Newcastle 2-0 Tottenham: Spurs outfought at St James Park as Carabao Cup run ends with a whimper | OneFootball

The north Londoners’ dismal run against the Geordies continues

Woltemade's second-half header wrapped up a 2-0 win set in motion by Fabian Schar's 24th-minute opener to leave the home contingent among a crowd of 51,216 at St James' Park dreaming of a return to Wembley.

The victory was all the more impressive because of the eight changes head coach Eddie Howe made and while the Magpies needed goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale's intervention on more than one occasions as Spurs pushed, the visitors could have few arguments with the outcome.

Howe retained only Dan Burn, Malick Thiaw and Woltemade from the side which started Saturday's 2-1 Premier League win over Fulham, while opposite number Thomas Frank rested Vicario, Micky van de Ven, Mohammed Kudus and Randal Kolo Muani.

It was the Magpies who made the brighter start, Thiaw seeing his header from a fifth-minute Sandro Tonali - the Italy international was imperious throughout - free-kick saved by goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky before Joe Willock's follow-up was blocked.

Jacob Ramsey's attempt was smothered at source after he had been played in by Dan Burn three minutes later, but Thiaw had to be at his best at the other end within seconds to throw himself into the path of Richarlison's drive.

Harvey Barnes dragged a 12th-minute shot into the side-netting after Woltemade had built upon a fine link-up between Anthony Elanga, Joe Willock and Tonali, turning expertly before sliding his team-mate in.

The visitors gradually eased their way into the game with Xavi Simons prominent, but they fell behind with 24 minutes gone when Schar met Tonali's corner - which was delayed by Djed Spence re-tying his bootlaces - with a firm downward header, prompting ultimately-futile protests from the visitors that the defender had not been allowed to get back into position.

Spurs might have been level through their most fluent attack of the half 13 minutes before the break when Brennan Johnson headed the ball into the path of the unmarked Lucas Bergvall, but his cross fell behind Richarlison and the midfielder only just failed to reach Johnson's driven ball at the far post two minutes later.

Ramsdale fielded Kevin Danso's speculative effort and Richarlison's header, but in the meantime, Barnes had fired against the crossbar after Thiaw had played a Tonali cross back across goal and his side headed in at the break with the slimmest of advantages.

Willock should have extended Newcastle's lead within two minutes of the restart, only to mistime and misdirect his header from Barnes' cross, but he soon made amends when, after Thiaw had picked off Danso's ball forward, he crossed for Woltemade to head past Kinsky.

As Spurs pushed men forward in the search for a foothold, the hosts prospered on the counter, but they needed a superb one-handed save from Ramsdale to keep out Pape Matar Sarr's curling attempt on the hour and another to repel Richarlison's clever flick from a Pedro Porro cross.

But there was no way back for Frank's men in an increasingly-fractious conclusion.