Result: Charlton 1-1 NUFC
Newcastle once again dropped points again after talking the lead with
a 1-1 draw at the Valley this afternoon. United opened the scoring
on 39 minutes when a brilliant left wing cross from Bernard was dispatched
with aplomb from the the head of Craig Bellamy.
5 minutes after the break calamitous defending from Andy O'Brien allowed
Kevin Lisbie to flick the ball over the Irishman's
head to go through free on goal where his shot took a deflection off
Stephen Carr and into the back of the net.
A spate of goalmouth action at both ends with both sides clearing
off the line at some stage wasn't enough to force a winner that neither
deserved. 1-1 was a fair result but Souness will be far from happy
with two dropped points. The 7th time this season we have took the
lead only to drop points. The draw moves us up into 8th.
Full match report and player ratings to follow...
Remember Liam O'Brien's Winner Against Sunderland?
Of course you do, it happened 12 years ago to this day...
The Kevin Keegan revolution was well underway by the time the 124th
Tyne-Wear Derby come around. Newcastle, top of the League and totally
transformed from a side that narrowly escaped relegation to the then
old 3rd Division and possible extinction the previous season, went
to Roker Park looking for their 12th consecutive League win on the
bounce.
And where better a place than the not so friendly neighbour's back
garden to grab such a win - a win owed to the majestic left-foot of
one Liam O'Brien who's 25-yard free-kick secured
the golden win after the Mackems Gordon Armstrong had leveled the
score at 1-1, with Sunderland's Gary Ower's opening the scoring for
the Toon with an own goal. O'Brien's sweet strike made him an instant
hero who's name will forever be remembered and sung by the Geordie
faithful.
Teams that day:
United: Wright, Venison, Beresford, O'Brien, Scott, Howey,
Lee, Peacock, Kelly, Clark, Brock.
Sunderland: Carter, Kay, Rogan, Owers, Bennett, Ball, Cunnington,
Goodman, Davenport, Atkinson, Rush (Armstrong).
Att: 28,098
Newcastle went on to record a double over Sunderland that season among
many other notable achievements with a 1-0 win at St. James' Park
thanks to a Scot Sellars free-kick this time. The celebrations didn't
stop there however, an even bigger win would follow in United's next
game away to Grimsby which won promotion to the new and exciting world
of the Premier League after a 2-0 win at Blundell Park brung down
the curtain on 4 years of 2nd Division football.
The rest as they say is history...
Liam O'Brien would go on to play a pivotal role in the promotion charge,
making 40 appearances in all competitions and scoring a total of 7
goals. During his Toon career he notched up 176 games and bagged 21
goals. None more significant than his Derby-day winner.
Legend!
Panionios Warm Up For Thursday With A Defeat
Thursday's UEFA Cup group D opponents, Panionios,
warmed up for our tie in Athens with a 2-0 defeat away to OFI Crete
on Saturday. Panionios, like ourselves, haven't made the greatest
of starts to their 2004/05 Greek Championship with only 1 win from
their opening 4 matches, losing the other 3.
Kick off is 7.45pm, Thursday 21st
Both Souness & Bellamy Shrug Off 'Showdown'
When substituted during yesterday's 1-1 draw at the Valley it appeared
Craig Bellamy uttered the words "What me? You f****ng p***ck!".
Words that were caught live on Sky's cameras. Obviously, Bellamy being
a Toon player, the media have latched onto this as the Welshman taking
a blast at our manager and that it will, inevitably lead to some kind
of 'bust up' between the pair.
However both Graeme Souness and the player have took a mature stance
on what the media would love to become another "Toon at war"
episode and played down this latest 'incident'.
Souness said:
"I've not seen it, but I will speak to Craig
and I will ask him if his comments were directed at me.
"I can understand players not being happy when they are taken off,
but you have to use your common sense. Craig has played in two games
and lost them both with Wales so psychologically and physically he
was not going to be at his best.
"I think it was a common
sense decision and Craig needs to understand that. That's the price
you pay for being at a big football club with 17 or 18 top players.
