Full-Time: Aston Villa 4-2 NUFC
Villa Scorers: Mellberg (3), Cole (53), Barry (70),
Angel (83)
Toon Scorers: Kluivert (27), O'Brien (36)
Newcastle once again let slip a winning position at Villa Park this
afternoon as United lost 4-2 in another eventful day for Sir Bobby
and the lads. The game started in controversy with Patrick
Kluivert making his full Toon debut in place of the dropped
Alan Shearer who had to settle for a place on the
bench and there was no place for Kieron Dire either,
who didn't even make the 16-man squad despite traveling to the Midlands.
Prompting rumours of an impending transfer out of St. James' with
this mornings papers claiming Villa were prepared to pay £6m
for the Number 8.
Fit again Jermaine Jenas took Dire's place in the
starting lineup and one other change from the side that drew 2-2 with
Norwich saw Lee Bowyer make a return for James Milner
on the right flank.
Newcastle got off the the worst possible start after only 3 minutes
when Olof Mellberg headed in former Magpie
Nobby Solano's corner to open the scoring for Villa.
From then on in it was all one way traffic but United started getting
back into the game and Kluivert leveled the scores
on 27 minutes, turning his marker to fire home.
9 minutes later Newcastle took the lead when Andy O'Brien,
making his 100th Toon appearance, avenged last Season's red card dismissal
by glancing in a header from Bellamy's cross and that's how it stayed
going into the break with United with the upper hand.
Into the second half however, Aston Villa leveled the scores when
Carlton Cole stabbed home J Lloyd Sammuel's cross
on 53 minutes.
Moments later Thomas Sorenson should have been sent
off when he handled outside the box with Bellamy, the last man, bearing
down on him. Instead referee Mike Riley awarded a
yellow card and from the free kick Sorenson pushed Robert's shot away
or a corner.
And then the game changed. On 70 minutes Gareth Barry
rose above Stephen Carr who was made Captain for
the day in Shearer's absence, to head home another Solano header to
make it 3-2 to Villa.
4 minutes later Robbie Elliott come on for the injured
Olivier Bernard as United went in search of an equaliser.
With that search in mind Bobby decided to bring on Shearer
and Shola Ameobi in place of Bowyer
and Kluivert who had picked up a knock with 14 minutes
remaining.
7 minutes later it was Villa who scored when Juan Pablo Angel,
on as a sub, brushed off O'Brien's challenge before shooting home
with the ball taking a deflection off the Irishman along the way to
make it 4-2.
And that's how it stayed as our bad start just get's worse. Now only
2 points from a possible 12 with 9 goals conceded and no clean sheet.
What next?
Teams
United: Given, Bernard (Elliott 73), Hughes, O'Brien,
Carr, Robert, Butt, Jenas, Bowyer (Ameobi 76), Bellamy, Kluivert (Shearer
76). Subs not used: Harper, Milner.
Villa: Sorenson, Delaney, Samuel, Mellberg, Barry,
McCann, Vassell (Moore 86), Solano, Hitzlsperger (Hendrie 59), De
La Cruz, Cole (Angel 69). Subs not used: Postma, Whittingham.
Full match report to follow...
Man Utd Up Rooney Bid
Manchester United have increased their offer for Everton's
Wayne Rooney in excess of £23.5 million. Everton's head of PR
Ian Ross told the club's official website: "Manchester United made
an offer which is in excess of the second bid lodged by Newcastle."
Over to you Freddy Shepherd....
Toon Rumours: Bobo Balde, Boumsong & Dire
Today's Chronicle reports that Newcastle have slapped in
a £5m bid for Celtic's 6.3' centre-half Bobo Balde
where as the BBC claim we have had bid for Rangers centre-half Jean-Alain
Boumsong rejected. The Sun newspaper are reporting that Aston
Villa's David O'Leary wants Kieron Dire - a fee of
£6m is being mentioned. Conspicuously Dire has not made the
16-man squad that faces Villa today. |
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
 |
 |
Toon
Shirts |
|
Sponsors |
|
