Barclays Premiership - Match 8
 

Season 2008-2009

NEWCASTLE UNITED

2 v 2

MANCHESTER CITY

  Shola Ameobi 44
Richard Dunne 63 (og)		 Robinho 14 pen
Stephen Ireland 86		  
     
  Date: Monday 21st October 2008
  Venue: St James' Park
  Kick Off: 8:00pm (BST)
  Australian Live TV: Foxsports 1
  Attendance: 45,908
  Referee: Rob Styles (Hampshire)
  Read Match Preview  
   

Newcastle: Given, Beye, Taylor, Coloccini, Bassong, Geremi, Guthrie, Butt, Duff, Martins (N'Zogbia 72), Ameobi (Carroll 79)

Subs Not Used: Harper, Cacapa, Jose Enrique, Xisco, Edgar
  Booked: None
  Sent Off: Beye (12)
   

Man City: Hart, Richards (Onuoha 58), Ben-Haim, Dunne, Garrido (Sturridge 83), Wright-Phillips, Kompany, Hamann (Evans 64), Ireland, Jo, Robinho

Subs Not Used: Schmeichel, Elano, Fernandes, Berti
  Booked: Garrido, Kompany
     
 

Post Match Comments:

 Newcastle interim manager Joe Kinnear:
"It was a fantastic performance from 10 men. I couldn't ask for more.

We were totally committed, played some decent football and created more of the clear-cut chances.

I thought we'd just about hold on but there were a lot of tired legs. The good thing was we didn't get beaten and we've come out of it with a lot of credit and a point."
Listen to what Joe Kinnear has to say in full

Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given said:
"A couple of weeks ago the place was extremely flat, to say the least.

Against Everton we fought back well, and we gave a great performance tonight and we deserve a lot of credit for that.

The spirit is pretty good in the camp and the fans got right behind us tonight as well. Things are starting to pick up.

Eyebrows were raised when Joe got the job but he's very positive about what he wants and he doesn't really care what other people think. We've all dug deep for Joe and for the football club, to get it moving in the right direction.

Maybe a few weeks ago we weren't looking forward to the next game so things have turned full circle and there's a good buzz around the place again."

Manchester City boss Mark Hughes:
"We played some good stuff in the opening period, creating chances with the angles of our runs and we were in good shape.

I expected us to go on and win the game comfortably. But the sending off seemed to help them. We found it easier to open them up when it was even player-wise.

We had to dig in and get back into the game. But we'll look back on this game and performance as three points lost."
Listen to what Mark Hughes had to say in full

  
     
  BBC Sport Player Rater man of the match:
Newcastle United's Shola Ameobi 7.29 (on 90 minutes)		  
     
 



 
     
  Match Report:  
  A late Stephen Ireland goal for Manchester City in the 86th minute, dramatically earned the visitors a 2-2 draw in a thrilling match against Newcastle United at St James’ Park on Monday night.

The game started in controversial style, with referee Rob Styles awarding a penalty to Man City on 12 minutes, following a last ditch challenge by Newcastle defender Habib Beye on Robinho.

Despite his poor positioning on the field at the time, Styles did not hesitate to award the penalty and send off the Senegalese international right back.  With replay’s showing that Beye clearly had won the ball, and given the fact that Styles’ choose not to consult his assistant referee, this infuriated the Newcastle players, especially goalkeeper Shay Given, who had a clear view of the incident.

To rub insult into injury, Brazilian striker picked himself up and coolly slotted home the penalty to give City a 0-1 lead.

This incident sparked both the Newcastle players and fans into life, with the Toon Army giving a constant rousing support for the rest of the half, and their Black & White heroes digging deep to rally and take the game to City with 10 men.

Interim manager Joe Kinnear dropped Geremi back to fill in for Beye, and moved Obafemi Martins out to the left wing, leaving Shola Ameobi alone upfront where he battled hard to cause the City defence problems.

Newcastle’s effort and determination was rewarded 2 minutes before the interval.

Martins swung a cross in but, as City captain Richard Dunne cleared, the ball deflected off Vincent Kompany and Ben Haim into the path of Ameobi who chested the ball forward in-between two defenders and sliced the ball past goalkeeper Joe Hart.

No changes were made at the break, and with Newcastle competing well, City were restricted to a couple of long-range efforts.

On 63 minutes, the Magpies took a deserved lead.  Geremi swung over a dipping corner and, as the ball arched rapidly towards his feet, Dunne failed to adjust his body and volleyed the ball into the top corner of his own goal.

That forced Manchester City manager Mark Hughes to bring on Ched Evans for Dietmar Hamman, and the young Welsh striker immediately forced Steven Taylor into a superb block to deflect a shot over the bar.

Kinnear made a defensive substitution in the 72nd minute, bringing Charles N'Zogbia on for Martins, and though City continued to threaten, it seemed Newcastle might hold on for an unlikely win.

With four minutes remaining City's one-man advantage told, Ireland latched onto Robinho's through-ball to slip it past the on-rushing Given to break the Geordies hearts, whom were attempting to win it’s first game under Joe Kinnear and move out of the bottom three. 		  
 

AUSSIE MAGS By Row 'S' Army