FOOTBALL Live

Saturday December 1, 2007 Finished Ewood Park

Logo 3 - Logo 1

Blackburn Rovers

  • Bentley 54’, 67’
  • Tugay 90’

Newcastle United

  • Martins 47’
  1. Brilliant Bentley downs Toon

    Brilliant Bentley downs Toon

    David Bentley stole the show with two excellent goals as Blackburn fought back from a goal down to overcome Newcastle 3-1 at Ewood Park. More

  • Live Commentary

    Time:90'
    • Blackburn Rovers
    • Newcastle United
    • 90+5' The referee's whistle goes, and it's all over! Blackburn the deserved victors after a thoroughly enjoyable second half.
    • 90+4' Milner is booked for a wild foul on Roberts.
    • 90+3' GOAL! 3-1 Blackburn! And it's all over for Newcastle. Blackburn break with Pedersen, who feeds Roberts and when he's tackled the ball finds its way to Tugay who cleverly bends the ball past Given with the outside of his right foot.
    • 90+2' Bentley wins a free-kick for Blackburn wide on the right. A relieved cheer rings out around Ewood Park.
    • 90' There will be four minutes of injury time! Tugay is down inside the Blackburn half after being caught in the face by Barton's elbow. It did look unintentional though, in Barton's defence.
    • 89' Barton crosses from the right but Blackburn clear and Beye's follow-up cross bounces out for a goal kick.
    • 88' There's a bit of argy-bargy here after Samba is inadvertently clonked on the back of the head after sliding in on N'Zogbia. Geremi curls the free-kick into the box, but it's a comfortable catch for Friedel.
    • 84' And it's nearly three! Pedersen throws himself at a cross from the right, and his header bounces just wide!
    • 82' Martins looks to get on the end of Butt's through-ball, but Friedel comes to the edge of his box to punch it clear!
    • 81' Great block by Warnock! Milner latches onto a long throw-in and lets fly but the left back throws himself in the way! Barton's follow-up goes wide.
    • 80' Great stop by Given! Roberts cuts in from the left and fires a shot towards the top-right corner, but the Irishman pushes it away!
    • 77' Great stuff from Viduka! The big Aussie dances his way into the Blackburn area and slips the ball to Barton, but the former Man City man had strayed offside.
    • 74' It's end-to-end stuff at Ewood Park! Emerton's shot across goal hits the post and sparks an almighty scramble - in which Santa Cruz's close range shot appears to hit Geremi's right arm - before Newcastle break and N'Zogbia's shot is blocked on the edge of the box!
    • 72' Newcastle make a change. And a rather glum Steven Carr, who only came on himself mid-way through the first half, is replaced by Mark Viduka.
    • 70' Tugay goes into the book for kicking the ball away.
    • 67' GOAL! 2-1 Blackburn! And it's another peach of a goal from Bentley! Blackburn break, Santa Cruz slips the ball to his right and Bentley drives in a superb right-footer that cannons in off the base of the far post!
    • 66' Mark Hughes makes his final change. Aaron Mokoena comes off for Steven Reid.
    • 65' What a chance! Milner's header into the box is mis-judged by Samba, but from close range Martins puts his header over the bar!
    • 64' Geremi sends in a free-kick from about 25 yards out, but it goes over.
    • 62' David Rozehnal goes down a bit dramatically after being pushed over by Roberts. But he's back on his feet soon enough, looking rather peeved.
    • 61' McCarthy is replaced by Jason Roberts. Bentley looks for his second with a fierce low shot from distance, but he doesn't catch it right and it skids wide.
    • 59' CORRECTION: The yellow card picked up earlier on by Barton was for a foul on Bentley, rather than back-chat, which might explain why Bentley decided to return the favour a couple of minutes ago.
    • 58' David Dunn is replaced by Morten Gamst Pedersen. Geremi sends in a shot from the edge of the box, but he slices it wide with his left foot.
    • 57' Bentley is booked for a late tackle on Barton.
    • 55' Pandemonium inside the Blackburn box! Barton charges down Samba's clearance and tries to get a shot in, but after a period of pinball the ball is eventually claimed by a grateful Friedel. This is the stuff lads!
    • 54' GOAL! 1-1! And it's a delightful goal from Bentley! Blackburn win a free-kick when Santa Cruz collides with N'Zogbia, and the England man caresses the ball into the top-right corner from 25 yards out!
    • 53' N'Zogbia crosses from the left and Martins has an open goal to aim at... but the linesman's flag is up! Replays suggest N'Zogbia was onside when the ball was played to him.
    • 52' Samba gets his head to Bentley's corner, but he's leaning back and the ball goes out for a goal kick.
    • 51' That goal has really shocked Blackburn into life, and there's much more purpose to their approach play now. McCarthy chests down a Bentley cross with his back to goal, but Beye hoofs it out for a corner!
    • 49' Dunn goes down under a challenge inside the Newcastle box, but the ref shakes his head and Newcastle hack it away!
    • 48' Joey Barton is booked. It looks like he said something he shouldn't have to the ref. Plus ca change...
    • 47' GOAL! 1-0 Newcastle! Martins breaks the deadlock! Geremi whips in a free-kick from the left, and the Nigerian gets away from his man to glance the ball home from six yards. Game on!
    • 46' Newcastle kick things off in the second half. Here's to a bit less route one and a bit more pass 'n' move...
    • 45+3' The half-time whistle sounds, after a thoroughly uninspiring first half.
    • 45+2' Dunn bursts into the Newcastle box from the left, but he's challenged by Carr and the ball goes out for a goal kick.
    • 45+1' Chance for Blackburn! Given's weak kick finds its way to Bentley, but from 45 yards out he can't find the target.
    • 44' Half-chance for Newcastle. Milner whips in a cross from the left and Smith twists to get his head on it at the near post but he can't direct it goalwards and it goes out for a goal kick.
