Nick Pope continues remarkable clean sheet record as Newcastle close on Wembley

Ant and Dec, the Likely Lads, Sting, Supermac, Shearer and the brickies from Auf Wiedershen, Pet get your glad rags ready, Newcastle are at the gates of Wembley.

For 68 years, the Toon have had as much joy in cup competitions as Frank Spencer with a tool kit. The more they craved success, the more fortune deserted them. But in a feisty semi-final at St Mary's, they held their nerve as Joelinton's winner and England keeper Nick Pope's 10th consecutive clean sheet took them to the edge of heaven and their first cup final for 24 years.

The Brazilian had an eventful night, controversially having a first-half effort chalked off for handball and missing the most sat-down of sitters before handing Newcastle an enviable advantage ahead of next week's second leg.

It was by no means one-way traffic.

Pope was arguably fortunate to escape a red card for wiping out Southampton forward Moussa Djnepo before the interval, and Saints sub Adam Armstrong a Geordie emigrant, no less was unlucky to see his 'equaliser' scrubbed out for handball after VAR interference.