Hapoel Bnei Sakhnin 1-5 Newcastle United (NUFC win 7-1 agg)
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Date:
Thursday 30th September 2004
Kick Off: 7.45pm BST
Venue: Ramat Gan Stadium
Att: Unconfirmed
Ref: Julian Rodriguez Santiago (Spain)
Comp: UEFA Cup 1st Rnd 2nd Leg |
| Premiership
Match Report In Association With Toon
Ale |
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The Winning Continues
Well that was easy. Much easier than the first leg at St. James' Park.
Some claimed that the tie was already over when the final whistle
went at the Old Gallowgate, but not me. I've learnt not to take anything
for granted where our lot are concerned. The same drum was being banged
after our 1-0 win in Belgrade last season and look what happened thereafter.
Granted Sakhnin are not as good as Partizan, far from it, but given
how we struggled to break them down at home I really felt the return
match in Israel would be much more difficult than it actually turned
out to be.
As soon as the ball left the deft right-foot of Patrick Kluivert on
9 minutes the tie really was over with the Dutchman dispatching a
neat shot after great work from Jermaine Jenas to set him up. Although
an equaliser on the night from Masudi just 4 minutes later after yet
more sloppy defending from our backline buoyed the home team for a
5 minute spell, from then on in we steamrollered them and could have
scored 10. Instead we settled for just the 5.
38 minutes into the first half Alan Shearer got on the scoresheet,
tucking in a rebound from Lee Bowyer's shot that Murambardoro really
should have kept a hold of to make it 2-1 and 4-1 on aggregate.
Goal number 3 come a few minutes before the break when Kluivert grabbed
his second of the game with another well taken shot - this time from
Laurent Robert's through ball. Half time and we were coasting.
A bystander for the vast majority of the first half, it was Shay Given
to be the first man hauled of by Souness with Stevie Harper getting
a rare first appearance of the season. With 45 minutes to impress
this wasn't exactly the best game to show his new manager what he
can do. Likewise Harper also had an uneventful game bar one shot that
had to be saved.
7 minutes into the second half Shearer joined Kluivert on two goals
- via the penalty spot after Jenas was tripped in the box from a clumsy
foul. Shearer as ever dully slotted home. Unlike Shearer though, Kluivert
wouldn't get the opportunity to get what could have been a first hat-trick
for Newcastle after he along with Robert made way for the fit again
Darren Ambrose and James Milner with Bellamy moving from the right-flank
into his favoured position up front.
Sakhnin as they did in the first leg, were intent on hacking as many
of those yellow shirts (we were wearing our new European kit) that
got on the ball and that's what they did. I can understand why they
would try to unsettle us and try to bully the big expensive 'stars'
but some of their challenges wouldn't have looked out of place at
Kingston Park and could end careers - disgusting and a disgrace. The
referee was just as poor, letting far too many lunges for legs and
not the ball go unchecked and although Sakhnin accumulated a few yellows,
they should have finished the game with less than the 10 men that
they did, with Murambardoro getting his marching orders with 2 minutes
on the clock for handling outside the area.
That incident gave us a free kick and when the ball fell to Bowyer
he scored a perfectly legitimate goal, yet the ref adjudged him to
have been in an off-side position - confounding his ineptness on the
night.
Not to worry, seconds later Big Al made it 5 and his hat-trick with
a classic Shearer strike. 25 yards out he turned and curled in a peach
of a left-footed effort that the stand in keeper (an outfield player)
had no chance with. No keeper could have stopped that.
So Souness' 100% winning run goes on and so does our UEFA Cup campaign.
There isn't much we can gauge from this game as the opposition were
shockingly poor and very clumsy. Going forward we were excellent and
in the middle of the park both Jenas and Bowyer ran the show with
grit, effort, drive, skill and creativity. In defence however, where
our problems lie, we were cagey, nervous and sloppy. This is worrying
given just how sloppy Sakhnin's own forward play was and this will
be an ongoing cause of concern up until January for the Scot, the
team and of course ourselves.
A great win, well done.
