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Match Report: West Ham United 4-2 NUFC
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 Monday
19 December 2005
By Howaythetoon
Michael Owen's first hat-trick in a Toon shirt gave Graeme Souness
a memorable win this Saturday afternoon in what was his 50th match
in charge of Newcastle United. The Magpies running out 4-2 winners
at Upton Park in an action-packed game that also saw Alan Shearer
edge ever closer to Wor Jackie Milburn's record.
Jean-Alain Boumsong passed a late fitness test meaning Souness went
with the same side that beat Arsenal 1-0 last week, the Frenchman
taking the field with his left thigh strapped up. For West Ham Danny
Gabbidon, Nigel Reo-Coker and Teddy Sheringham were all absent through
injury.
The game kicked-off 30 minutes late due to a road accident but there
was no delay in United's attitude. Quickly out of the traps it only
took Owen 5 minutes to open the scoring, the England man slotting
home a cool left-footed shot past Roy Carroll from a Shearer lay-off.
Who said he only has a right-foot...
In truth, Newcastle's opener came against the run of play slightly
and Owen's goal seemed to further spark the home side and their fans
into life with the Hammers pressing the ball harder and putting United
under the cosh more.
Pressure that paid off in the 20th minute with Marlon Harweood's left-wing
cross cannoning off Nobby Solano via Titus Bramble and into the back
of the net for a comical own goal to level the scores.
To be fair to the Toon pair, neither could have done much about it.
Bramble did the right thing in taking a swing at the ball, and had
Solano not been in front of him it would have flew upfield. An unfortunate
goal to concede.
Solano atoned for his mishap on 43 minutes however by curling in a
free-kick for that man Owen to grab his second of the game with a
deft little header that looped in under the crossbar.
After the break West Ham came out even more determined, influenced
by United's unwillingness to push up field, the home side started
to camp in our half and went close to equalising twice. First Hayden
Mullins hitting Shay Given's left-hand post with a long range drive
and then James Collins being denied by Shearer's clearance off the
line.
At the other end Owen thought he'd scored his third but Carroll got
down well to save his powerful header while Amdy Faye saw a long range
effort sail over the bar as the game become stretched with play going
from one end to another without much respite.
As the game wore on West Ham started running of of ideas and this
played right into Newcastle's hands, this time Owen turning provider
for Shearer on 66 minutes, who in a similar fashion to Nobby's winner
against Arsenal, shifted the ball into space to rifle a right-footed
shot into the far corner of the net from close range for his 199th
goal in a Black & white shirt.
3-1 up the Hammers looked dead and buried but just 7 minutes after
Big Al's strike they were literally handed the chance to claw back
the deficit after Shola Ameobi's raised arm somehow connected with
the ball. Referee Phil Dowd, with no hesitation, pointed to the spot
despite the Geordie's protests. Replays clearly show there was no
intent on Shola's part but it was a penalty.
Up stepped Harewood to smash home his 8th of the season to ensure
a nervy finish for United who had to endure one or two corners before
the final whistle as the home side looked for an equaliser.
But the man who started the scoring had the final say, claiming his
hat-trick in the last minute of injury time, rolling the ball into
an empty net from Faye's through-ball with Carroll nowhere in sight
having previously been upfield to join in a Hammer's flag-kick.
Three points, 4 goals, 2 wins in 2, an away win (and in London), cracking
stuff and fully deserved. Well done Souness and the lads. More please.
Lineups & Match Facts |
Hammers: Carroll, Repka (Aliadiere 76), Ferdinand, Collins,
Konchesky, Benayoun (Bellion 62), Fletcher, Mullins, Etherington,
Harewood, Zamora. Subs not used: Dailly, Newton, Hislop.
Booked: Carroll, Ferdinand, Etherington.
Goals: Solano 20 og, Harewood 73 pen.
United: Given, Ramage, Boumsong, Bramble, Elliott, Solano
(Bowyer 79), Faye, Parker, Ameobi, Shearer, Owen. Subs not used: Harper,
Luque, Chopra, Gate.
Booked: Bramble, Ameobi, Parker.
Goals: Owen 5, 43, Shearer 66, Owen 90.
Att: 34,836.
Ref: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire).
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Post-Match Reaction: Graeme Souness |
"We are delighted to have Michael Owen at Newcastle.
"He is a proven goalscorer at every level. We feel that once
we get everybody fit we'll create even more openings for him.
"We've missed Michael when he's not been in our team through
injury. He was the difference today along with Alan Shearer - who
is still a very big player for our team.
"We felt the two of them today could get at West Ham's backfour
and score goals and that's how it turned out.
"It wasn't a silky passing game because we are missing a lot
of our players. We are just delighted with the three points.
"West Ham are a handful at home and they tried to get after us.
We shot ourselves in the foot by giving them a penalty and allowing
them back into the game.
"It should have been an easy 20 minutes for us but at times we
were holding on.
"Strikers make the difference on the day and that's why Michael
is valued the way he is.
"He's scored seven goals for us now and goals win and change
games."
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Post-Match Reaction: Alan Pardew |
"Looking at the result anyone would think we had the runaround
today but in terms of football we played some fantastic stuff.
"Mistakes and a pairing that is obviously world class has cost
us the game today.
"I cannot think of a time when Newcastle were in control of the
game but we kept shooting ourselves in the foot.
"Owen's influence on the game was not great but his chances came
and he scored them.
"Hopefully he will be representing us in the World Cup and I'll
be cheering him when he scores goals - but not today.
"As well as we've played we need to cut the mistakes out but
on a positive note some of the performances we had were fantastic.
"It was another great game here at Upton Park but we are not
going to let teams think they can have an easy win here.
"We'll fight right to the end and we are very disappointed in
the dressing room because we honestly felt we could have got something
out of the game, perhaps should have.
"If we had got the second goal to make it 2-1, I think we would
have won today."
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