Matt Ritchie was alone, two yards out, in front of the Cricket Field Stand. The ball span towards him at a comfortable speed and his eyes were fixed on the target; there could only be one outcome.
Here was the moment Newcastle’s fans had been waiting for; all those Miserable Mondays were about to be banished and the next word they were going to scream was 'goal!' – a simple tap-in beckoned and that, in turn, would provide 40 minutes of comfort.
What happened next can be only be described as typical of Newcastle, turning the straightforward into the complex.