    • 43' Oh dear! A lucky escape for Given there. His clearance cannons into Santa Cruz and balloons up into the air, but luckily for him it's an easy catch.
    • 42' Free-kick to Newcastle 35 yards out after Tugay brings down Martins. Geremi lets fly but drags his shot and it trundles out for a goal kick.
    • 40' Danger for Blackburn! Martins creeps into the home side's box from wide on the right, but he's crowded out and Blackburn clear.
    • 39' Given wins a free-kick inside the Newcastle area after Bentley clatters into him while challenging for a high ball.
    • 38' Dunn trying to create something now. He throws a step-over and shuffles into the box, but his attempted cross is blocked.
    • 37' The ball is spending an awful lot of time in the air here. It's at times like this you start to seriously question the assertion that the Premier League really is The Best League In The World.
    • 35' That's more like it! Butt bursts forward to dispossess a Blackburn midfielder and tries to catch Friedel off his line from 40 yards, but he doesn't get enough loft on his shot and it's a comfortable save.
    • 33' Not a great game so far, it has to be said. There's rather a lot of route one football being deployed, but both sides have looked capable with the ball on the deck.
    • 32' Newcastle are cranking up the pressure now. Geremi crosses from the right, but it's easily claimed by Friedel.
    • 30' Lovely play from Newcastle! Martins deftly scoops the ball over two defenders into the Blackburn box, and Smith's acrobatic volley is just off-target! That's much more like it from Allardyce's men.
    • 29' Great stuff from Samba! Smith is snapping at his heels, but the big centre half calmly sidesteps him and plays the ball forwards.
    • 28' Sight of goal for the Magpies! Martins drives a cross into the box from the left, Geremi's shot is blocked and Barton's volley bounces down into the ground and into the arms of Brad Friedel.
    • 27' A wasted opportunity for Newcastle there. Joey Barton finds Carr on the right, but he over-hits his cross and it goes out for a goal kick.
    • 25' Brett Emerton drifts inside and unleashes a shot from distance, but it flies a good few yards over.
    • 24 Steven Carr comes on for Abdoulaye Faye.
    • 22' Another superb cross from Bentley! But Newcastle scramble it clear again. The home side are starting to exert some pressure.
    • 21' Abdoulaye Faye goes off to receive treatment. Looks like he landed heavily after heading clear that Bentley cross.
    • 20' Tremendous stuff from Bentley! He beats his man down the right and whips in a superb cross towards Santa Cruz, but Mewcastle manage to clear their lines.
    • 19' Blackburn might be starting to find their rhythm here. We're starting to see signs of the slick attacking football that has been the secret to much of their success so far this season.
    • 16' Milner lashes in a half-volley from 25 yards but doesn't connect cleanly and the ball sails out for a goal-kick.
    • 15' What a miss by Roque Santa Cruz! Great football from the home side. McCarthy drags the centre half out of the way and slips the ball inside to his strike partner who has a clear run on goal, but as Given advances the Paraguayan dinks the ball over him and wide!
    • 14' Milner's free-kick thuds into the wall. Habib Beye's follow-up from 30 yards whistles inches over the bar!
    • 13' Free-kick to Newcastle on the edge of the box. Milner feeds Smith, and he turns Andre Ooijer before being dragged down by the Dutchman.
    • 11' Benni McCarthy tries to outwit N'Zogbia on the Blackburn right but the Frenchman reads it, and McCarthy concedes a free-kick by pulling him down.
    • 10' Smith is penalised for sliding in on Christopher Samba, and Blackburn win a free-kick.
    • 9' Nicky Butt upends David Dunn on the right-hand corner of the Newcastle area and goes into the book. David Bentley's free-kick has plenty of pace but it's straight at Given.
    • 7' Free-kick to Newcastle wide on the left. Charles N'Zogbia curls it towards Obafemi Martins at the back post, but Blackburn manage to clear.
    • 5' Alan Smith has changed his hairstyle again. Today he's sporting a wide blonde stripe along the top of his head that, combined with his team's colours, makes him look a little bit like a skunk.
    • 4' David Dunn sidefoots a cross into the box from the left-hand side, but it's an easy take for Shay Given.
    • 2' James Milner breaks down the left and looks to switch the play, but he gets too much instep on the pass and it curls out for a goal kick.
    • 1' The first half is underway! Blackburn are in their blue and white halved shirts, white shorts and white socks, while Newcastle - opting not to wear their away strip - take to the field sporting their traditional black and white stripes.
    • - Both sides have something to prove here after disappointing home defeats in their last games. Few could have predicted that Villa would put Blackburn to the sword in such emphatic fashion, but Newcastle's defeat against Liverpool was symptomatic of a wider malaise at St James's Park, and Sam Allardyce needs a performance today to convince the fans that he really is the man to take the club forward.
    • - Defenders Steven Taylor and Claudio Cacapa have failed to prove their fitness for Newcastle, who are also without long-term absentees Michael Owen, Damien Duff, Peter Ramage and Celestine Babayaro.
    • - With Ryan Nelsen suspended following his sending off in the 4-0 defeat against Aston Villa in mid-week, Blackburn boss Mark Hughes brings Andre Ooijer into the heart of his defence and moves Brett Emerton to right back.
    • - Referee: Martin Atkinson (West Yorkshire)
    • - Newcastle: Given; Beye, Rozehnal, Faye, N'Zogbia; Geremi, Butt, Barton; Martins, Smith, Milner
    • - Blackburn: Friedel; Emerton, Ooijer, Samba, Warnock; Bentley, Tugay, Mokoena, Dunn; Santa Cruz, McCarthy
    • - Hello and welcome to eurosport.yahoo.com's LIVE coverage of this Premier League clash from Ewood Park. Kick-off is at 15:00 GMT.

