Newcastle United 0-3 Aston Villa |
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Date:
Saturday 2nd April 2005
Kick Off: 3.00pm BST
Venue: St. James' Park
Att: 52,306
Ref: Barry Knight (Orpington)
Comp: Premiership |
| Premiership
Match Report In Association With Toon
Ale |
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Handballs & Handbags As United Outfought At
Home
By Wullie
Newcastle's unbeaten run came to a crashing halt at St James' Park
on Saturday as they were soundly beaten 3-0 by Aston Villa in an incredible
game in which United finished up with 8 men as two of their own players
came to blows just minutes after Steven Taylor had been dismissed
for deliberate handball.
Despite a series of injuries leaving us looking a little short in
certain places, with our recent form and Villa's dreadful away record
this should still have been a comfortable three points. Hughes reprised
his role at left back in place of Babayaro (the new Kluivert?), Dyer
stayed up front to cover for the Dutchman with Amdy Faye missing out
after his midweek excursion, Jenas taking up Dyer's spot on the right
wing.
The weather was good, Shearer was staying and with most Cardiff tickets
popping through letterboxes that morning, everything was set up for
a great day. United started sloppily though, with passes going astray
from the first minute and the defence back to looking like a sieve,
O'Brien conceding a throw deep in our territory after 8 minutes when
a pass back to Given looked a much better option. From the throw in,
both centre backs ended up hopelessly out of position and as Davis's
cross came in, Jenas was left to deal with it. His header was barely
worthy of the name as it dropped kindly for Angel waiting free in
the centre of the area who lashed it past Given.
With 82 minutes still to play against a very average side, no one
was panicking just yet, but Newcastle were unable to take any of the
many chances which came their way in the first half. Shearer fired
a header straight at his arch nemesis Sorensen, with Bowyer also forcing
the ex-mackem into a good save with a low drive. Villa had chances
too though with Boumsong and O'Brien looking very shaky, Bowyer taking
up defensive duties to make a superb sliding block from Barry before
the same player struck the inside of Given's post.
The best United chances of the half fell to the two current England
internationals on the field, Dyer unfortunate to see his volley from
Carr's cross fly narrowly over while Jenas was guilty of missing two
very clear chances, one of which would have set us up beautifully
for the second half.
As referee Knight put the whistle to his lips after injury time, Dyer
waltzed past two players into the box, ignored Bowyer's cry for a
pass (oops) and squared the ball to Jenas, in bags of space on the
far side of the area. As now seems the norm whenever Jenas gets a
goalscoring opportunity, he simply hadn't a clue. He let the defender
get back far too quickly and screwed his shot hopelessly wide. A first
half to forget for him and certain other players, O'Brien looking
every inch a Championship player (an oxymoron if ever there was one)
and what in God's name has happened to Nicky Butt? For a player who's
won so much and been such a long-standing fixture for Sir Alex Ferguson
and numerous England managers, his display was disgraceful. His fitness
is a major concern – if he's fit for the semi against his team, we
could be in big trouble.
A half time kick up the arse from the manager then, and we'll be sorted
for a comfortable second half. If only. This sort of collapse at St
James' used to be something we only saw once every few seasons, a
fluke that was laughed off before returning to the Fortress for the
rest of the season, but just as back in November against Fulham, Newcastle
completely imploded in the second half but this time may well have
taken the season's hopes and dreams with them.
The second half started as it intended to go on: badly. Robert's cross
found Shearer who nodded down to Bowyer, free in the box ready to
slam home his 7th of the season. However, it's been a season of cruel
handball decisions for us and today was no exception. Just as it was
when Hasselbaink punched home the equaliser at the Riverside and when
Ashley Cole knocked the ball away from Craig Bellamy in the Gallowgate
penalty area, the handball by Samuel to block the knock-down was blatant
but once again the referee decided it was something else entirely
that knocked the ball goalward and forced Sorensen (another one to
get the chance to play basketball unpunished against us this season)
into a save.
