Newcastle are yet to win at home since the appointment of Steve Bruce in the summer and the fans' mood is not good. Empty seats could be seen all round St James' Park, a mix of protests against Mike Ashley's ownership and apathy at how the club are playing.
OK, it's not the worst Newcastle team I have seen in my lifetime ... by any stretch of the imagination ... 1978/9 probably takes that biscuit ... but we all know we are in a position where we should be a hell of a lot better.
We had four efforts on target, all routine saves for Mat Ryan. The two loudest roars before the 80th minute were for two Miguel Almiron shots, which Brighton's keeper dealt with easily. Their former record signing at £20m has yet to score since his January arrival from Atlanta United.
But the roof came off when Carroll came on for his first appearance for his hometown club since a £35m move to Liverpool almost nine years ago.
Bruce's side had the more attacking intent in the closing stages, Brighton were hanging on at the end, but at the same time the Magpies never really looked like adding to their four Premier League goals this season.
They continue their record of having the least amount of possession among all Premier League clubs. Their 29.3% of time on the ball took their average down from 33%.