Newcastle 4-4 Luton: Harvey Barnes equalises for the Magpies in eight-goal THRILLER

A day after being stranded on his sickbed, Eddie Howe was left in need of another long lie down after overseeing one of the most bonkers matches St James’ Park has ever seen.

The Newcastle manager was a doubt to take his place on the touchline against Luton after missing his pre-match press duties on Friday through illness.

But while Howe passed himself fit for duty in dugout, his hot-and-cold players put him through the wringer in the first 4-4 draw here since the Magpies’ famous comeback against Arsenal 13 years ago this month.

Newcastle twice led in the first half through Sean Longstaff, but were pegged back both times by Gabriel Osho and then Ross Barkley.

Carlton Morris, with a retaken penalty, and Elijah Adebayo then looked to have secured a famous win for Rob Edwards’ in-form Hatters

Yet Newcastle bounced back through captain Kieran Trippier before sub Harvey Barnes – just 10 minutes into his first match in four months – sent St James’ Park wild with a 73rd-minute equaliser.

Despite a stirring fightback, this result and performance will surely concern Howe, just as things looked back on track following their fine 3-1 win at Aston Villa in midweek.

They are down to ninth in the table, having not won at St James’ Park in their last three games.

In-form Luton, meanwhile, should be proud of another fine point, even if letting slip a two-goal cushion will have hurt Rob Edwards like hell.

After an eight-goal thriller, it is funny to think that the talk coming into this one was about how Howe did not have a striker to select from the start.

Aleksandar Isak was out with a groin injury and the returning Callum Wilson was only fit enough for the bench.

So it was timely that midfielder Longstaff should pack his goalscoring boots, bagging his first Premier League goal since September after just seven minutes.

He owed a lot to Lewis Miley, whose exquisite raking ball from inside the centre circle found an advanced Trippier on the right touchline.

Trippier then expertly crossed along the deck to Longstaff, who was on the spot to steer home from 10 yards.

It was all too easy for the hosts and you feared for Luton at this early stage. But they got back on terms in the 21st minute.

Ross Barkley’s free-kick into the box was headed back across the middle by Carlton Morris and Gabriel Osho rose highest to nod over a helpless Martin Dubravka and in off the bar.

St James’ Park was silenced – but only temporarily.

For just two minutes later Longstaff had a second to complete his first brace in a year, when he famously sent Newcastle into the Carabao Cup final with a double against Southampton.

It was a classic counter-attack goal, as Miguel Almiron won the ball in his own box and sent Anthony Gordon flying down the left wing.

He got the better of Osho, turning him inside out and getting a strong shot away inside the box. And while Thomas Kaminski saved, his parry fell to the feet of an unmarked Longstaff, who had another comfortable finish from virtually the same spot as his first.

Gordon – leading the line in the absence of Isak and Wilson – ought to have had one of his own but he mishit his shot after Jacob Murphy teed him up.

And it was Luton who hit back again five minutes before the break.

Barkley escaped Longstaff’s tame tackle then broke forward with purpose before passing to Alfie Doughty on the left. His cross was then tamely parried by Dubravka straight to Barkley, who could not miss from six yards for his third goal of the season.

Howe had seen enough and called Wilson into action for the first time in 2024 at the start of the second half, with the unlucky Gordon making way.

However, it was the visitors’ No9 who was to have the next big say after 59 minutes.

Chiedozie Ogbene had given Dan Burn the run-around all match and he won a penalty when the giant Geordie pulled him down, with VAR adjudging the contact had carried on into the box.

Morris then stepped up and, though his first coolly taken spot-kick had to be retaken after the referee had already blown for an infringement, he repeated his trick of sending Dubravka the wrong way to give Luton the lead.

Three minutes later, the Hatters had a two-goal cushion and were in dreamland as Elijah Adebayo – fresh from his midweek hat-trick against Brighton - fired past Dubravka from Barkley’s lay-off.

Yet just as jubilant away fans were singing about staying up, the hosts finally stirred from their slumber.

Howe made a double sub, taking off the hapless Burn and Almiron, with Tino Livramento and Barnes taking their places.

And Newcastle immediately got a goal back in stunning style, as Bruno Guimaraes crossed with the outside of his boot and captain Trippier volleyed in left-footed at the far post.

From then on, you just knew an equaliser was coming, although you would not have predicted the source.

Barnes had been out since September but, just 10 minutes after his reintroduction, he reacted to a loose ball on the edge of the box and drilled left footed into the bottom left corner, sending St James’ wild.

With 10 minutes of time added on at the end, you felt a winner was coming. In the end, the best late chance fell to Luton’s Ogbene, but his shot was saved by Dubravka and a breathless game was to end as a draw.