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Site Features |
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Newcastle United Reserves 2005-2006
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Newcastle-Online.com now cover Newcastle's reserve matches thanks
to our intrepid reporter Paul Mosley, who goes to
every home match and a few away games too, covering those on the fringes
of the first-team squad. Here you'll find fixtures, reports, league
table, stats, information on Kingston Park, the ground where the reserves
play their home matches and match photos.
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Latest Report: NUFC 2-2 Everton (24/1/2006) |
 Match
Date: Monday 23 January 2006
By Paul
Mosley
NUFC scorers: Pattison
39, Finnigan 89
Everton scorers: Anichebe 21,
38
Kids. Where would we be without kids? Well, we might be able to enjoy
occasions such as Reserve games for a start. From the moment I left
the house until the moment I left Kingston Park last night bloody
kids just would not allow me to settle.
That includes the kids in the United Reserves side on the field, as
they salvaged a point against Everton which they probably just about
deserved. The draw keeps the unbeaten home record intact, but it could
so easily have been squashed as Everton squandered a 2-goal lead.
There were 3 main blemishes on the evening however. The first of which
was the weather. It was absolutely bloody freezing, which meant the
crowd of 662 were left to shiver in the stands yet again.
The second was the pitch. The Reserves have been forced to play at
Kingston Park for a number of years now and of course the Newcastle
Falcons play there. Now this wasn’t so much of a problem when Reserve
teams used to comprise players regaining fitness or out-of-form 1st
teamers, but when some of the lads out there are potentially the future
of this football club, and only play 1 game a week (too raw for the
1st team, too old for the academy), they should not be subjected to
a rugby pitch which is in the state of that at Kingston Park It’s
not fair to them, and it’s putting their future in jeopardy, as well
as the club’s.
We’ve seen in past years that Gateshead Stadium and St James Park
cannot host Reserve games. Kingston Park should in my opinion go the
same way, but where could they play? Until a better alternative is
found there really is no solution and they have to continue to play
on a rugby pitch which is all the worse for the wintry conditions.
Quite simply, players are unable to keep their footing, short passing
is made difficult by the bumps and divots, and control is even more
of an art than it usually is. Quite simply it’s a joke, and it must
be sorted.
Another problem with Kingston Park is that it attracts a lot of kids,
who proved to be the 3rd blemish on the evening’s entertainment. They
turn up in their droves, with no sign of their parents, and they spend
90 minutes screeching at the top of their lungs sounding like men
who have been very painfully castrated.
They don’t watch the match, instead they roll around in the aisles,
run around the outside of the pitch and inside the concourses, fold
up teamsheets and leaflets to use as paper aeroplanes, stand on chairs
and rattle chairs without a care in the world. It got to the point
where I was so incensed that I had to speak to a female steward at
half time to air my grievances. I couldn’t believe my ears.
Me: “Can you do something about these kids? They’re ruining the occasion
for everyone, chucking paper aeroplanes at people and they’re not
even watching the game, just causing trouble.”
Steward: “Well what do you want me to do? I can’t do anything just
because they’re annoying you.”
Me: “You think it’s just ME they’re annoying?! Ask anybody else in
the crowd and see what they think!”
People were quietly nodding but saying nothing, and a stony silence
followed and I walked away. Near the end of the match some of them
were thrown out but it was already too late. A few of the crowd were
so annoyed that they had left at half time, and you couldn’t blame
them.
Rant over. There was also a match played last night, funnily enough.
Steve Harper made his third Reserve start of the season, having played
in the away fixtures at Manchester City and Sunderland. Craig Baxter
was back in place of Martin Brittain, and Mickey Terrell replaced
Alan O’Brien, with 1st team injuries continuing to force Tommy Craig’s
hand, as well as the injury suffered by Paul Huntington in the Academy
game on Saturday. Speaking of the Academy, young star James Troisi
made the bench for the 1st time. Gary Naysmith and Li Tie were familiar
names on the Everton roster.
United had dropped to 5th after last week’s 3-0 defeat at Bolton which
ended the long unbeaten run and wanted to put that right. Tie didn’t
last long, with Farman catching him in a nasty 2-footed challenge
on 7 minutes which led to a word from referee Foster.
