Premier League - Newcastle shackle Boro
Eurosport - Sun, 30 Nov 10:03:00 2008
Middlesbrough and Newcastle United played out a goalless Premier League draw in a low-key Tees-Tyne derby at the Riverside.
Both attacks were blunted in a game that had only occasional flashes of excitement on a cold, foggy afternoon in the North-East, with Boro's Afonso Alves (pictured, left) and the visitors' Obafemi Martins providing the brightest moments.
Newcastle manager Joe Kinnear was awraded a contract extension until the end of the season on Friday, but this result leaves him with just two wins from nine games in charge and the team remain mired in relegation trouble despite climbing one place to 17th.
For their part, Boro missed the chance to leap to the top of a congested mid-table pack and stay 11th.
Newcastle were without injury-prone pair Damien Duff and Shola Ameobi, who were consigned to the treatment room with groin and ankle problems respectively.
Thirty-five miles separate Middlesbrough from Newcastle, making it one of the longer-distance derbies in British football. The lack of genuine antagonism was clear from the outset, with neither side approaching the game with much gusto.
With a quarter of an hour gone referee Alan Wiley turned down a hopeful penalty appeal from the visitors after Michael Owen's legs collapsed underneath him.
The Newcastle captain was otherwise outshone by his strike partner Martins, whose pace and power unsettled Boro.
The Nigerian hit the woodwork in the first half when he received the ball on the penalty spot with his back to goal, turned and shot. His effort took a touch off a defender and clipped the top of the bar on its way over.
Nicky Butt nearly emerged as an unlikely set piece hero just before the break, when his strike from just outside the area dipped a foot or so over the bar.
Alves was Middlesbrough's biggest threat. He narrowly failed to redirect a diagonal Julio Arca cross inside the far corner in the first half, before he headed a Stewart Downing cross over.
After the break, the Brazilian saw a powerful low shot deflected behind from the edge of the box, then had a header cleared off the line as both sides showed more attacking intent.
But the visitors stood firm, with centre-backs Fabricio Coloccini and Sebastien Bassong (pictured, right) performing impressively.
Newcastle's Danny Guthrie fired wide from close range while Martins had a long-range effort deflected just wide.
Fog surrounded the playing surface as the second half progressed, and the gathering gloom may also spread to the Newcastle dressing room.
Midway through the second half Kinnear introduced Boro old boy Mark Viduka for his first action of the season. Not a bad move, but it beggared belief that Martins was taken off instead of the utterly anonymous Owen.
Martins reacted with understandable incredulity, but he may find himself on the receiving end of some trademark Kinnear four-letter words after storming straight down the tunnel after coming off.
Boro dominated in the latter stages, and might have nicked a goal with 16 minutes left had it not been right-back Justin Hoyte on the end of Jeremie Aliadiere's service. Hoyte did not get hold of the shot properly and Shay Given pulled off a fine save to deny him.
Alves had a goal disallowed for offside, while at the other end Charles N'Zogbia threw away a great position when he ignored the unmarked Owen and went for personal glory instead.
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Comment 8 - 27 of 27
Yahoo just close this thread. Numpties like Guy embarass us real footie and real Geordie supporters. If you want a real fight go to a boxing or mma gym. Not very hard poncing about at a football match or pub or station where you know fine well there'll be two or three hundred cops to split it up.
Guy . . you're beneath me, let's move on. P.S every time you submit a comment it should just say . .INVALID . .pretty much sums you up.
