By Anthony Marshall - Newcastle United Managing Editor
At the Britannia Stadium
Stoke City 1 (Shaqiri 81)
Newcastle United 0
Xherdan Shaqiri's late goal condemned Newcastle United to a cruel, late 1-0 defeat at Stoke City on Wednesday night in the Barclays Premier League.
The Magpies had defended superbly in difficult conditions at the Britannia Stadium but were undone with nine minutes remaining as the Swiss playmaker found a yard of space on the edge of the area to drive home a swerving shot.
It was harsh on United who had put in a stubborn performance and deserved a share of the spoils, with goalkeeper Rob Elliot only seriously called into action early on when he saved from Erik Pieters's mishit cross and an angled Shaqiri effort.
At the other end, while they were far from free-flowing, Newcastle still carved out a handful of decent chances, with captain Jonjo Shelvey and Aleksandar Mitrovic both threatening before the break.
And in the final seconds only a wonder-save from Jack Butland, thwarting Seydou Doumbia with a one-handed point-blank stop, prevented Steve McClaren's side returning to Tyneside with a share of the spoils.
The Magpies will look to bounce back to winning ways when they entertain Bournemouth on Saturday.
United made a bright start to proceedings and stand-in skipper Jonjo Shelvey had the first shot of the evening in the fifth minute, pulling the trigger from the edge of the area but finding Jack Butland equal to his low strike.
But the hosts responded and Erik Pieters almost repeated his match-winner from this fixture in the 2013/14 campaign when his mishit cross almost sailed over the head of Rob Elliot and into the far corner.
Thankfully, the Magpies' stopper was on hand to claw it away, and minutes later was called into action again, this time getting down well to smother a fierce Shaqiri drive.
Midway through the half Mitrovic threatened his sixth goal of the season, rising above his marker at the far post to connect with Shelvey's deep free-kick. The Serbian got enough power on his downward header but was unable to find a way past Butland.
United continued to assert themselves in the early exchanges of the second period, and Moussa Sissoko should have tested Butland when he worked space for himself 15 yards out.
However, the French midfielder instead opted to try and create another angle and was eventually crowded out.
On 69 minutes, Stoke made a double change, replacing Ibrahim Afellay and Jonathan Walters with strike pair Mame Biram Diouf and Peter Crouch, and the Magpies' first switch of the evening came in the 74th minute as Yoan Gouffran was replaced by Emmanuel Riviere.
But it was the Potters who broke the deadlock with nine minutes remaining. There appeared little on when Diouf laid into the path of Shaqiri 20 yards out, but the little Swiss playmaker took a touch before sending a wind-assisted strike past Elliot.
That prompted a double substitution for the visitors, as Ayoze Perez and Seydou Doumbia entered the fray in place of Jack Colback and Mitrovic.
And the switch almost paid dividends deep into four minutes of stoppage time when Shelvey got down the left and delivered into the six-yard box. Doumbia hooked the ball goalwards and it was heading for the top corner until, out of nowhere, the big hand of Butland appeared, stopping it in its tracks and remarkably clawing to safety.
Stoke City (4-2-3-1): Jack Butland; Phil Bardsley (Marc Muniesa 26), Geoff Cameron, Philipp Wollscheid, Erik Pieters; Glenn Whelan (c), Giannelli Imbula; Xherdan Shaqiri, Ibrahim Afellay (Mame Biram Diouf 69), Marko Arnautovic; Jonathan Walters (Peter Crouch 69)
Subs not used: Jakob Haugaard, Stephen Ireland, Bojan, Joselu
Newcastle United (4-2-3-1): Rob Elliot; Daryl Janmaat, Steven Taylor, Jamaal Lascelles, Paul Dummett; Jonjo Shelvey (c), Jack Colback (Seydou Doumbia 84); Moussa Sissoko, Georginio Wijnaldum, Yoan Gouffran (Emmanuel Riviere 74); Aleksandar Mitrovic (Ayoze Perez 84)
Subs not used: Karl Darlow, Jamie Sterry, Henri Saivet, Rolando Aarons
Referee: Neil Swarbrick (Lancashire)
Bookings: Stoke City - Muniesa (45); Newcastle United - none
Attendance: 27,331 (1,622 Newcastle)
