Championship - Newcastle fight back for point

Eurosport - Sun, 09 Aug 11:10:00 2009

Newcastle United made an encouraging start to life in the Championship as they fought back to earn a 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns.

FOOTBALL Newcastle United's Shola Ameobi (left) battles West Bromwich Albion 's Shelton Martis for the ball Championship 2009 - 0

Shelton Martis's first goal for the Baggies put the home side in front in what was Roberto Di Matteo's first match in charge, but Damien Duff levelled matters early in the second-half.

In an open game Newcastle had more of the play but West Brom the better chances, and the Magpies needed substitute goalkeeper Tim Krul, on at half-time for the injured Steve Harper, to make a number of excellent saves to keep things level before the end.

Under caretaker Chris Hughton Newcastle have endured a troubled pre-season, but they started brightly and were unlucky to go behind six minutes before half-time.

That goal came when the Magpies' defence struggled to cope with Jonathan Greening's free kick whipped in from the left.

Harper did manage to get a fist on it initially but Luke Moore then had a shot blocked and the loose ball feel kindly into the path of Dutch defender Martis who swept home from close range.

Harper also banged against Shola Ameobi after his punch and was forced off at half-time to be replaced by Netherlands U21 international Krul.

With Alan Smith tackling tenaciously in the middle of the park and Jonas Gutierrez looking lively down the left, Newcastle had plenty of possession in the opening period but they lacked creativity and Scott Carson barely had a save to make in the opening 45 minutes.

Hughton pushed Kevin Nolan and Duff into a more advanced position in the second-half, however, and the visitors immediately looked more dangerous.

But their comeback bid would have stalled before it had barely started had Krul not superbly tipped away a low drilled effort from Robert Koren in the 48th minute.

Newcastle survived that scare and their equaliser then came in the 54th minute. It was a fantastic team goal that began when Smith picked up a loose ball in midfield.

He found Ameobi further on and the striker then advanced it to Nolan. The former Bolton man then showed great vision to quickly slip in Duff and the Irishman calmly finished.

Newcastle's confidence visibly lifted after that equaliser but they still looked vulnerable whenever West Brom broke.

Koren found himself clean through just moments after Duff's equaliser but the Slovenian's effort was too straight allowing Krul to save when a shot either side would have probably yielded a goal.

Newcastle dominated possession for most of the second-half before tiring near the end but again chances were not forthcoming although Nolan did have a free header from a Joey Barton free but he got under it too much and headed over.

At the other end, West Brom looked dangerous when they had the ball, but getting possession was the problem.

Luke Moore and Graham Dorrans did manage to get shots on target before the end but they found Krul in inspired shot-stopping form even though the 21-year-old keeper was looking vulnerable from crosses.

Jonas Olsson did head the ball into the net for West Brom in stoppage time, but from an offside position. There was still time for Duff to get a shot in at the other end, only for Carson to save with relative ease.

In the end a draw was a fair result with both sides showing enough to suggest they could contend for promotion.

Seán Fay / Eurosport

Comment 25 - 44 of 44

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  1. NUFC 6
    OREINT 1
    OOPS I MADE A MISTAKE DIDINT I?????

    From Sean A, on Tue 11 Aug 4:00PM

  2. hey up Melvin,
    Your problem is Ashley will sell all of­ your so called better players,the dream team.they are­ all asleep that's why you were relegated.@#$%!

    From farsical, on Mon 10 Aug 12:19PM

  3. Heyup cameron luv,you got it right first­ time,"dross united,oh did you see biffo barton on­ the bench,no doubt he has NUFC­ support,MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM,all the kids taken to see­ him perform!eh.Help to pay for his wheelbarrow load of­ cash£££££££££££££££.

    From farsical, on Mon 10 Aug 12:10PM

  4. Dont know about anyone else but this was a game between­ the two favourites to gain promotion, the quality was­ there to see, though Albions strike partnership was­ dismal, i feel that we are a good striker away from­ maybe romping this division. NUFC had a great midfield­ on display but like us their defending can be comical­ and they seem in the same boat up front. On the whole­ it was a good match i thought. We have some quality out­ injured too in Morrison and Miller with Valero,Dorrans­ & Txeira waiting in the wings. Not quite rosy but­ promising i feel.

    From paulday448, on Mon 10 Aug 11:17AM

  5. Patrick, there is one slight difference between that­ safc and this NUFC!
    That relegated safc was the second­ worst in Premiership history (at that exact time, the­ worst in fact!) - dire beyond belief; even destroyed­ 1-4 at home by our mediocre team!

    From cameron w, on Mon 10 Aug 10:21AM

  6. Sound performance from NUFC - very encouraging­ indeed.....obviously Enrique and Ameobi were useless­ but i thought everyone else did­ ok.

    SAFC

    "Skidmark of County Durham" since­ 1879

    From Tony K, on Mon 10 Aug 9:53AM

  7. kanespurs... Oh. That's it. it's a spurs fan.­ Did you realise our braindead Kane, that Spurs put the­ gay in Haringay? Don't be hoop all of your life­ son......

    From SHAUN, on Sun 9 Aug 5:39PM

  8. Cameron, I know you won't like me comparing us to­ you, but the season we went down from the Prem (before­ Keanes arrival) we started the season without a manager­ and no players of any quality. If you remember at the­ start of that season we were firmly rooted to the­ bottom of the Champ and only going in one direction.­ Fortunately Keane came along (thanks to Quinn) and­ changed things round. I understand that NUFC still have­ some players of quality and that there are sides in the­ Champ clearly not as good as NUFC but you have a­ wafer-thin squad and some positions not covered at all­ (left back?). That league is a dogfight from start to­ finish, it is difficult to get out of and easy to get­ relegated from (see Southampton, Norwich, Leeds etc)­ and if players aren't up for it, then expect the­ worst. I don't think any side in the Champ are a­ zillion miles from relegation.
    I hope Ashley sells­ soon, to someone who knows about football and who will­ appoint Shearer. Then the club will start operating­ with some purpose.