It would be just the same at Arsenal, Chelsea or Manchester United.
"When you're a top player part of that is also having
a big ego, but you have to be prepared to be substituted if your manager
thinks that is the right thing to do. If you get too many of those
decisions wrong you are looking for a new job, that's the pressure
of being a football manager.
"Having said that I've
never known a player be replaced and say 'thank you very much for
substituting me boss.' I'll have a chat with him and I'll let you
know what happens."
Bellamy said:
"I don't want a showdown - what do I want a showdown for?
"I'm at a great club. I've got two and a half years left and I want
to spent those two and a half years here. That's my whole aim in football.
"In those two and a half years I'll hopefully play the best football
of my career for this club.
"Everyone in football knows my favourite position. But it's up to
me, if I'm asked to go on either wing, to get on with it.
"I don't particularly like it, it's frustrating, but the team
comes first. I've got to try and do it to the best of my ability."
If Bellamy keeps scoring while playing alongside Big Al, as he did
yesterday, he will do his chances of remaining in his favoured position
the world of good and if reports today are to be believed, the little
Welshman will get just that opportunity again in Athens on Thursday,
with Kluivert looking increasingly likely to miss out with his hamstring
injury.
Keep Your Hands Off, Peter Reid
Former Mackem boss Peter Reid wants to take Toon defender Stephen
Taylor on loan to his new club Coventry City report today's Chronicle.
The last decent defender that Reid had on his books was German international
Thomas Helmer, who he fell out with and ignored. Peter Reid = health
warning to professional footballers. Stay away taylor, for the good
of your career...
On a serious note, I'd like to think that Souness would rebuff any
move for our England Under-21 centre-half as given our inadequacies
at the back and lack of cover, his chances of first-team football
at Newcastle must surely be somewhat half decent? Or maybe not...
A Word On Jermaine Jenas...
Isn't it amazing what a bit of the old confidence can do for a player?
Jermaine Jenas looks a completely different player to the one that
performed so poorly last season. In spells yesterday, he was magnificent
and although he faded in the second half as he has done in a few games
this season, he is playing wide right where he won't always be involved
or see the ball so this is to be expected.
JJ's debut season where he won the young PFA player of the year award
seemed like a flash in the pan given just how poor he was last season
but with all young players the second season syndrone always kicks
in and he has been a victim of some harsh and unjustified criticism.
As his new manager said: "Jenas can be anything he wants to be".
Keep up the good work JJ!
Viana On Target For Sporting
Forgotten man Hugo Viana was on target for Sporting Lisbon at the
weekend, netting twice as Newcastle's UEFA Cup group D opponents ran
out 4-1 winners over Estoril. Viana has only made a couple of starts
while on loan at his former club, with most of his appearances coming
from the bench, but in the centre of the park he produced a scintillating
performance according to Portuguese reports.
Mind it didn't take him long to start the old badge kissing nonsense...
Newcastle of course will face Sporting on the 16th of December at
St. James' Park in our final UEFA Cup group game, but Viana won't
feature as a clause in his loan deal forbids him from playing against
us. Whether he will get another chance to wear the Black & White
at SJP remains to be seen, scoring goals and impressing for Sporting
can't do his chances any harm however. We'll see...
Under-18's: Nottingham Forest 0-4 NUFC
Newcastle's Academy side maintained their lead at the top of Group
B with a thoroughly convincing 4-0 win over Nottingham Forest on Saturday
afternoon. It's now 5 wins in 6 and 17 goals on the road for Kenny
Wharton and John Carver's youngsters. Goals come from Chris Farman,
Marc Walton with his 10th of the season and a Carl Finnigan double.
A delighted Wharton said: "There was many positives. We were
very dominant in the second half and could have scored many more."
United: Smith, Baxter (Finnigan 25), Deverdics, Edgar, Farman, Webster,
Atkin, Shanks, Marshall (Huntington 81), Walton, Terrell (P.O'Brien
62). |
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
 |
 |
Toon
Shirts |
|
Sponsors |
|
