Barclays Premiership - Match 32

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Season 2008-2009

STOKE CITY

1 v 1

NEWCASTLE UNITED
  Abdoulaye Faye 33 Andy Carroll 81  
     
  Date: Saturday 11th April 2009
  Venue: Britannia Stadium
  Kick Off: 5:30pm (GMT)
  Australian Live TV: Foxsports 3
  Attendance: 27,382
  Referee: Chris Foy (Merseyside)
  Read Match Preview  
   

Stoke: Sorensen, Wilkinson (Kelly 90), Shawcross, Abdoulaye Faye, Higginbotham, Lawrence, Delap, Whelan, Etherington (Pugh 80), Fuller, Beattie (Cresswell 73)

Subs Not Used: Simonsen, Olofinjana, Tonge, Sonko
  Booked: Etherington, Wilkinson, Fuller, Lawrence
   
Newcastle: Harper, Edgar, Bassong, Beye, Ryan Taylor, Guthrie (Gutierrez 63), Nolan, Butt, Duff, Owen, Ameobi (Carroll 70)

Subs Not Used: Krul, Coloccini, Smith, Geremi, Ranger 
  Booked: Bassong, Ryan Taylor
     
 

Post Match Comments:
Newcastle manager Alan Shearer said:
"I told them at half-time that we had to move Stoke around a little bit because while they are standing still they are comfortable because they are big, strong lads.

There was a bombardment after five minutes of the second half but we handled that well and we came out and we played our game and imposed ourselves on them.

I suppose if I am greedy I thought we were going to go on and get three points because we have got some big lads in our team as well.

One of the reasons we played two or three extra big ones was to handle the threat of Fuller and Beattie and I thought our back three were brilliant.

I thought the spirit in the second-half was terrific and I've told the lads we must now take that into the rest of the season.

I thought we showed great character to bounce back, equalise and then take the game to Stoke.  I told Andy in midweek that he had a big part to play. I also told him he had to show hunger and desire - he did and then got a point for us by scoring."
Watch Alan Shearer speak after the match

Obafemi Martins was quoted in the Guardian afterwards:
"I understand why the manager was frustrated because he had to change his plans.

But I woke up in so much pain that I knew I could not give 100%, so I decided I couldn't play. I didn't want to let the team down.

And, with so many important games coming up, I needed to think about staying fit for the future."

Stoke manager Tony Pulis said:
"We are disappointed. I think we did enough during the game. 

Everyone will talk about the last 15 minutes in which I thought Newcastle came into the game more.

But, for the other 75, I thought we were smashing. We are just desperately disappointed that we didn't score another goal in that period. I think we'd have gone on and won the game comfortably.

I thought in the first ten minutes of the second half we had loads of opportunities with the ball going into the box and dropping. You are just wondering how they don't hit the back of the net.

The big disappointment is that, when you are on top, you have to score your goals. One goal is not enough sometimes at this level. 

You are playing against good sides who will have a period of the game. Theirs came in the last ten or 15 minutes. But don’t let anyone kid themselves. I thought we were the better team today over the 90 minutes."
Watch Tony Pulis speak after the match

  
     
  BBC Sport Player Rater man of the match:
Stoke's Rory Delap on 7.69 (on 90 minutes)		  
     
 

 
  Match Report:  
  Super sub Andy Carroll earned Newcastle United a vital point away to Stoke City on Saturday. The 20 year-old Gateshead born striker came off the bench to power in a 81st minute header to the level the game at 1-1.

Newcastle manager Alan Shearer made five changes to the team that lost to Chelsea last week, out due to injury went Jose Enrique, Peter Lovenkrands and Obefemi Martins, whilst Argentinean duo Jonas Gutierrez and Fabricio Coloccini were relegated to the bench.

Their replacements were young defender David Edgar, the fit again Sebastien Bassong, plus Danny Guthrie, Damien Duff and Shola Ameobi.

The first half saw Stoke City take the lead through former Magpie defender Abdoulaye Faye, his well directed 33rd minute header from a corner exposing some poor marking in the Newcastle defence. The guilty party this time was Shola Ameobi who lost his man in a crowded box, however, the corner itself was controversial as replays showed the ball last touched Stoke forward Ricardo Fuller and not Newcastle defender Habib Beye on its way out.

The predicated aerial bombardment by Stoke was prominent in the first half, as the visitors struggled to create any meaningful attacks, but Newcastle’s reshuffled defence (the goal apart) coped well enough with Stoke’s long balls, various corners and Rory Delap’s long throw-ins.

The start of the second half saw the more of the same from Stoke as Newcastle’s season looked to be fading away in a whimper.

But the introduction of Gutierrez for Guthrie on 63 minutes caused Newcastle to commit a few more men forward, however, not until the 70th minute when Carroll came on for Ameobi did things look better for the Geordies as they reshuffled back to a more traditional 4-4-2.

Gutierrez, who looked to have benefited from some time on the bench, was lively and started to cause the Stoke defence some problems. On 78 minutes, his far post cross was met by Carroll but his header went just wide with keeper Thomas Sorensen beaten.

Next it was a Duff left-wing cross that found Carroll, the big striker rose above everyone in the box to send a powerful header into the back of the net, much to the delight of the travelling Toon Army.

The remaining 10 minutes saw Newcastle find some extra spring in their step and the visitors looked the more likely winners, but a second goal could not be found and it finished 1-1.

Newcastle United manager will be the happier of the two managers, whilst his team did not perform as he would have liked, he will be pleased with the way they responded in the second half to earn what could be a valuable point.

It is not about performances at this stage of the season it is about points, and after earning their first points under Shearer, the Toon Army will take some heart into the remaining massive 6 games of the season.

 		  
 

AUSSIE MAGS By Row 'S' Army