There is one thing Newcastle United can be really proud of after 1-1 draw with Barcelona in Champions League showdown
Newcastle United put on one hell of a show under the lights at St James' Park tonight as they came within a whisker of a famous win over Barcelona.
The Magpies just needed to hang on for literally a few more seconds before Dani Olmo tripped over the outstretched leg of Malick Thiaw, giving the (frankly shocking all night) referee no choice but to point to the spot.
Lamine Yamal stepped up and slotted home to cancel out Harvey Barnes' opener and literally silenced St James' Park.
It was such a horrific gut punch when the referee pointed to the spot that an eerie hush fell over St James' Park as everyone knew what was going to happen next.
Lewis Hall managed to keep Lamine Yamal quiet all game, but the youngster still managed to steal a moment
As heartbreaking as those last moments were, it was made all the worse by the fact that it was Lamine Yamal who tucked away the penalty because before that kick, he'd done precisely bot all.
And that was all down to one man ... Lewis Hall. The Newcastle full-back was under the microscope tonight as everyone was keen to see how he'd fare against one of the best young players in the world.
Well, we just hope Hall checked his shorts before he threw them in the laundry bin in case Lamal was still in his pocket. The young Spaniard never had a sniff all game, thanks to Hall taking him completely out of the game.
Lewis Hall is going to be highly sought after this summer
It wasn't just the defensive job that Hall did so well, though. Some of the balls he played in behind the Barcelona defence to get Will Osula through on goal were sublime.
The fact that Hall is a boyhood Newcastle fan may be the most important thing right now, because it might just be the thing that keeps him at the club.
There's no way there isn't a league of clubs talking about him as a potential transfer target this summer, and if he can play as well for England in the World Cup as he has done for Newcastle this season, then Newcastle need to be ready to reject some seriously insane bids for the 21-year-old. Let's just hope we are able to keep hold of him because he is an absolute diamond.