Guy . . ."what's up Doc" . . . rubber ladies don't count.All the girls I've "serviced" just had a real happy look on their faces, didn't say anything about respecting me . . .you ponce.
jack torrance,you ask any lass who has been "serviced" by me and they will tell you that they respect me.get back to watching buzz lightyear and other cartoons while you tug yourself over daffy duck..this site is for men of steel NOW GO AWAY
Guy . . in the words of Buzz Light year "you're a sad, pathetic little man" Nial Quinn is one of the most respected men in football. RESPECT . . not a word that will be associated with you too often me thinks.
well jack torrance 35,000 yesterday whats happened to the other 12,000 who were at the newcastle match part time supporters me thinks..mind i wouldnt go to the match if i knew my chairman gave money to the IRA..eg. NIALL QUINN
Boro can't manage to average a 30,000 crowd even when they're in Europe . . pitiful
Guy W. get a life, I support SAFC, if you want a barney get in a ring, thought maggots like you were consigned to history . . p.s no one outside of Stockton, Billingham, Boro. . . gives a flying F++k about your team, not worth getting worked up about.
jack torrence did you enjoy your cup final yesterday,fancy having to give newcastle extra tickets just so you could achieve a decent crowd..i was looking for the frontline yesterday what happened to your boys? we came out of the train station only 30 handed and we scattered everyone,just like we do every season.long live the 80s,kenny wharton,the benches,cool vdoooshh death to the frontline and new labour
Well said 'Tad' you're a gentleman and a scholar . . but it's hard to stay cordial with tools like Cameron W allowed in cyberspace.
Cameron W "FABULOUS DEFENSIVE DISPLAY" HA HA that's why you lot pay Owen £110,000 per week is it . . to ensure fantastic defensive displays . . you brighten up the coldest, darkest winter days with your inept bulls+it, you really do.I'll raise my glass of Port to your litre of white cider, you Muppet.
Boro a small town in Europe,not a big city,think we are doing really well,we also have a manager!!!! OOps.
Cameron thats the best post you've ever done. Good on ya.
At least Boro fans have a manager though, one that they want (unlike most of us Toon fans) and one that isn't about to walk when the going gets tough. (unlike those Makem fans). Could Roy Keane be the new Keegan?? Rumours abound he's set to walk in January.
why not let the remainder of the games be played out if any of the teams go down then so be it
i realise that north east rivalries are and have always been there and always will be but lets face it there are three north east teams in the prem and long may that be so
i think that it just go,es to show that you don't need to be owned by a millionaire to have a team in the prem
you just need a fan base that will go on supporting there teams no mater what!!
i think that you need to support the team from where you were born if you took away all the fans for the likes of man utd arsenal Chelsea Liverpool etc they would not have as many fans as they have now
it saddens me to see kids in shirts other than where they were born on there backs its just a case of my team is better than your coz there at the top of the prem
i have been a fan of my home team for some 40 years or so and i will continue to support them no mater what or where they are in any of the tables
bickering do,es not help any one
if there your team support them but just think of it this way you will be putting money in the pockets of millionaires from another country and people from another town not yours the decision is of course yours
and only you can make it
good luck to all the teams in the prem
and up the boro!!!
tad
Afonso Alves is a great player , a great passer and shooter he just needs to hit the ball at the net not the opponents goalkeeper. 0-0 is 1 point earned for both sides but both did not score dissapointed they both did`nt earn the 3 points enough , they had a whole 90 mins to score but no goals. The Newcastle and Boro fans Are Silent today!
Afonso Alves is a great player , a great passer and shooter he just needs to hit the ball at the net not the opponents goalkeeper. 0-0 is 1 point earned for both sides but both did not score dissapointed they both did`nt earn the 3 points enough , they had a whole 90 mins to score but no goals. The Newcastle and Boro fans Are Silent today!
alves must start putting the ball in the net
I have said before and I shall say again, Newcastle United will be lucky to stay in the Premiership at best.
newcastle will not be relegated.
teams to go down are rovers, wba, and stoke or sunderland.
paul ince to be sacked in the weeks to come.
I do not dispute most of what you have said Garth Vader, you speak a lot of sense.
However, i must correct you on one point: i did not deny that Newcastle are in a relegation fight . . . . they are!! As for the players, i have always maintained on these pages that this Newcastle United squad is by far the worst we have ever had as far as the Premiership is concerned. Joe Kinnear is not the long-term answer, but if he can get us out of this with our Premiership status intact, then he deserves the Freedom of the City. Personally, i think it is too close to call.
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