Eddie Howe expressed his "relief" following Newcastle's narrow victory over Blackburn in a penalty shootout, securing their spot in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup - a tournament he emphasizes the Magpies are "eager" to claim.
At Ewood Park, Martin Dubravka emerged as Newcastle's savior, deflecting Dominic Hyam's penalty onto the post after earlier denying Sammie Szmodics, who had netted during regular time.
Despite Harvey Barnes faltering in his spot-kick for the Premier League side, Fabian Schar, Bruno Guimaraes, Elliot Anderson, and Anthony Gordon successfully converted theirs, ensuring Newcastle's progression in an enthralling encounter.
Howe remarked, "Relief is the predominant feeling. It was a fiercely contested cup fixture. Both teams fought tooth and nail, but we're thrilled to advance to the next round. The players understand the significance of the FA Cup and are elated with the outcome."
"This keeps us in contention for a tournament we are earnestly pursuing victory in, and brings us closer to Wembley. With just one more game to go, we're hopeful for a favorable draw."
Gordon broke the deadlock in the 71st minute, slotting home after a promising run from substitute Miguel Almiron down the right flank. This came shortly after Gordon's attempt was thwarted by Blackburn's goalkeeper Aynsley Pears.
However, Blackburn, positioned 16th in the second tier, swiftly equalized, with Szmodics notching his 24th goal of the season, seizing upon Dubravka's parry from Dilan Markanday's strike against the crossbar.
Rovers came close to clinching victory in injury-time, only for Yasin Ayari's effort to be repelled by Dubravka's legs, forcing the contest into extra time.
Both sides squandered opportunities during the additional period, with Schar, Gordon, Sean Longstaff, Dan Burn, and Guimaraes all missing chances for Newcastle, while Szmodics was denied again amidst the frenetic exchanges, ultimately leading to the decisive penalty shootout.
The draw for the quarter-finals is scheduled for 19:00 GMT on Wednesday, preceding Chelsea's clash with Leeds on ITV4, with the matches set to take place over the weekend of March 16.
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