Newcastle squeezed through to the English League Cup quarter-finals via a penalty shoot-out at Watford. The tie had ended 2-2 with Antoine Sibierski heading Newcastle in front only for Damien Francis to take the tie into extra-time, when Danny Shittu put the Hornets ahead before Scott Parker forced a shoot-out. Steve Harper saved the decisive penalty from Jordan Stewart to put the magpies through 5-4 in the shoot-out.
After the protests and general air of crisis following Saturday's defeat at home to Sheffield United, Glenn Roeder's Newcastle led for most of the game but failed to take numerous chances to make a comfortable progression into the quarter-finals.
Antoine Sibierski returned to offer support to the on-loan striker Giuseppe Rossi, who had been given the all-clear by Alex Ferguson to play in the League Cup.
Newcastle came charging out of the starting blocks and Sibierski took just three minutes to mark his return to the team with a goal. Emre floated a free-kick into the penalty area and the Frenchman outjumped Lloyd Doyley to head Newcastle into the lead.
Watford almost produced an immediate counterpunch but Steven Taylor deflected Darius Henderson's far-post header wide and the more positive first-half play came from Newcastle.
Blame for the club's poor league form has largely been directed at the boardroom and the dugout but Damien Duff has been honest enough to concede that the players have underperformed. And with Sibierski recovered from a toe injury, the Republic of Ireland winger was free to move from the makeshift centre-forward role he has occupied to cause problems from a more natural wide position.
It gave the Newcastle team a more balanced feel and Duff's ability to drift into space from the left almost paid dividends when he forced the Watford goalkeeper Richard Lee to make three good first-half saves in swift succession. Lee had to be alert to come quickly off his line and smother an attempted lob from Sibierski after a Stephen Carr clearance.
Although buoyed by a first Premiership victory at the weekend, Watford took until the stroke of half-time before forcing a save of note from Steve Harper, who blocked Tamas Priskin's effort.
With Emre preferred to Nicky Butt alongside Scott Parker in the centre of midfield, Newcastle maintained their ascendancy and had further opportunities to open a two-goal cushion. Parker was reportedly involved in an exchange with the Newcastle crowd after Saturday's game but had the travelling supporters chanting his name when a fierce goal-bound effort from 25-yards was blocked by Damien Francis.
Yet as the second half wore on, Newcastle began to look jittery as they defended more deeply. They were grateful for Harper's outstretched palm to turn Ashley Young's free-kick wide but Watford equalised from an almost identical position on 69 minutes. Young's delivery was precise and Matthew Spring glanced a header that evaded the Newcastle defence and was powered in by Francis.
Guardian Service
WATFORD: Lee, Doyley, DeMerit, Shittu, Stewart, Young, Francis, Spring, Bouazza, Henderson, Priskin (Bangura 73). Subs not used: Chamberlain, Mackay, Powell, McNamee. Booked: Doyley. Goals: Francis 69, Shittu 108.
NEWCASTLE: Harper, Carr, Ramage, Taylor, Babayaro, Milner, Emre, Parker, Duff, Sibierski (N'Zogbia 114), Rossi (Solano 100). Subs not used: Srnicek, Luque, Huntington. Booked: Babayaro, Sibierski. Goals: Sibierski 3, Parker 116.
Referee: L Mason (Lancashire)