    From PATRICK, on Sun 9 Aug 3:07PM

  9. Patrick man, we are a zillion miles from relegation­ material!
    It is a myth about the Championship; yes­ there are several very good sides in there, but there­ is also some absolute dross - we may be poor, but we­ are not as bad as people make out. Remember, there were­ 2 teams even worse than us last season; and we were­ only one goal away from STILL being a Premiership team­ . . . . . just like your mob! As for O' Leary,­ nothing would surprise me - and if we do get him, THEN­ i would worry!
    The next 2 home games will be a good­ pointer as to where our season is going; yesterday­ showed some promise (and frailties too), and hopefully­ will breed some confidence - we were playing one of the­ hot promotion favourites away from home after all!!!!!!

    From cameron w, on Sun 9 Aug 12:57PM

  10. kanespurs, i'ts nice to see some people are so­ pi55ed off because we had a decent start.
    Is their­ nothing else you could be talking shyte about instead.

    From john.connolly01, on Sun 9 Aug 12:47PM

  11. breaking news -
    multi billionare has bought out ashley­ - is prepared to invest £100m in new players­ immediately & install world class management­ team!!!

    ....if only carlsberg did toon news!

    From CARL, on Sun 9 Aug 12:44PM

  12. seen these o'bleary rumours on tv-txt???
    &­ apparently some "source" in bbc radio5 is­ saying ashley will be keeping the toon for another­ season?!?

    From CARL, on Sun 9 Aug 12:41PM

  13. kanespurs..30.... YOU NEEDS SOME SCHOOLIN BOY. YOU­ WRITES LIKE YOU GOTS NO BRAIN IN THAT THICK HEAD OF­ YOURS. YOU TALK YIBBA YABBA MAN. MAN YOU IS STUPID.­ HOLY MOLY. IS THIS WHAT THEY TEACHES IN THE SCHOOLS OF­ BIRMINGHAM? SHUT UP FOOL. i ain't going on no­ plane!!!!!!!!!

    From SHAUN, on Sun 9 Aug 12:01PM

  14. Cameron. I wasn't being flippant when I said you­ might stay up. You've got to remember that you have­ no squad, no manager and an owner with his finger­ hovering over the self destruct button.
    Is there any­ substance in this O'Leary rumour?

    From PATRICK, on Sun 9 Aug 11:55AM

  15. Comment-30
    wouldn't the world be a better place if­ non-entities such as you were 'liquidated'!

    From cameron w, on Sun 9 Aug 11:49AM

  16. oops somebody pi$$ed on comment 30's cornflakes­ -
    pathetic little tick turd

    From CARL, on Sun 9 Aug 11:35AM
  17. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    I typed in useless s.h.i.t team and this page came up!­ Your a disgrace to the Championship! This scummny team­ will soon go down to league 1 where they will further­ disgrace themselves by falling to league 2 then­ non-league THEN LIQUIDATION!!!!!! Good riddence to bad­ rubbish I say :D

    Funny how Alan useless manager­ shearer was being a rubbish analyst but not managing­ his beloved Newcastle? Some analyst. What was his­ managerial record like?

    oh yes RELEGATION!!!!

    From kanespurs, on Sun 9 Aug 11:15AM

  18. A very encouraging start, but we've been here­ before (remember OT last year?)!
    Still some glaring­ inadequacies; Collocinni is absolutely hopeless, surely­ we can get someone in on a free who is better! Jonas,­ needs to deliver better service; and as for Shola . . .­ . . . words defy me!
    Anybody who follows NUFC should­ not be surprised by Krul's performance, he's a­ class act!
    Patrick, i've said it before on here­ that Hughton deserves a medal the size of a bin lid for­ his services to NUFC; but do not let that disguise the­ fact that he is NOT manager material, and therefore we­ need a manager! As for the 'you might just stay up­ after all' comment' - tsk, tsk, tut,­ tut!
    Finally, what is also most pleasing is that this­ result has sickened all the lowlife who were waiting to­ post their poison!

    From cameron w, on Sun 9 Aug 11:02AM

  19. patrick.jewell... I don't buy it mate. It's my­ wife. She buys it. You're right though. T M O S is­ merd

    From SHAUN, on Sun 9 Aug 10:41AM

  20. patrick.jewell, his efforts are appreciated and to be­ honest I thought we would lose the game. We have sold­ players and brought in none so I expected an even­ weaker side than last season but I thought at least the­ attitude of some of the players had improved.
    Everyone­ feel free to disagree but I thought that was the best­ 90mins Smith has put in for us and it was refreshing to­ see someone battling for the shirt (Krul)
    We still have­ problems that wont be tackled until new owners and a­ manager is in place like Ameobi (I'm not sure what­ more this lad has to do to prove how bad he is but­ I'm sure now that he will finish his career with­ us) Coloccini (How could anyone ever value this lad as­ one of the most expensive defenders in the world) and­ I'm not a fan of Jonas, lots of running but no end­ product and is way over the top when trying to con the­ ref.
    First game though so it would be foolish to get­ carried away but I thought the performance was better­ than the Villa game.

    From john.connolly01, on Sun 9 Aug 10:39AM
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