🔗 Share this article

Ange Postecoglou headed towards the tunnel deep in thought, gaze fixed on the ground. After seven matches in charge with zero wins, his prospects seemed as uncertain as a fog on the Tyne.

While Newcastle were far from their ferocious form, second-half strikes from the Brazilian midfielder and Nick Woltemade—Woltemade's a spot-kick—eventually earned them a much-needed another Premier League victory this campaign.

From the start, Postecoglou's padded jacket swaddled him similar to a duvet, but the Australian's agitated gestures indicated it offered no solace.

No jacket could shield Postecoglou from the fear that his victory-less beginning by the Trent—taking over as the first coach in 100 years without a win in his opening six games—would extend ahead of a possible dismissal during the international break.

And yet, his team did not do too badly during a tight at the back first half.

While the young midfielder on occasion outshone even the Italian star in midfield, reminding everyone why Eddie Howe was so hesitant to sell the homegrown talent, the defender contained the striker out of the game, and the winger caused Dan Burn problems on the flank.

In fairness to Woltemade, who got little service in the air or on the ground, his side's attacking play was not quite clicking.

True, it took a fine stop from Matt Sels—a former Newcastle shot-stopper—to keep out the Brazilian's header, and the player failed to convert a couple other chances, but generally, the visitors' defending was significantly better.

Given it is barely a few weeks since the Australian replaced Nuno Espírito Santo and matches have come in quick succession, leaving minimal time to put into practice his ideas on the training ground, all the talk of an looming dismissal seemed faintly ridiculous.

Or at least it did until the midfielder lifted a right-foot shot past Sels and into the top corner from the edge of the area.

That saw Postecoglou shaking his head in apparent despair, with the anguished look of a man who had just lost his keys.

His players complained about a possible infraction on Morgan Gibbs-White by the scorer in the lead-up, but their protests were ignored by the officials.

As the Italian now ascendant in midfield, Anderson was not the sole visiting player being put in his place.

At this point, the coach had removed his anorak and rolled up the sleeves of his sweater. With Forest rarely appearing capable of finding the net and Newcastle looking to shred their previously improved backline, he was clearly under pressure.

There was a further fine stop from the goalkeeper to keep out Tonali's volleyed attempt, before the following corner led to the striker's half-volley hitting the underside of the crossbar.

The keeper then made an superb two quick stops from Malick Thiaw and the winger before finally being beaten again by a penalty by the German.

The penalty was given when the midfielder's poorly timed challenge sent Guimarães crashing down.

Up stepped, the German striker to confound the goalie by lifting a rather audacious penalty into the upper left side.

It was his 4th goal for Newcastle since his seventy-million-pound transfer from the German side in the summer, contradicting comments from senior figures at the German giants that Newcastle were “foolish” to pay so much for the centre-forward.

It wasn't Woltemade's best game in black and white, but his skill to retain possession and use his sticky control to link play is already making him a fan favorite on in Newcastle.