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Barclays Premiership - Match 34 |
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Season 2006-2007 |
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PORTSMOUTH |
2 v 1 |
NEWCASTLE UNITED |
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Benjani Mwaruwari 7
MartinTaylor 59 |
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Emre
69(pen) |
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Date: |
Saturday 14th April 2007 |
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Venue: |
Fratton Park |
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Kick Off: |
3:00pm (GMT) |
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Australian
Live TV:
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None |
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Attendance: |
20,165 |
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Referee: |
C Foy (Merseyside) |
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Read Match Preview |
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Portsmouth:
James, Lauren, Primus, Campbell, Stefanovic, O'Neil, Davis, Hughes,
Taylor, Mwaruwari (LuaLua 73), Kanu (Kranjcar 90)
Subs Not Used:
Ashdown, Pamarot, Mvuemba |
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Booked:
Stefanovic, O'Neil |
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Newcastle:
Harper,
Solano, Taylor, Moore (Onyewu 30), Carr, Milner, Butt, Emre, N'Zogbia
(Carroll 46), Duff (Luque 81), Martins
Subs Not Used:
Srnicek, Babayaro |
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Booked:
None |
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Newcastle manager Glenn Roeder
said:
"Oba Martins
had a number of chances and it was a pity he didn't take the last one in
particular because it would have given us a point. We looked a different
team in the second half after a few things were said in the dressing
room. The first half was very poor. We had to make some changes because
some players were just not doing it. We took off Craig Moore after 30
minutes because he was struggling and we thought it was right to make
the change." |
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Match Report: |
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Andy Carroll makes an impact in
the 2nd half. |
You have to say it
would take a miracle for us to qualify for Europe from this position.
This defeat was the final nail in our coffin, with our poor away form
returning to haunt us in typical Newcastle United fashion. There is
almost a sense of relief that the season is over, with just pride to
play for and the prospect of the morale boasting return of Michael Owen,
that’s all there is now left for us in this season.
Yet again we had comments in the press before the game by Glenn Roeder
and various senior players saying how this was a vital game for Europe
and how they were up for it etc, so to witness a first half performance
as poor as what we saw was extremely annoying. Far too often they talk
the talk but never come anyway near walking the walk.
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The simple fact
is we weren’t in the game in the first half and if Portsmouth were a
half decent team they would have been 3 or 4 nil up. After Martins saw
his early shot tipped over by David James it was all Portsmouth and on
seven minutes Benjani out muscled a naïve Steven Taylor to score with
Portsmouth’s first real chance. Strikers Benjani and Kanu then basically
ran riot, using their pace to cause our defence all sorts of problems
and creating plenty of chances but we did create one more chance
ourselves, when Martins had a header cleared off the line in stoppage
time.
Playing Obafemi Martins upfront by himself, in hindsight doesn’t look
like a great idea but with Emre just in behind him and both James Milner
and Damien Duff attacking down the flanks, you can understand the
theory, especially away from home. By half time Roeder realised it
wasn’t working and decided to bring on Andy Carroll for the ineffective
Charles N’Zobgia(to be far he could have chosen any one of 8 or 9
outfield players) to play alongside Martins.
The reported half time bollocking from Roeder seemed to spark us into
some sort of life, as we started the second half a little bit brighter
and not long after the break a Milner cross was met by Martins whose
header crashed off the crossbar. Despite the better start to the second
half Portsmouth still doubled their advantage. Martin Taylor picked the
ball up 30 yards out and lashed in a thunderbolt of a left-foot shot
that left Stephen Harper with no chance.
However, 10 minutes later we were gifted a penalty when Dejan Stefanovic
tripped Milner in the box. To everyone’s surprise Emre, and not Martins
or Nobby Solano, picked up the ball to take it and he coolly slotted the
ball past James. That gave us 21 minute to salvage an unlikely and
undeserved point but it wasn’t to be, with the only other real chance we
had falling to Martins who again failed to covert a good opening.
The day after this game Roeder made some comments in the
Sunday Sun about negative talk dragging down the club. Overall I
subscribe to this point of view and I’ve always been a one for looking
for positives and supporting the team where possible, especially in
times of trouble. At the same time I also accept that every fan has the
right to criticise the club if they feel things aren’t working. However
the simple fact is, if the results on the field are positive then
attitudes off the field will be positive. The vast majority of people
who are usually negative, normally go silent when the team is on a run
of positive results and this is true for every football club and not
just Newcastle United. So if Roeder wants the negative talk to stop, and
ultimately keep his job, he must start getting it right on the pitch or
he is in extreme danger of totally losing the fans of this football
club.
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AUSSIE MAGS |
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