Charlton Athletic 1-1 Newcastle United |
|
Date:
Sunday 17 October 2004
Kick Off: 4.05pm BST
Venue: The Valley
Att: 26,553
Ref: Peter Walton (Northamptonshire)
Comp: Premiership |
| Premiership
Match Report In Association With Toon
Ale |
|
Point Brings Problems
To The Attention
So the Souness 'revolution' goes on, now 6 games unbeaten under the
Scot with 5 points from a possible 9 on the road. Not a bad return
given our poor away form that stretches back some 16 months or so
now. Yet at The Valley those very same inadequacies that have contributed
to that wretched run, were once again exposed and it's those failings
at the back in particular, that are costing us heavily - in this case
all 3 points.
With just 4 defeats in our last 23 games we have become a hard team
to beat, we don't get outplayed very often nor outdone by a wonder
goal - all our failings, and their have been many, come via inexcusable
mistakes and an inability to kill off the opposition - especially
away from St. James' Park. Against Charlton this was very much how
the game panned out.
The home side, celebrating their centenary with a specially commissioned
commemorative strip to mark the occasion, were happy to allow United
to play the opening 20 minutes camped in their half and for all our
good possession, with some, at times, excellent passing, it was Charlton
who had Shay Given stretching to tip over a Graham Stuart pile driver
with the Irishman making a great save.
That would turn out to be Charlton's only meaningful foray towards
our goal in the half and when an Olivier Bernard cross with 6 minutes
remaining in the half, who was having a fine game, was whipped in
with power and curve, who would have thought that Craig Bellamy would
get on the end of it to clip a header past Dean Kiely.
If ever a cross was made for Alan Shearer that was it, but the No.9
could only look on in envy as the little Welshman rose to head it
goalwards - his first goal under Souness and food for thought for
the new boss with Bellamy playing up front in the absence of Patrick
Kluivert. A position he clearly would rather be playing in full-time.
Newcastle went into the break fully deserving of our 1-0 lead. Jenas
was having a storming half, producing nifty footwork on numerous occasions
and marauding down the right flank. Bernard was composed both in defense
and attack - one of his better games this season. Bellamy was a nuisance.
Butt and Bowyer had a strong grip on the midfield and in defense we
were reasonably solid.
The game plan was going well, lets kick on from here...
Just 6 minutes into the second half however, our lead and comfortable
position in the game was undone in a moment by the curse that has
blighted our whole campaign and some would say, our whole existence
- yet another inexcusable defensive blunder let in Charlton to level
- the 7th time we have let a winning lead slip, more than any other
club in the Premiership.
The culprit this time was Andy O'Brien who first misjudged a high
ball and then allowed the diminutive Kevin Lisbie to shrug him aside
to flick the ball nonchalantly over his head - leaving the striker
free on goal where he rounded Given before directing his shot goalwards
via the boot of Stephen Carr who had got back in a vain attempt to
halt the Charlton man with the ball taking a final touch off O'Brien
who had got back on the goal-line just to compound his and our misery.
1-1 and game on!
From that moment onwards the game become stretched, ragged and from
a solid, comfortable first half from our lot, it turned into a nervous,
frantic end to end affair. All because O'Brien was unable to deal
with an average Premiership striker who has found goals hard to come
by. If you're in need of a goal, give O'Brien a ring, he'll even put
it into the net for you. It's hard to describe just how soft, pathetic
and shockingly simple it really was for Charlton to grab an equaliser.
Buoyed by their goal, the team in red ran at us like a Bull and took
the game to our hesitant and edgy defensive backline, a defense by
now lacking protection from those in the middle who had lost their
shape. Not quite total capitulation but in comparison to the first
half, it's hard to imagine that the same team who looked so at ease,
were now wobbling like a boxer who just saw the card go up for Round
12.
