Anthony Gordon and Bruno Guimaraes came off the bench to ease Newcastle into the FA Cup fourth round after Eddie Howe was forced to turn to his big guns to see off League Two Bromley.
Howe made nine changes to the side that beat Arsenal in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg in midweek as he attempted to rest key men, but saw his understudies fail to impress in a first half during which Cameron Congreve fired the visitors into an eighth-minute lead.
Lewis Miley levelled before half-time, but such was Howe’s displeasure that he sent on Gordon and Guimaraes after the restart and saw the England international convert a 49th-minute penalty before 21-year-old striker Will Osula wrapped up a 3-1 win and an eighth on the trot for the first time since 2016 with his first goal for the club.
William Osula celebrates after scoring Newcastle’s third goal against Bromley
Harvey Barnes made early inroads as the Magpies looked for a fast start against Bromley’s five-man defence, and the £38m man should have done better after bursting into the box with six minutes gone only to shoot into the side-netting from an unlikely angle when there were more realistic options inside.
However, it was the visitors who sent their travelling supporters into raptures two minutes later when Corey Whitely fed Congreve 25 yards out and he escaped Miley’s attentions before steering a left-footed shot past the sprawling Martin Dubravka.
They might have been in dreamland with 14 minutes gone when full-back Danny Imray intercepted Lloyd Kelly’s pass to Matt Targett deep inside his own half and raced upfield before firing across Dubravka, but also wide of the far post.
However, the Magpies were level within two minutes when, after Osula had rounded keeper Grant Smith from Miley’s through ball but could not get a shot away, Barnes recycled and Miley smashed a long-range effort past the ‘keeper and into the net.
The home side were having to remain patient as Bromley got men behind the ball and were commendably organised, but they did not help themselves with a lack of pace and incision hampering their build-up play.
Howe delivered a transparent verdict on a tepid first-half display when he sent on Guimaraes and Gordon for Joelinton and Barnes, and the former Everton forward wasted little time in making an impact.
Targett was tripped by Ben Thompson as he carved his way into the box and Gordon sent Smith the wrong way from the spot to make it 2-1.
Guimaraes in particular injected much-needed urgency as the Magpies upped their tempo with Gordon seeing a 58th-minute shot from a well-worked corner blocked.
But it was Osula who increased their advantage three minutes later when he cut inside from the right and smashed an unstoppable drive past Smith to end any hopes of a fightback.
Woodman hopes Newcastle go on to win FA Cup
Bromley manager Andy Woodman embraces Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe
Bromley boss Andy Woodman left St James’ Park hoping Newcastle counterpart Howe goes on to lift a long-awaited trophy this season after seeing his FA Cup dream draw to a close.
Howe’s men, who could be as little as 90 minutes away from a trip to Wembley in the Carabao Cup, will face League One Birmingham in the fourth round as they attempt to end their 70-year quest for domestic silverware.
Asked if the 47-year-old could be the man to do just that, Woodman said with a smile: “I’m hoping I’ve played my part and they give me a pat on the back because I’ve let him go through to the next round. I always want him to get a bit of silverware.
“I really hope so because it has been a monkey on the club’s back for many years and nothing would give me greater pleasure, particularly Eddie and his staff and the team of players. They’re good human beings, you can tell that.
“I had a chat with Sean Longstaff, who I’ve known since he was a small boy and to see players you know and people you know at a football club – not just the players and the staff, but the people around the club – I really would, probably as much as any Geordie fan, be hoping they can lift a trophy this year, for sure.”
