Newcastle United 2 Brentford 1: Mbeumo penalty cancelled out by Isak and Tonali strikes at St. James' Park | OneFootball

Brentford were beaten 2-1 by Newcastle United at St. James' Park on Wednesday evening, despite a Bryan Mbeumo penalty which saw him take his tally to 16 goals for the season.

Alexander Isak put the hosts ahead on the stroke of half-time, as Mbeumo equalised in the second half. Ethan Pinnock's header was inches away from giving the Bees the lead moments later, before Sandro Tonali's winner came in bizarre fashion with 15 minutes to play, as his mishit cross flew into the back of the net at the near post.

Thomas Frank made two changes to the team that beat Bournemouth 2-1 in the Bees' last game, 18 days ago, with Sepp van den Berg and Yehor Yarmoliuk replacing Kristoffer Ajer and Mikkel Damsgaard in the starting XI.

Isak had a chance to put the hosts - who were still revelling in their Carabao Cup victory before the international break - ahead after just two minutes. Tino Livramento burst down the left and clipped a ball to the back post, but the Newcastle centre-forward, challenged by Keane Lewis-Potter, headed wide from inside the six-yard box.

Livramento created another chance down the left soon after, this time for Joelinton. A long free-kick over the top found the Magpies full-back, who slid a pass into the Brazilian in a wide position inside the penalty area, but the midfielder's effort flashed just wide of Mark Flekken's far post.

Kevin Schade had a good effort on goal with half an hour gone, when some neat play from Yoane Wissa fed his team-mate out wide on the left. The forward cut inside with pace and purpose, before firing towards goal, which was stopped by a Fabian Schär block.

Harvey Barnes tried to do a similar thing at the other end just moments later, with his right-footed effort curling inches above the top corner of the Brentford goal.

And it was the Newcastle winger who thought he had put his side ahead in additional time of the first half. Isak robbed Pinnock and danced his way into the box, before clipping it across goal to Barnes. He headed in from close range, but the official had his flag raised for offside.

Newcastle did manage to take the lead before the referee blew his half-time whistle, as Jacob Murphy's cross from the right was met by the boot of Isak, who side-footed a finish into the back of the net.

Brentford had numerous attempts on the Newcastle goal as they looked to equalise in the second half. After a quick Flekken kick, Schade got on the end of it and headed it back to Wissa, who had two attempts on the Newcastle goal, before Schade, Mbeumo and Christian Nørgaard also tried their luck but to no avail.

And the Bees' pressure finally told minutes later when they were awarded a penalty. Wissa beat Nick Pope to a cross in the box, touching it away from the goalkeeper, who dived at his feet and tripped the Brentford forward. Mbeumo coolly stepped up and sent the England international the wrong way, scoring his 16th goal of the season.

And the west Londoners were inches away from quickly turning the game on its head. A cross from Schade was headed back across goal by Pinnock, but the ball came crashing back off the post and into the arms of a relieved Pope.

Newcastle took the lead with 15 minutes to play. Tonali's cross from the right was skewed towards the near post and inadvertently flew into the Brentford goal.

The Bees had a golden opportunity in the third minute of additional time at the end of the game, with a neatly worked move from back to front. It involved Wissa playing in Schade, who cut it back to Damsgaard, but the Danish midfielder couldn't keep his effort down from inside the area.

Two even better chances came a minute later, with Schade being on the end of the shot this time. His initial low attempt was stopped by the legs of Pope, before the striker's header back across goal was hooked away from danger.

The visitors had one final chance, when Nørgaard's header was saved by Pope in the final moments of the game.

Newcastle: Pope; Trippier (Krafth 90), Burn, Schar, Livramento; Guimarães, Tonali, Joelinton; Barnes (Miley 90+7), Isak (Wilson 66), Murphy (Willock 66)

Subs not used: Dúbravka, Osula, Longstaff, Neave, Shahar

Brentford: Flekken; Van den Berg, Collins, Pinnock (Ajer 83), Lewis-Potter; Nørgaard, Janelt (Damsgaard 59), Yarmoliuk (Maghoma 83); Schade, Wissa, Mbeumo

Subs not used: Valdimarsson, Mee, Konak, Kayode, Ji-soo, Morgan

Attendance: 52,021

Frank: Performance could have easily been another three points

Brentford head coach Thomas Frank praised his side following Wednesday night's 2-1 defeat at Newcastle.

"I'm very happy with the performance overall," said Frank. "It was a performance that easily could have given us three points again.

"They embraced the atmosphere, they enjoyed playing in it. We were brave, we were aggressive.

"We had Ethan's [Pinnock] header which hit the inside of the post, then [Sandro] Tonali scores from a cross which is one in a million. I even asked him after and he said it was a cross!

"In these tight games, you need some margins to go your way."