  • Team Stats

    Blackburn Rovers Stats Newcastle United
    53% Possession 46%
    14 Shots 21
    5 Shots on target 4
    0 Saves 0
    1 Corners 1
    17 Fouls 21
    1 Offsides 4
    2 Yellow cards 3
    0 Red cards 0
    22 Tackles 20
    240 Accurate passes 217
    41 Bad passes 49

  • Player Stats

    G =
    Goals
    S =
    Shots
    SoT =
    Shot on Target
    F =
    Fouls
    FW =
    Fouls Won
    O =
    Offsides
    A =
    Assists
    AP =
    Accurate Passes
    BP =
    Bad Passes
    T =
    Tackles
    • Blackburn Rovers
      G S SoT F FW O A AP BP T
      1 Brad Friedel 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 16 4 0
      4 Christopher Samba 0 1 0 4 3 0 0 27 3 4
      3 Stephen Warnock 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 18 7 3
      2 Andre Ooijer 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 19 3 2
      15 Aaron Mokoena 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 15 0 2
      19 David Dunn 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 18 4 2
      5 Kerimoglou Tugay 1 1 1 2 1 0 0 33 2 4
      7 Brett Emerton 0 2 0 2 1 0 0 21 0 1
      11 David Bentley 2 4 2 4 4 0 0 12 3 3
      10 Benedict McCarthy 0 0 0 4 1 1 0 15 1 0
      9 Roque Santa Cruz 0 2 0 1 2 0 1 23 5 0
      14 Steven Reid 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 10 2 1
      12 Morten Gamst Pedersen 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 8 5 0
      8 Robbie Savage 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      32 Jason Brown 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      30 Jason Roberts 0 2 2 1 1 0 0 5 2 0
    • Newcastle United
      G S SoT F FW O A AP BP T
      1 Shay Given 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 15 5 0
      25 Abdoulaye Faye 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 1
      4 David Rozehnal 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 18 4 3
      21 Habib Beye 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 13 3 3
      14 Charles N'Zogbia 0 2 0 1 3 1 0 22 12 2
      16 James Milner 0 3 0 2 2 0 0 15 3 3
      7 Joey Barton 0 4 2 3 4 1 0 25 7 3
      22 Nicky Butt 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 28 5 1
      20 Geremi Nijtap 0 4 0 2 2 0 1 27 1 2
      9 Obafemi Martins 1 4 1 2 1 0 0 15 1 1
      17 Alan Smith 0 2 0 4 3 2 0 22 7 1
      5 Belozoglu Emre 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      3 José Enrique Sanchez Diaz 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      2 Stephen Carr 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 15 0 0
      36 Mark Viduka 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0
      13 Steve Harper 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