Toon Player Ratings Vs Sakhnin
Next up: Birmingham
Vs NUFC (Sunday October 3rd 2004 Prem 3.00pm K.O)
| Sakhnin |
Newcastle
United |
Match
Facts & Stats
Half-Time: 1-3
Full-Time: 1-5
Yellow Cards: 5
Red Cards: 1
Goalscorers: Masudi (13)
Yellow Cards: Khalaila, Kasum, Masudi
Red Cards: Murambadoro
Substitutions: 3
Edri (for Arshid 45), Abu Saleh (for Agoye 71), Cleber
(for Khalaila 80)
Injuries: N/A
Goalscorers: Kluivert
(9 & 42), Shearer (38, 52pen, 90)
Yellow Cards: Hughes, Ambrose
Red Cards: 0
Substitutions: 3
Harper (for Given 45), Ambrose (for Robert 62), Milner for Kluivert
(62)
Injuries: None to report of (thankfully) |
| Murambadoro |
Given |
| Kasum |
Carr |
| Danan |
O'Brien |
| Etchi
Oben |
Hughes |
| Basem Genaiem |
Bernard |
| Elyahu |
Bellamy |
| Rabbah |
Jenas |
| Khalaila |
Bowyer |
| Masudi |
Robert |
| Arshid |
Shearer |
| Agoye |
Kluivert |
| Substitutes
Bench |
| Aliaz |
Harper |
|
Shalaata |
Elliott |
| Salameh |
Ambrose |
|
Edri |
Milner |
| Abu Saleh |
Taylor |
| Cleber |
Brittain |
| Hamud |
Ramage |
5th successive win for Newcastle. 4 goals now for Patrick Kluivert
in Europe. Alan Shearer is now on 20 European goals for the Toon -
our all-time record goalscorer. 10 ahead of his nearest rival Wyn
Davies. A winning debut for our new yellow European away kit. Our
105th European match in all European competitions. We scored 5 goals
away from home in Europe for only the second time in our history (Royal
Antwerp 5-0 1994). Big Al notched his 2nd hat-trick in Europe for
Newcastle, his first away since joining the Toon and his 4th overall.
He also took his career tally to 352 goals. First appearance of the
season for Steve Harper.
| How The Goals Were
Scored |
NUFC Goal 9 Minutes: Patrick Kluivert
A one-two between Kluivert and Jenas in the Sakhnin box resulted in
a back heel to the Dutchman who struck a first-time tightfisted shot
low into the far corner. Well worked goal.
Sakhnin Goal 13 Minutes: Masudi
A right wing cross from Kassom wasn't cut out, leaving Masudi to strike
home at the far post from close range. Sloppy goal to give away.
NUFC Goal 38 Minutes: Alan Shearer
Shearer got off the mark in the game by tapping in from close range
after Sakhnin's keeper spilt a shot from Bowyer who had drove into
the box from deep.
NUFC Goal 42 Minutes: Patrick Kluivert
Robert won a challenge in the centre of the patch, ran at Sakhnin,
evaded a tackle and then slipped a delightful ball through to Kluivert
in the box where the Dutchman controlled before placing a right-footed
shot into the back of the night for a classy goal. Great control and
execution from the big man.
NUFC Goal 52 Minutes: Alan Shearer
Jenas picked the ball up from Bellamy inside the box and when he attempted
to turn his man he was brought down. Penalty. Up stepped Shearer to
stroke home with the keeper diving before Big Al even struck the ball.
Not his usual powerful blast, a cheeky penalty.
NUFC Goal 90 Minutes: Alan Shearer
Milner fed Shearer who turned at the edge of the box and unleashed
a powerful curling drive low into the far corner from 25 yards with
his left foot for the hat-trick. Classic Shearer. Great goal.
| Match Reaction From
Graeme Souness |
Souness said:
"We came here to do a job, and we have done that. We came away without
any injuries which was always a worry so it's been a good night.
"I was concerned about the way they would play after the first game
but the heavy tackles had no malice, they were just reckless in their
challenges, and I would have liked the referee to have been a bit
stronger.
"We picked a team to go after them and get that early goal, Craig
Bellamy's pace on the right and Laurent Robert on the left and we
did get that early score which took the sting out of them.
"All in all a good night for us and now we turn our focus to Birmingham
on Sunday."
| Your Shout: Toon
Army Match Reaction |
Stevie S wrote:
Excellent performance by the lads with a thoroughly convincing win.
Big Al's treble, Paddy's brace, JJ's form, Bowyer looking lean and
mean - things are looking up. Souness hasn't put a foot wrong since
he was appointed. Sakhnin are a bunch of thugs and deserved their
hiding. Into the group stage we go where we should pick up a few easy
teams. All in all a great night. Well done all.
Toon4Life wrote:
Ah yes...lovely night last night. I Was sat at our local Toon pub,
called Hamlet (anyone ever in Limassol, it's a MUST visit...Toon fanaticism
to the max). Bank holiday this Friday, so I didn't have to get up
for work...and I sat there, few rounds of the good ol' black stuff,
bunch of lads and lasses shouting for the Toon, knowing we didn't
have to get up early in the morning. The only thing that was needed
was a good thumping win to cap off a good good night. We did that.
Frail opposition, granted. However, wor lads did not disappoint. Kluivert
was magic, and Shearer is still the master. The rest of the team played
quite well, and represented football against thuggery (Mr. Jenas singled
out for a brilliant performance). Mr. Souness, under the influence
of the black beer, you are even loveable. Thanks boss for a decent
showing, and a mature display, you are doing very well sir, and we're
enjoying it. Good to see Stevie Harper too. Great night overall if
you're the Toon Army. God, Love you Newcastle United!! |
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