Nick Woltemade scored for the fourth time in five starts as Newcastle ground out a 2-0 Premier League victory over Nottingham Forest to leave Ange Postecoglou still awaiting his first win.
The Germany international, who had earlier hit the bar, converted an 84th-minute penalty to add to Bruno Guimaraes’s opener as Postecoglou’s seventh game at the Forest helm ended in defeat despite a battling performance on Tyneside.
Eddie Howe’s men never hit the heights they did during Wednesday night’s 4-0 Champions League win at Union St-Gilloise, but were good value for the points on a day when they at times looked fatigued, yet still found a way to win.
Former Newcastle goalkeeper Matz Sels turned in a fine individual display on his return to St James’ Park, saving smartly from Joelinton’s early snapshot after Kieran Trippier had pulled the ball back for the Brazil international.
The Forest keeper denied Joelinton for a second time after Sven Botman had headed a 15th-minute Trippier corner back across goal, but Nick Pope had to parry a well-struck Morgan Gibbs-White free-kick five minutes later.
Trippier was in the right place at the right time to prevent former teammate Chris Wood from converting Gibbs-White’s 22nd-minute cross after the midfielder had controlled Sels’ clearance brilliantly before playing a one-two with Ryan Yates to get in behind the home defence.
The Magpies, however, continued to dominate possession, but without finding a way through a well-organised Forest defence as the first half ended goalless.
Gordon saw a 49th-minute shot blocked at source after Elanga had crossed from the right, while Morata made a vital block to keep out Woltemade’s close-range shot after he had served the ball up for the striker in his efforts to cut out Gordon’s dangerous ball into the box.
Pope comfortably fielded Neco Williams’s strike after he had headed Dan Ndoye into space and then raced upfield to receive his return pass, and his side finally took the lead on 58 minutes, with more than a hint of controversy.
Guimaraes left Gibbs-White in a heap as he won the ball back inside the Forest half and made ground before firing beyond Sels with the visitors appealing, ultimately in vain, for a free-kick.
Wood miskicked in front of goal as his side looked for a way back into the game, although replays showed he had drifted offside, and the Magpies started to look increasingly laboured.
Sels produced a fine save to keep out Sandro Tonali’s looping first-time volley, and Woltemade hit the underside of the crossbar after Malick Thiaw had headed down the Italy international’s corner, but Pope had to save from substitute Callum Hudson-Odoi with 12 minutes remaining.
The Forest keeper denied substitute Harvey Barnes nine minutes from time, but he was beaten for the second time when Woltemade struck from the spot after Anderson had felled Guimaraes in the box, lifting the ball high into the former Magpie’s top right-hand corner.
