The Magpies looked to be heading towards defeat as the game ticked into the final five minutes at the Amex Stadium, but after having two previous penalty awards overturned following VAR reviews, Howe’s side were finally awarded a spot-kick in the 86th minute when Yasin Ayari handled Fabian Schar’s free-kick.
Alexander Isak stepped up to claim his 23rd league goal of the season, with the point ensuring that Newcastle would remain in fourth position and stretch three points clear of sixth-placed Nottingham Forest, with a significantly superior goal difference.
With three games to go against Chelsea, Arsenal and Everton, Newcastle’s top-five fate remains in their own hands.
“If you look at our season as a whole, we probably haven’t dug out enough points in games that were in the balance,” said Howe, whose side had fallen behind in the first half to a curled finish from former Newcastle winger Yankuba Minteh.
“That’s surprising really, although we are a team that are set up to try to win. You’ve got to be careful what you wish for – we want to win games, and we’ll attack to try to do that.
“But if you can’t, make sure you don’t lose the game, and I thought this was a really battling performance. I thought we were the better team in both halves. I thought we were pretty good, maybe apart from around the box.
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“In the first half, I maybe thought we lacked a cutting edge, but the majority of the performance tactically, and in terms of the substitutes, I was really pleased. To come here and come back from a goal down is a great thing, I think.”
The game was littered with controversial refereeing moments, with Craig Pawson awarding Newcastle two penalties that were eventually overturned.
The first, which was awarded for a foul on Anthony Gordon by Tariq Lamptey, was changed to a free-kick, with replays showing the contact had occurred outside the 18-yard box, while the second was wiped out entirely with Pawson being sent to the pitch-side screen to conclude that Joe Willock had not been touched when he tumbled over the leg of Jan Paul van Hecke.
Even the penalty that was eventually awarded for Ayari’s handball took an age to be rubberstamped by VAR, but Howe felt the afternoon was proof of why video technology has a place in the game, and was delighted with the way in which his players handled the chaos that was going on around them.
“Keeping your composure in those moments is not easy,” he said. “And also making our sure our performance wasn’t affected negatively by the outcome of the decisions.
“I think that is what VAR is there for. If Anthony’s is outside the box, then that’s the right decision. If Joe’s not touched by van Hecke, that’s the right decision. I’ve got no issue with those two calls, if that’s the case.
“The third one, for me, was a stonewall penalty from the minute I saw it. I’m pleased that the right decision was made.”
