Premier League: Townsend lifts Newcastle

Watford’s Troy Deeney (left) celebrates after scoring in their Premier League match against Aston Villa at the Vicarage Road Stadium at Watford in London on Saturday. The hosts won 3-2. (Photo: AFP)

Andros Townsend scored a stunning free-kick as Newcastle United edged Crystal Palace 1-0 on Saturday and escaped the Premier League relegation zone at the expense of northeast rivals Sunderland.

Townsend netted with a sensational shot in the 58th minute and with Karl Darlow saving a penalty from ex-Newcastle player Yohan Cabaye, Rafael Benitez’s team claimed a potentially vital win.

Jermain Defoe scored a stoppage-time penalty to rescue a 1-1 draw at Stoke City for Sunderland and although Sam Allardyce’s side were left a point behind Newcastle in the bottom three, they retain a game in hand.

Both teams could yet end up in the relegation places at the end of the day, however, if Norwich City can contrive to win at Arsenal in the late kick-off.

A pivotal day at St James’ Park began with a minute’s applause to mark the verdicts of the new inquests into the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, which found police responsible for the deaths of 96 Liverpool fans.

Newcastle’s fans broke into a spontaneous rendition of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, the Liverpool club anthem, but singing quickly gave way to nail-biting as the home side struggled to make a breakthrough.

Townsend eventually made the breakthrough, the one-time England winger sending a free-kick from wide on the right whistling into the top-left corner.

Twelve minutes later, Cabaye had a chance to equalise, but the France international, who angered Newcastle fans by leaving for Paris Saint-Germain in 2014, saw his penalty brilliantly turned away by Darlow.

Sunderland could not follow Newcastle’s lead, but Defoe’s unerring 94th-minute penalty prevented them from suffering a damaging defeat.

Noble double Stoke went ahead in the 50th minute through Marko Arnautovic, who was then forced off by injury, and Defoe earned his side a precious point by dispatching a spot-kick awarded for a foul on him by Geoff Cameron.

Elsewhere, West Ham United captain Mark Noble scored twice for the second game in succession as his side won 3-0 at West Bromwich Albion to replace Manchester United in fifth place.

Leighton Baines scored the winner as Everton prevailed 2-1 at home to Bournemouth, after Tom Cleverley’s seventh-minute opener for the hosts had been swiftly cancelled out by Marc Pugh’s deflected strike.

Meanwhile, skipper Troy Deeney scored a last-gasp brace as Watford twice came from behind to inflict a 3-2 defeat on already-relegated Aston Villa.