Carling Cup

Nolan settles thriller

Kevin Nolan fired Newcastle into the Carling Cup third round as Geordie hero Lee Clark's Huddersfield side were beaten 4-3.

• Hughton: Small squad a worry

The former Bolton midfielder snatched victory seven minutes from time to complete a rousing comeback by the Magpies.

The Coca-Cola Championship pace-setters, who had not conceded since the opening day of the season, trailed 3-1 two minutes into the second half after Theo Robinson's double and Jordan Rhodes' sixth goal of the season had more than cancelled out Danny Guthrie's opener.

But Geremi and substitute Shola Ameobi, who converted a 64th-minute penalty for his fifth goal of the campaign, drew the home side level and set the stage for Nolan to win it at the death.

Caretaker boss Chris Hughton handed first senior starts to defender Tamas Kadar, midfielder Kazenga LuaLua and striker Nile Ranger as he rested six of the men who started at Crystal Palace on Saturday - including Steven Taylor, who continues to be linked with a move away from St James' Park.

Town goalkeeper Alex Smithies had to make the first save of the game when Geremi met Guthrie's 23rd-minute corner with a powerful header, and the Cameroon international only just missed the target from the resulting corner from the opposite flank.

Nolan had a 33rd-minute strike ruled out for offside, but the Magpies did go in front three minutes later when Guthrie ran on to Anthony Pilkington's misplaced pass and cut inside before firing a low left-foot shot past Smithies.

However, the lead lasted just seconds as Town surged forward straight from the kick-off - and Robinson ran through a statuesque defence to level.

Worse was to follow for the Magpies three minutes later when - after Robinson went down under Tim Krul's challenge - much to the goalkeeper's fury, referee Tony Bates pointed to the spot. The striker picked himself up to put the visitors in front.

Krul had to save well from Rhodes' left-foot drive five minutes before the break as Clark's men sensed an opportunity, but the home side held firm until the break.

Huddersfield went further ahead within two minutes of the restart when Rhodes collected Danny Drinkwater's long ball and skipped around the advancing goalkeeper to score from a tight angle.

But the Magpies hit back immediately when Nolan picked out Geremi, and he calmly side-footed past Smithies.

Defender Andy Butler headed wide from Drinkwater's corner on the hour, but it was his trip on Ameobi which allowed the Newcastle man to level from the spot with 64 minutes gone.

Ameobi headed a 77th-minute Ryan Taylor just over as the home side looked for a winner, and it took a fine block by Joe Skarz to deny Ranger from point-blank range three minutes later.

But Newcastle finally went ahead with seven minutes remaining when Ameobi headed Guthrie's free-kick back across goal, and Nolan tapped into the empty net.