Indeed Charlton were doing their level best to deliver the knock out
blow with the woodwork, Shay Given and a goal-line clearance from
Big Al saving our skin. At the other end we too were going for it,
with Newcastle the best form of defence is attack and the woodwork,
flying bodies and some wayward heading from Shearer, could have on
any given day resulted in a goal or two. The same could be said of
Charlton's efforts however so when the final whistle did arrive, 1-1
was a fair result and any point at the Valley, can be deemed a worthy
one.
Yet it could have and should have been 3 points but for our shocking
defensive aberration and the manner in which we failed to kill them
off.
Had Jonathan Woodgate and Nobby Solano been wearing a Black &
White shirt on Sunday, we would have won and won comfortably and this
is the two areas of the field Souness needs to look at and bring in
the necessary players to give us the two things which we currently
lack - two things that stood out like a sore thumb in this match.
A defensive king-pin to hold the lumps of wood at the back together
and a creative force in midfield. A creative force that Lee Bowyer
in particular will benefit greatly from. The midfielder got into 5
great goalscoring positions against his former club yet not one ball
found him with his team-mates either ignoring him altogether (Bellamy)
or executing a poor pass (Robert) to the man who's goals from midfield
we will need. Ironically the one ball that did get played to Bowyer,
he scored from, but the linesman adjudged that he fouled his man before
striking a beautifully struck left-footed shot into the net. Harsh.
These are major areas of concern for the new man and although much
will be made of Bellamy's 'words' when being subbed, this is the least
of his problems and Souness, who has made a great start, will need
to look at his own selections if our away form is to improve. To start
Darren Ambrose, making his first start this season, ahead of Laurent
Robert can only mean one thing: The Frenchman's career at the Toon
is hanging by thread. There is method in the madness of leaving arguably
our only creative force out of the starting 11 away from home, but
we have still conceded 4 goals in 3 games on the road. I'm sure Shearer,
who hasn't scored away from home in open play since October 2003,
would rather have Robert whipping in crosses from the left than Ambrose,
JJ, Milner and Bellamy who have all been used on the left.
This game produced a worthy point in hindsight but the problems are
just starting to surface for Souness and this is where his managerial
credentials will be tested to the limit.
Toon Player Ratings Vs Charlton Athletic
Next up: Panionios
Vs NUFC (Thursday October 21 2004 UEFA Cup 7.45pm K.O)
| Charlton |
Newcastle
United |
Match
Facts & Stats
Half-Time: 0-1
Full-Time: 1-1
Yellow Cards: 2
Red Cards: 0
Goalscorers: O'Brien (og 51)
Yellow Cards: Stuart (75)
Red Cards: 0
Substitutions: 1
Jeffers (for Lisbie 79)
Injuries: N/A
Goalscorers: Bellamy
(39)
Yellow Cards: Ameobi (89)
Red Cards: 0
Substitutions: 3
Ameobi (for Bellamy 66), Robert (for Ambrose 66) Milner (for
Butt 76)
Injuries: None |
| Kiely |
Given |
| Young |
Carr |
| Perry |
O'Brien |
| Fortune |
Elliott |
| Hreidarsson |
Bernard |
| Rommedahl |
Jenas |
| Murphy |
Butt |
| Holland |
Bowyer |
| Stuart |
Ambrose |
| Lisbie |
Shearer |
| Bartlett |
Bellamy |
| Substitutes
Bench |
| Andersen |
Harper |
|
Talal El Karkouri |
Hughes |
| Hughes |
Milner |
|
Euell |
Robert |
| Jeffers |
Ameobi |
| Possession, Shots, Corners,
Fouls & Saves |
| Charlton |
The
Game |
Newcastle |
| 49% |
Possession |
51% |
| 6 |
Shots
(on target) |
8 |
| 5 |
Shots (off target) |
7 |
| 8 |
Corners |
9 |
| 15 |
Fouls |
7 |
| 2 |
Saves |
3 |
Bellamy's first goal under Souness. A first start for Darren Ambrose
this season.7th Premiership game in which we have opened the scoring
and been pegged back. 6 games unbeaten for Souness now. Lee Bowyer
made his 350th career appearance. Shay Given made his 250th League
career appearance and his 138th consecutive Premiership appearance.