The livid crowd were about to be stunned even further by two incredible
decisions in the space of a few seconds. As Taylor (on in an act of
mercy for O'Brien) went up for a Robert cross, he was clearly shoved
to the ground by a defender not paying the slightest bit of interest
to the ball and as play continued, Villa's other defenders were eager
to see who could commit the most blatant penalty offence and get away
with it. Butt went again into the box and was again clattered to the
ground. Quite why we expected to get any of these is beyond me, it
was obviously going to have to take a penalty claim of staggering
clarity to get anything out of Mr Knight. He got his chance when Butt's
incredible laxity let in Vassell who rounded Given and had his shot
saved by Taylor on the line. Taylor gave up writhing in agony under
the pretence that the ball had struck his chest after a few seconds
and trudged off thoroughly despondent, the sound of the crowd singing
his name following him down the tunnel.
Barry dispatched the penalty with ease and got the chance of another
seven minutes later as Knight went completely mad and gave Villa a
penalty for a slight nudge outside the box by Carr on Vassell. Anyone
who left when Barry put his second away was to miss the main event
two minutes later when Dyer and Bowyer gave the British press yet
another chance to have a good laugh at Newcastle when they'd barely
started planning next week's ‘hilarious' Soccer AM special segment
on Steven Taylor's acting.
Ignoring Bowyer's cries, Dyer's pass to Boumsong was the last straw
for Bowyer who started making his mouth go towards the number 8. Dyer
wasn't blameless as he turned his back on play to argue with Bowyer
but Bowyer wasn't up for an argument, just a brawl. He leaned his
head into Dyer before the two grabbed each other and started throwing
punches, Dyer eventually torn away by Carr while Gareth Barry played
the Good Samaritan, wrenching Bowyer away by his neck, his rabid expression
and torn shirt telling a shameful story.
Quite what the hell the two of them were playing at only they can
know. Bowyer's kept his nose clean and his head down since he arrived
amid a cloud of controversy but managed to throw it all away in a
few seconds of total idiocy, while Dyer is on his umpteenth last chance
and after we've seen Craig Bellamy kicked out for what amounts to
less, it's hard to see how either can remain here much longer (though
words from chairman and manager on Monday morning suggest this to
be the case - double standards?). They shall be conspicuous by their
absence in Cardiff and with both of them in good form before this,
the cockney mancs must already be booking their Cardiff hotels for
their May visit, as it's impossible to see how a midfield with Butt
and Jenas performing as they are can possibly stop them.
After the Olympiakos game took us to a record equaling 8 straight
wins, I questioned whether that run coming to an end would make us
implode like it did back in October when our unbeaten run was ended
by defeat at Bolton and it looks like that could very well be happening.
With Man Utd already given a clear advantage by our two prize idiots,
the visit of Sporting to Tyneside on Thursday gains extra importance:
win it, confidence comes back and there's still two trophies to play
for; lose and it's hard to see us getting anything but a grand sense
of disappointment at the end of the season – again.
Player
Ratings Vs Aston Villa
| Newcastle
United |
Aston
Villa |
Match
Facts & Stats
Half-Time: 0-1
Full-Time: 0-3
Yellow Cards: 3
Red Cards: 3
Goalscorers: 0
Yellow Cards: Carr (79)
Red Cards: Taylor (73), Dyer (82), Bowyer (82)
Substitutions: 3
Taylor (O'Brien 52), Ameobi (Jenas 63), Faye (Robert
84)
Injuries: 52,000 broken hearts...
| Aston Villa Facts &
Stats |
Goalscorers: Angel
(4), Barry (73 pen & 80 pen)
Yellow Cards: Hitzlsperger (32), Mellberg (41)
Red Cards: 0
Substitutions: 3
Ridgewell (Mellberg 45), Solano (Hendrie 84), Cole (Angel 88)
Injuries: N/A |
| Given |
Sorensen |
| Carr |
Delaney |
| Boumsong |
Mellberg |
| O'Brien |
Laursen |
| Hughes |
Samuel |
| Jenas |
Hendrie |
| Butt |
Davis |
| Bowyer |
Hitzlsperger |
| Robert |
Barry |
| Shearer |
Vassell |
| Dyer |
Angel |
| Substitutes
Bench |
| Harper |
Postma |
|
Taylor |
Bersen |
| Faye |
Ridgewell |
|
Milner |
Solano |
| Ameobi |
Cole |
| Possession, Shots, Corners,
Fouls & Saves |
| Newcastle |
The
Game |
Aston
Villa |
| 56% |
Possession |
44% |
| 12 |
Shots
(on target) |
5 |
| 8 |
Shots (off target) |
3 |
| 8 |
Corners |
6 |
| 14 |
Fouls |
24 |
| 2 |
Off-Side |
6 |
| 3 |
Saves |
9 |
Villa are only the second team to have completed the double over Newcastle
this season, Arsenal being the other side. Newcastle's 3,000th top-flight
match, and now 1,081 defeats. Graeme Souness' 25th League match in
charge. 1st defeat in 13 games - 9 wins and 3 draws. Only our second
defeat of 2005. Only our second loss in 18 League & Cup games.