  • Summary

    • 90+3' GOAL! 3-1 Blackburn! And it's all over for Newcastle. Blackburn break with Pedersen, who feeds Roberts and when he's tackled the ball finds its way to Tugay who cleverly bends the ball past Given with the outside of his right foot.
    • 88' There's a bit of argy-bargy here after Samba is inadvertently clonked on the back of the head after sliding in on N'Zogbia. Geremi curls the free-kick into the box, but it's a comfortable catch for Friedel.
    • 84' And it's nearly three! Pedersen throws himself at a cross from the right, and his header bounces just wide!
    • 82' Martins looks to get on the end of Butt's through-ball, but Friedel comes to the edge of his box to punch it clear!
    • 81' Great block by Warnock! Milner latches onto a long throw-in and lets fly but the left back throws himself in the way! Barton's follow-up goes wide.
    • 80' Great stop by Given! Roberts cuts in from the left and fires a shot towards the top-right corner, but the Irishman pushes it away!
    • 74' It's end-to-end stuff at Ewood Park! Emerton's shot across goal hits the post and sparks an almighty scramble - in which Santa Cruz's close range shot appears to hit Geremi's right arm - before Newcastle break and N'Zogbia's shot is blocked on the edge of the box!
    • 67' GOAL! 2-1 Blackburn! And it's another peach of a goal from Bentley! Blackburn break, Santa Cruz slips the ball to his right and Bentley drives in a superb right-footer that cannons in off the base of the far post!
    • 65' What a chance! Milner's header into the box is mis-judged by Samba, but from close range Martins puts his header over the bar!
    • 55' Pandemonium inside the Blackburn box! Barton charges down Samba's clearance and tries to get a shot in, but after a period of pinball the ball is eventually claimed by a grateful Friedel. This is the stuff lads!
    • 54' GOAL! 1-1! And it's a delightful goal from Bentley! Blackburn win a free-kick when Santa Cruz collides with N'Zogbia, and the England man caresses the ball into the top-right corner from 25 yards out!
    • 47' GOAL! 1-0 Newcastle! Martins breaks the deadlock! Geremi whips in a free-kick from the left, and the Nigerian gets away from his man to glance the ball home from six yards. Game on!
    • 45+1' Chance for Blackburn! Given's weak kick finds its way to Bentley, but from 45 yards out he can't find the target.
    • 30' Lovely play from Newcastle! Martins deftly scoops the ball over two defenders into the Blackburn box, and Smith's acrobatic volley is just off-target! That's much more like it from Allardyce's men.
    • 25' Brett Emerton drifts inside and unleashes a shot from distance, but it flies a good few yards over.
    • 15' What a miss by Roque Santa Cruz! Great football from the home side. McCarthy drags the centre half out of the way and slips the ball inside to his strike partner who has a clear run on goal, but as Given advances the Paraguayan dinks the ball over him and wide!
    • 14' Milner's free-kick thuds into the wall. Habib Beye's follow-up from 30 yards whistles inches over the bar!
    • - Hello and welcome to eurosport.yahoo.com's LIVE coverage of this Premier League clash from Ewood Park. Kick-off is at 15:00 GMT.

Live Team Line-Up

  • Referee: M Atkinson

  • Blackburn Rovers

    Manager: Mark Hughes

    Captain: David Dunn

    On the Field

    • Friedel
    • Emerton
    • Ooijer
    • Samba
    • Warnock
    • Bentley
    • Tugay
    • Mokoena
    • Dunn
    • Santa Cruz
    • McCarthy

    Subs

    • Savage
    • Roberts
    • Reid
    • Pedersen
    • Brown

    Injured

    None

    Suspended

    • Nelsen

  • Newcastle United

    Manager: Sam Allardyce

    Captain: Ndjitap Geremi

    On the Field

    • Given
    • Beye
    • Diagne-Faye
    • Rozehnal
    • N'Zogbia
    • Milner
    • Butt
    • Barton
    • Geremi
    • Smith
    • Martins

    Subs

    • Emre
    • Viduka
    • Harper
    • Carr
    • Enrique

    Injured

    • Owen
    • Babayaro
    • Duff
    • Ramage

    Suspended

    None