Jolinton gives Newcastle a victory in the first leg of the semi-final over Southampton 10 players | Carabao Cup

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If you don’t succeed at first. Or even on the second try. It looked like one of those nights for Newcastle striker Joelinton, who saw a goal disallowed in the first half for handball and then went ahead to miss the season early in the second half.

Miguel Almiron’s quick cross, after a double deflection, sat the ball for a rushing Joelinton just inside the six-yard box, and the goal wide. When he lifted so high, he could be forgiven for wanting to be so far away – say, back in Newcastle.

Joelinton refused to hide. Keep pushing. And when replacement Alexander Isaacs walked away from Doug Calata Carr, Jolinton made another run. This time, they could do no wrong from close range and Newcastle dominated their first leg in the Carabao Cup semi-final – their closest step to a cup final since 1999.

Southampton, bottom of the Premier League, tried to fight back. They thought they had equalized when substitute, Adam Armstrong, came home only for the VAR to discover he used his hand to do so. Caleta Carr will be shown a second yellow card late on for a foul on Newcastle substitute Alain Saint-Maximin and the evening will be marked by frustration for his side.

The number Newcastle fans had to be greeted with was 644 – miles on the road to complete the round trip, a task that takes around 11 hours. Attending their first semi-final since 2005 will never hold them back.

The traveling support staff announced at kick-off that they were going to Wembley – and were clearly in the mood to make the most of the occasion – and their team was brighter at half-time.

Initially the hosts were losers with their passes, and when Nathan Jones was caught in a moving conversation with Moussa Djenepo on 17 minutes it seemed to capture the mood at that point.

Newcastle might have led early on when Miguel Almiron sprinted in from the right and slashed into the path of Joe Willock, who smashed in from the inside left. Willock’s finish was wild, lifting high over the bar, but a concern from the Southampton point of view how Almiron managed to gobble up so much open space.

Newcastle’s Jacob Brown watches as Southampton’s Doug Caleta-Carr is sent off. Photograph: David Klein/Reuters

Carlos Alcaraz, on his debut, had a few good moments on the ball in midfield as Southampton’s likely top scorer before half-time. He nearly caught a James Ward-Prowse pass – crowded by Fabian Scheer – while hitting a low cracking ball that deflected and nearly caught Bob.

Newcastle were poised and menacing, with Bruno Guimarães gaining possession. Almiron and Willock enter dangerous territory on both sides. Willock struck high again after Kieran Trippier’s cross before controversy broke out in the 39th minute.

Willock was down the left, cutting inside and forcing a parry from Gavin Bazuno and from there he always felt Newcastle would get the ball into the net. Callum Wilson was fouled by Mohamed Salisu, and when the ball broke to Joelinton, he slammed home. However, the referee, Stuart Atwell, whistled it immediately – for handball against Jolinton. I felt harsh at this moment and the difficulty in untangling the replay.

There were some tasty challenges, with Caleta Carr getting in the book for a late one on Almiron, who fumbled the ball in front of him and was just wide, while Pope was lucky to escape blame for Ginebo’s clearance at the end of the first half. A distraught Ginebo is forced to leave.

It was all about turnovers, with Newcastle slamming through Almiron. Southampton could not handle his pace and his directness. Three times he was clear at the start of the second half for a cross and three times Southampton were held off, most notably when Jolinton suffered a moment of terror from close range.

Southampton returned, with substitute Adam Armstrong and Ward-Prowse half the chances. It was the other substitute, Che Adams, who had to score. Sent clean by the outstanding Alcaraz, he couldn’t beat the Pope. As was the case moments later when he circled inside the area. Pope was very sharp.

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