1st defeat in 6 League outings. Our 10th defeat of the season. 8th
League defeat under Souness. 1st defeat at home in 11 games. 3rd time
we have failed to score at home, all defeats. 24 goals against at
home mean we have conceded more goals in front of our own fans than
any other club in the League except Norwich. Only our second defeat
to Villa at St. James's in the League.
| How The Goals Were
Scored |
Aston Villa Goal 4 Minutes: Juan Pablo Angel
A right wing cross was sent in down our left and both Boumsong and
Jenas misjudged the ball, which fell to Angel 10-yards out who thumped
a low drive past Given.
Aston Villa Goal 73Minutes: Gareth Barry (penalty)
Inside his own half and with no danger whatsoever Butt inexplicably
got sloppy on the ball to allow Vassell to pounce, rounding the keeper
and firing in a shot towards goal which Taylor hand balled to prevent
it hitting the back of the net. Up stepped Barry to smash the spot-kick
home.
Aston Villa Goal 80 Minutes: Gareth Barry (penalty)
Vassell had been blocked by Carr OUTSIDE the penalty spot but Barry
Knight awarded a penalty, leaving Barry to notch his second from the
spot.
Graeme Souness on the Bowyer, Dyer & the match:
"It is a first for me.
"I have not witnessed that before. Hard words between players occur.
It is unusual to lead to what has happened today.
"No one said this job was easy. We were going along nicely and that
will make it more difficult.
"We won't take our eye off the ball. We have a very hard few weeks
ahead. We have slipped up with points losing points in the Premiership
and we have had three sent off.
"We will miss them through suspensions they get.
"I have been told and reassured by Kieron that he didn't throw any
punched and he was on the receiving end.
"That is the road we are going down. Lee Bowyer is indefensible guilty,
of throwing more than one punch.
"He has to accept the punishment he gets but with Kieron there is
an argument. I have seen the incident and been assured by Kieron that
he didn't throw a punch.
"There will be internal discipline that goes without saying.
"I can envisage both of them playing again for Newcastle. Players
like that don't come along very often.
"This is without speaking to the chairman. But I hope he sees it that
way. If it happened again that would be it, presumably.
"The people they have really hurt today are the punters who have gone
without things to save up and pay their money and they have seen that
going on.
"We are in a very demanding game. What I will say, and this in no
way condones their actions, I think the referee had a very disappoointing
game.
"Shearer should have had a penalty for handball. That would have taken
it to 1-1. Their second penalty was outside the box if the challenge
was strong enough anyway.
"I have spoken to the ref and told him that."
Bowyer's 'apology':
"I would just like to apologise to the fans, the chairman, the managing
staff, all the players and everybody that is connected to Newcastle,
my family and everybody that witnessed what happened on the football
pitch. I am sincerely sorry.
Dyer's 'apology':
"I will touch on the same as well. I would like to apologise to my
team-mates, the manager, the chairman and the fans and everyone connected
with the club as well. "We are team-mates and we have disagreements,
but we should not be fighting in front of 50,000 people. I am deeply
sorry for it, especially because it is a crucial stage of the season."
| Match Reaction From
Aston Villa |
David O'Leary on the game:
"The better team won out there today - make no mistake about that.
We fully deserved the victory and I was delighted for the players
and for the fans.
"We've come in for a bit of stick recently, but we answered the critics
in the best possible way with a very impressive performance against
a strong Newcastle side.
"Nobody comes here expecting to win and usually a point is seen as
a good result. So to leave with all three is fantastic.
"I had more or less my first-choice 11 out there and I've always said
we can do well with the first-choice side. What we can't afford is
too many injuries or suspensions."
Gareth Barry on the Bowyer-Dyer punch-up:
"You don't want to see that happen on the pitch, it's only right to
try and break it up.
"I've never seen it in a game I've been involved in, there was obviously
a lot of frustration boiling over.
"If you look at the two players involved they just want to do everything
to win the game. Both players lost their head and it's unfortunate
but I'm sure they regret it." |
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