Howe's history men to go down in Newcastle folklore

The tears flowed and the joy was unconfined as Newcastle United finally exorcised the ghosts of 56 years of failure on a Wembley stage that has haunted them most.

When referee John Brooks sounded the final whistle to confirm their 2-1 Carabao Cup win over Liverpool, a giant black and white wave of celebration swept around the stadium that has delivered nine successive defeats since Newcastle won the 1955 FA Cup.

Finally, they had ended the long wait. It was 56 years since a major trophy landed on Tyneside in the shape of the long-defunct Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, the ensuing years an era when the club has become a punchline and punchbag for other fans to feast on.

Now, after a fully deserved victory engineered by a manager in Eddie Howe, who has transformed the club in the time of riches under Saudi Arabian owners, the curse has been cast aside.

Wembley was barely big enough to contain the noise and emotion that fuelled a magnificent performance, some fans in tears even before the end, many covering their eyes unable to watch as the clock stretched towards 100 minutes and the glorious release of victory.

The black and white backdrop Newcastle's followers provided delivered a wall of sound as their celebrations were played out to the north-east anthem "Blaydon Races".

Dan Burn and Alexander Isak scored either side of half-time to give Newcastle the control they deserved, but when Federico Chiesa replied four minutes into eight minutes of added time to give Liverpool unlikely, undeserved hope, those painful memories of past years were revisited for a few moments.

The tension was unbearable at the Newcastle end, but Howe's team managed those final seconds as skilfully as they had everything else, and Liverpool unable to respond.

Howe and his players have secured their place in Tyneside history. The Carabao Cup may not be top of trophy priorities elsewhere, but this is a triumph that will mean everything for a giant of a club and fanbase.

And the manager may find himself given a statue of St. James' Park, near those of Sir Bobby Robson and Alan Shearer, with the latter living through every Wembley moment with the rest of The Toon Army.

Howe is the first English manager to win either the FA Cup or League Cup since Harry Redknapp lifted the FA Cup with Portsmouth in 2008. He is also the first English manager to win this trophy since Steve McClaren at Middlesbrough in 2004.

Newcastle looked to have learned every lesson from the loss to Manchester United in this final two years. This time they were ready. This time they rose to the occasion.

The Toon Army was also ready. The simple message of "Get Into Them" emblazoned on a flag unfurled before kick-off carried out to the letter.

And it was all accompanied by the endless, deafening sound of a support who have craved this day.

Newcastle stories were scattered all over Wembley along with the ticker tape of celebration.

Burn completed the finest few days of his career when he followed up his first England call-up at 32 with a thunderous header from Kieran Trippier's corner to open the scoring in first-half stoppage time.

He took advantage of Liverpool's inexplicable ploy of marking him with a player in Alexis Mac Allister, who is not far off a foot smaller than him – something that carried on in the second half.

As the theme from the film Local Hero - a permanent part of the soundtrack at St. James' Park - rang out at Wembley amid joyous scenes, it could have been in honour of Blyth-born Burn, the boyhood fan whose name will be etched in Newcastle folklore forever.

Isak was touted as Newcastle's potential match-winner before the game. And so it proved as he reacted swiftly and to deadly effect to sweep home Jacob Murphy's knockdown.

And then there was Joelinton. The Brazilian was the best player on the pitch, running powerfully and tearing into tackles throughout, usually followed by clenched fists in the direction of Newcastle's support.

Howe, however, must take most of credit for another super piece of management and strategy.

He succeeded Steve Bruce in November 2021 with Newcastle 19th in the Premier League, five points from safety after 11 matches.

Howe guided Newcastle into the Champions League last season but this is the crowning glory. There have been 31 managers of at least one game for Newcastle since that last success.

He has crossed the barrier that has proved insurmountable for so many.

The fierce defensive discipline of Howe's side saw Liverpool danger man Mohamed Salah reduced to a peripheral figure.

He failed to record a shot or create a chance for Liverpool in a game he started for only the third time, after a League Cup tie against Arsenal when he played for 61 minutes, and the first leg of the Champions League last-16 game with Paris St-Germain, when he was substituted with four minutes left.

Newcastle could, and should, have added more as they simply over-powered a Liverpool team who looked like they were running in quicksand, this loss compounding the midweek Champions League exit against PSG on penalties.

Howe, the leader and hero of this triumph and usually ice cool, admitted even he had been sucked into what this occasion meant, not just to a football club but a city.

He said: "I am very, very emotional and have been all day, which is very unlike me. We knew what was at stake for all over our fans. We wanted to do them proud and win the trophy.

"I am so, so pleased with the result and performance. We deserved to win but it was tough when Liverpool scored. I was thinking about extra time. We always make it difficult for ourselves. It was never going to be 2-0."

Howe added: "We were well aware of history. We wanted to do the club proud. We wanted to score. We wanted to perform, we wanted to win. We are breaking new ground. I thought we were magnificent."

Even Howe admitted surprise at Burn the goalscorer, adding: "We worked consistently for two weeks on set-plays just for this game and if you'd seen us in practice you would have said we had no chance.

"We couldn't believe Dan Burn scored. He hasn't been training like that."

This was not simply a victory for a football club and its fanbase. It was victory for a city that has waited 56 years to enjoy such an occasion.

And the long-overdue party was making its way all the way from Tyneside to Wembley after a day that will live in Geordie memories forever.