| How The Goals Were
Scored |
NUFC Goal 39 Minutes: Craig Bellamy
Good build up play resulted in a pass to Olivier Bernard down the
left-flank where the Frenchman whipped in a great cross for Craig
Bellamy to nip in ahead of his marker to clip a deft header past Kiely
into the Charlton net. A well worked goal, brilliantly executed.
Charlton Goal 51 Minutes: Andy O'Brien Own Goal
A nothing ball up towards Kevin Lisbie saw the Charlton man brush
aside Andy O'Brien who had gotten too tight, before flicking the ball
over the defender's head where he was free on goal. Rounding Given
the striker struck the ball goalwards which first took a deflection
of Stephen Carr and then O'Brien before nestling into the back of
the net. A quite shocking goal to give away.
| Match Reaction From
Graeme Souness |
Souness said:
"On another day those chances that were blocked would have gone in
for us, but that's footbal.
"We played well and created things, but so did Charlton. We
showed good determination and were willing to battle, but some days
it just doesn't go for you and that was the case on Sunday.
"We tried to freshen things up in the last 20 minutes with
Laurent and Shola, but it just wan't our day.
"We have to remember though that Charlton have a good record
at home this season, they're not an easy side to play against.
"We can take plenty of positives from that performance. We
haven't lost the game, and it keeps our unbeaten run going.
"We cannot be too disappointed that we're not leaving here
with three points. It would have been nice to have won, of course,
but we didn't lose the game and that was the important thing."
| Match Reaction
From Alan Curbishley |
Curbishley said:
"I look at Newcastle and they've got a terrific squad - they are a
top-five club.
"They showed that in the first half. They kept the ball and
worked it around the pitch.
"We were defending quite well but didn't have enough going
forward.
"Their goal was disappointing and we were a bit subdued at
half-time but we said 'we can get back in this' - and we did.
"The game opened up a bit when it started to rain and both
sides had chances to win it. So, I'm pleased with a point, but I wish
it had been three."
| Your Shout: Toon
Army Match Reaction |
Skrypt2nit3 wrote:
Unbelievable finish to the game. Both sides had chances to
score. Charlton defended superbly IMO and that's what stopped us from
scoring...throwing bodies into shots and clearing off the line. Then
Charlton had an amazing spell where they did everything but score...what
a frantic finish. I had to restart my heart a few times in the course
of the game!! Bowyer was easily my MOTM! Faultless for effort and
application. We do need someone who can pick out his runs better though.
Ewan wrote:
I was surprised it was Bellamy off and Shearer who stayed on, especially
after he'd just took a 'bloody' cut. Having said that he came close
to scoring after the substitution and also cleared a ball off the
line with his chest. Defence was abysmal as a unit, Carr was the best
on show...defensively. Bernard best attacking-wise, and, not far behind
defensively. Hopefully we will see two new CB's as O'Brien and Elliott
just don't cut it. Bowyer had a poor first 15 minutes when Newcastle
were extremely dominant, thereafter he excelled. He gave the ball
away too cheaply with bad passes, after he got a grip Jenas then tried
to emulate him or go one better with similar poor distribution. Jenas
however showed the best bit of individual skill. Bowyer gets the prize
for most intelligent running. Dyer shouldn't find it easy to get back
in the team. If Robert had been on from the start instead of Ambrose
we would quite probably have won. (Not a criticism of Ambrose, just
my opinion.) Looks like curtains for Robert in Souness plans. Fair
play to Souness, he tries to change things. Substitutions a lot more
insightful and pertinent that poor ol' Bobby. Big improvement on Newcastle's
away games of last season. |
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