Newcastle United are out of a Europa League place by goal differential and they're only five points out of fourth place. Alan Pardew's side haven't gone away at all, and they were absolutely magnificent in the first half of their 3-1 win over West Bromwich Albion on Sunday. The second half was rather uneventful after a defensive error by Newcastle gifted WBA a way back into the match, but they were unable to make the most of that gift.
West Bromwich Albion Vs. Newcastle, 2012 Premier League: Magpies Keep European Hopes Alive
Papiss Cisse scored twice, with both goals set up by Hatem Ben Arfa. Ben Arfa also contributed a goal of his own in a fantastic performance. The Magpies built a 2-0 lead in the opening 12 minutes, with Cisse scoring in the 6th minute and Ben Arfa netting in the 12th. Cisse's second came in the 34th minute with a tidy finish on a cross by Ben Arfa.
West Brom were booed off the pitch at halftime, but cut into the lead in the 52nd minute through Shane Long. Some miscommunication at the back caused Mike Williamson and Tim Krul to crash into each other, gifting Long a tap-in. That would be West Brom's last truly clear-cut chance of the match, as they struggled going forward and sprayed numerous shots off target for the rest of the match.
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