Season 2006-2007

NEWCASTLE UNITED

2 v 2

MANCHESTER UNITED

Twas an entertaining game from the moment I got to the ground.  The Goat couldn't make and the bloke who sits on the other side of me was away up to Scotland for hogmanay so I had 2 spare tickets.  Me dad and uncle sharp snaffled 'em.  Any way we got to the ground.  I got through the turn style nee probs.  Me father, who knows where the fridge is, just squeezed through. Me uncle, who is the fridge, got wedged.  Did the gate stewards help him?  Did they sh!te, they where too busy laughing (so was me dad and me).  “Look at this fat sod” one said to the other.  A push from the people behind and into the stand me uncle popped.  There'll be two steward posts going if me uncle ever catches them two.

Man Utd came up here to do a job and they meant business. Giggs put a shot wide, then Saha shot was brilliantly saved by an outspread Given. Our midfield sat deep in our half to give cover to the defence and it invited Manure to push forward, to the point where they got over confident. Leaving gaps behind midfield. Dyer found a gap, latched onto the ball ran forward and tried his luck from the edge and the box. Van der Sar was up to the challenge but this spired the Toon on to push forward.  Again Manures confidence got the better of them. Milner got the ball just in side their half, skinned Neville, legged it down the wing, turned right just before he got level with their box and unleashed a proper thunderbolt straight as a dye into the top right corner of their goal.  Van Der Sar had nee chance.

Shortly after Saha was subbed off for Park (who would later prove how crap he was by missing 2 sitters). Ronaldo and Giggs then started swapping round who was going to play on the left and who was going to play up front.  With 5 mins of the half left Scholes worked and gap between himself and our goal.  Given didn't see the shot till it was too late and the game was level.  We could have been in front almost straight away if Super Sibs hadn't have headed Nobby's inch perfect cross straight at their keeper.

Half time hero of the day was Phillipe Abert, the last time he was here Man Utd stuffed us 6 – 2 and we had scored first then as well. I was hoping the same wasn't going to happen......

Sound of the whistle marking the start of the second half hadn't died out when Scholes got his second, and near identical goal to his first, Ronaldo got the ball on the left wing and all our defence seemed to run at him. He knocked the ball to Scholes, our defence rushed back (it like something out of a Key Stone Cops film), blocked Givens' view and Scholes banged it in. They should ban Mr Albert from St James' when we play Manure.

The visitors had a canny few more chances but, thankfully, their finishing was rubbish and Rooney and Ronaldo (tho he had his customary cry at the ref when he got kicked up a height) where both quiet.  Our midfield was once again camped far to deep in our half and there was very little closing down, we showed them too much respect. Had we got at them we could have won it.  David Edgars dad started shouting at him to push forward, as he was having an easy game against Park.  On 74 mins it paid off when he got on the end of a great pass from Milner.  He then tried to repeat Milners earlier wonder goal by lashing the ball as hard as he could, only for it glance off Scholes, completely fox Van der Sar and curl into the far corner.  Who cares how it gets there as long as it goes in.

The pace of the match started to slow slightly, tho it had been played at such a pace it felt like it had on been 20 mins since the game started.  The only genuine chance the remainder of the match  fell to Ronaldo, who's header from a corner was cleared off the line by a splendid reflex header from Solano.

I divint like calling a draw a  good result but we where down to the dregs (for want of a better word) of our squad and we gave as good as we got against an in form Man Utd team.

P.S.  The Manure supporters really need to learn some new songs.  Eric Cantona hasn't played from them in nearly 9 years.
 

AUSSIE MAGS