In a Premier League context only Aston Villa have scored fewer times than Newcastle this season but the Carabao Cup is a different beast and it offered the holders a distinctly therapeutic evening.
Admittedly, it was not quite raining goals for Eddie Howeâ€s side but two apiece from Joelinton and Will Osula at least showed they remember how to score. Granted, Graham Alexanderâ€s Bradford belong to the third tier but the League One leaders proved competitive and well organised opponents who throughly deserved their own consolation goal, registered, evocatively, by their Newcastle-supporting No 9 Andy Cook.
It is sometimes easy to forget that Joelinton joined Newcastle as a £40m centre forward. Howe eventually discovered the Brazilian to be a much better midfielder but when the rebound from Anthony Gordonâ€s blocked shot fell his way here, Joelintonâ€s muscle memory kicked in and the resultant low, 17th minute shot settled his sideâ€s early nerves.
Until then Bradford had frequently succeeded in disrupting Newcastleâ€s one and two touch passing rhythm, with Aaron Ramsdale doing well to save Bobby Pointonâ€s deflected shot. Once in front, though, Howeâ€s players seized control. With the £70m striker Nick Woltemade starting on the bench again, Will Osula had another chance to prove his worth.
This time, he took it. Two minutes after Joelintonâ€s opener, Osula connected with a gorgeous pass from Bruno Guimarães, retained his poise and, left one-on-one with Sam Walker, swept a fine shot beyond the goalkeeperâ€s reach.
As a senior player coming to the end of his career at Burnley a decade and a half ago, Alexander had clashed with a young manager named Eddie Howe. These days fences have long since been mended but Alexander, who, at 53, is six years his Newcastle counterpartâ€s senior, readily admits that, back at Turf Moor, they could not stand each other. Now Howe, who acknowledges he should probably have played Alexander more frequently, had the upper hand again.
Joelinton may have been converted to a midfielder, but his strikerâ€s touch has not deserted him. Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA
With Guimarães excelling and Lewis Miley gradually starting to assert himself in central midfield, Newcastle were passing and moving with pleasing fluency. Only a strong save on Walkerâ€s part denied Osula a second goal yet the stadium was unusually quiet; more a library than the citadel of sound that greeted Barcelona here last Thursday.
“Whereâ€s your famous atmosphere,†chorused the 4,900 Bradford fans who had made the 100-mile road trip north-east from West Yorkshire. Alexanderâ€s players responded by refusing to fold but their best attacking moves tended to founder in the face of the immensely impressive, finally fit again Sven Botman and his new, ex-Milan centre-half partner Malick Thiaw.
Quick GuideCarabao Cup fourth-round drawShow
Arsenal v Brighton & Hove Albion
Grimsby Town v Brentford
Swansea City v Manchester City
Newcastle United v Tottenham
Wrexham v Cardiff
Liverpool v Crystal Palace
Wolves v Chelsea
Wycombe Wanderers v Fulham
Matches to be played w/c 27 October
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No matter; for a team only promoted from League Two this spring, Bradford are evidently on a steep upward trajectory and never looked overawed by their multi-million pound hosts. They might even have pulled a goal back had Stephen Humphrys not directed a header straight at Ramsdale after meeting Pointonâ€s clever delivery.
On the hour, Alexander made his veteran striker Cookâ€s evening by liberating the No 9 from the bench. Cook is a lifelong Newcastle fan who grew up idolising Alan Shearer and, in playing at St James†Park for the first time, he finally fulfilled a long standing dream.
It may have just been a consolation, but scoring at St James†Park was a dream come true for Andy Cook. Photograph: George Wood/Getty Images
Before Alexander could make his mark though, Joelinton scored his second goal of the night, showing Gordon and Anthony Elanga how to finish. That pair had missed opportunities to increase the scoreline but now Joelintonâ€s assured left foot finish after another eye of the needle Guimarães pass had ruined Bradfordâ€s night.
Or had it? Undeterred Cook, only recently recovered from an ACL rupture, responded by scoring the best goal of the night. When Newcastle failed to clear, the 34-year-old was perfectly placed to smash a stupendous half volley in off the underside of the crossbar.
As Alexander and Bradfordâ€s entire bench applauded, sustained chants of “Andy, Andy Cook,†echoed down from the Leazes End. There was still time for Osula to lash home his second goal as Newcastle sealed their place in the fourth round draw.
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