Kaminski, and the final equalizer came when Miley robbed Barkley and fed Barnes, who steered a left-foot drive into the bottom corner to level.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