Tie lasted only 7 minutes longer before being replaced. By then we’d
had the 1st chance of the game, with a Smylie shot going past the
upright. At the other end the ball was played through to the dangerous
Victor Anichebe, whose shot was well blocked by Harper and cleared
to safety by Farman, and down the other end Finnigan had a shot blocked
by Hughes.
Just after the 20 minute mark Everton drew 1st blood, as Naysmith
lofted the ball into the area, and Anichebe controlled and swivelled
and shot into the net. The Nigerian could have doubled the advantage
soon after as he shot wide off a Harris through ball, before Smylie
smashed a 19-yard free-kick into the wall.
On 32 minutes we thought we were level as Matty Pattison unleashed
a piledriver from 25 yards and the ball bounced down off the crossbar
but agonisingly stayed out, and it appeared all over when Anichebe
picked up a through ball from sub Kissock and buried it for 2-0.
However, we responded superbly, with Pattison this time finding the
net with a superb 20-yard effort after neat build-up involving Smylie.
Everton might have had a penalty when Anichebe went down but Foster
said no, and United broke only for Atkin to end the 1st half by shooting
off Hughes.
For the second home game in a row Nicky Deverdics appeared at half
time, replacing Michael Terrell. But it was Everton who were straight
on the offensive and should have been 3-1 ahead. Anichebe set up Kissock
only for Harper to make a fine save, but the ball broke to Anichebe
who looked set to complete his hat-trick only for Harper to brilliantly
tip the ball away.
Kris Gate then shot well wide from distance, and Anichebe headed over
the crossbar, before Gate again launched high and wide. Young Australian
James Troisi then replaced the ineffective Liam Atkin, before Everton
again had a great chance to win, with Baxter clearing a header off
the line.
Troisi added a spark for United, with his pace giving Everton’s defence
an extra worry, but it was Newcastle who were worrying about losing
their 1st home game of the season as Anichebe had a shot deflected
wide, and Wilson volleyed over. But just as it looked like we’d run
out of time, we grabbed a dramatic, but deserved equaliser.
Smylie found space on the edge of the box and shot powerfully at goal,
and Everton keeper Turner could only parry it to the alert Finnigan
who scored for the 3rd home game in a row to preserve that unbeaten
home record. The draw lifts us back into 4th place, although a victory
for 5th placed Man City at 3rd placed Villa tonight could see them
jump ahead of us again.
Attendance:
626 poor shivering people.
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Newcastle Team Ratings |
Steve Harper – 7 – No real chance with the
goals, some excellent saves but distribution was poor.
Craig Baxter – 6 – Had to be alert to clear off the
line.
Chris Farman – 6 – For a while
struggled against Anichebe but stuck to his guns and late on got the
better of the Nigerian.
Chris Shanks – 6 – Pretty
steady.
David Edgar – 5 – Never really
got to grips with Anichebe.
Kris Gate – 6 –
Heart and soul again, not much end product.
Liam
Atkin – 5 – Ran around a lot but did nothing with the ball.
(Sub James Troisi 64 mins – 6 – Provided a spark and gave Everton
something to think about.)
Daryl Smylie – 6
– Provided the crucial shot which led to the equaliser.
Carl Finnigan – 6 – Silent but deadly at the
end.
Matty Pattison – 8 – His best
performance since his return from injury, and capped by a fine goal.
Michael Terrell – 5 – Anonymous.
(Sub Nicky Deverdics 45 mins – 6 – Rock steady.).
Subs not used: Fraser Forster, Rob Cavener, Phil Cave.
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Everton Team |
Iain Turner, Stephen Wynne, Gary Naysmith, Patrick Boyle, Mark Hughes,
James Harris, Christian Seargeant, Li Tie (John Paul Kissock 14),
Victor Anichebe, Bjarni Vidarsson, Laurence Wilson. Subs not used:
Sean Wright, John Ruddy, Matthew Holt, Scott Phelan.
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Referee |
David Foster (Newcastle) – 6
Easy game, no real decisions to make, but missed a fair few fouls. |
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