Barclays Premiership - Match 24
 

Season 2008-2009

NEWCASTLE UNITED

1 v 1

sunderland

  Shola Ameobi 69 pen Djibril Cisse 32  
     
  Date: Sunday 1st February 2009
  Venue: St James' Park
  Kick Off: 1:30pm (BST)
  Australian Live TV: Foxsports 1
  Attendance: 52,084
  Referee: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire)
  Read Match Preview  
   

Newcastle: Harper, Taylor, Bassong, Coloccini (Edgar 90), Jose Enrique, Gutierrez, Butt, Nolan, Duff, Carroll (Lovenkrands 82), Ameobi

Subs Not Used: Krul, Xisco, Geremi, LuaLua, Donaldson
  Booked: Butt, Duff
   
Sunderland: Fulop, Bardsley, Ferdinand, Collins, McCartney, Edwards (Reid 71), Whitehead, Richardson, Malbranque (Leadbitter 90), Cisse (Chopra 55), Jones

Subs Not Used: Colgan, Murphy, Yorke, Healy
  Booked: Bardsley, Richardson, McCartney, Ferdinand
     
 

Post Match Comments:
Newcastle manager Joe Kinnear:
"There were turning points in the game and I don't think - again - the big decisions have gone our way, but that's the way it is going for us at the moment.

We were camped in their half for most of the game and so I have to be heartened by our character today, very much so.

As for transfers before tomorrow, I've got two players lined up who we've been speaking to and I'm confident we will get those in.

And as for outgoings, we're waiting on Shay Given and Charles N'Zogbia's situations. There's a sticking point over Given's move to Manchester City, with a lot of haggling going on, so we will have to wait and see on both of those two. I hope they go through soon, though, so I can go and spend that money."

On Kevin Nolan:
"He did very well. I restricted him a little bit - I bought him to come and score goals but because of the injury situation that we had, I wanted him and Butty just to sit and break up their attacks, get the ball wide and get the two full-backs pushing on as much as possible.

But nevertheless, I think he did exceptionally well. He still got himself forward, he's a player who I think has scored 50 or 60 goals in his career and we haven't got one of those players so he will obviously get a license to push forward and score goals."

Sunderland boss Ricky Sbragia:
"It was a fast and furious match between two very open teams. We had the better of the first half but we really needed the second goal to kill the game.

Credit to Newcastle, though, they dominated the second half. However, I don't think their's was a penalty - Taylor has played the five card trick and the officials have bought it.

Still, even though we could have snatched the win at the end, I think a draw was probably the fair result."

 
     
  BBC Sport Player Rater man of the match:
Sunderland's Djibril Cisse 7.91 (on 90 minutes)		  
     
 



 

  
  Match Report:  
  Shola Ameobi's 50th Newcastle United goal saved the Magpies from an embarrassing double defeat at the hands of sunderland.

The 1-1 draw did neither side many favours in their respective relegation battle.  Newcastle moving up to 15th and two points off the bottom, while sunderland are now four points outside the relegation zone.

The mackems had the better of the first half, with Newcastle failing to create many real chances apart from a Andy Carroll header that hit the crossbar, and the mackems took the lead when Djibril Cisse scored the opener following a mistake from Fabricio Coloccini.

In the second half saw the Magpies show some fight and spirit.  The left side combination of Jonas Gutierrez and Jose Enrique were causing the sunderland defence plenty of trouble, however their final ball rarely lived up to their hard work.

When Steven Taylor was 'up ended' by Steed Malbranque in the box referee Howard Webb controversially pointed to the spot.

In the absence of regular penalty takers Michael Owen and Joey Barton, Shola took the responsibility and slotted home a very well taken penalty under pressure.

A frantic end-to-end game could have gone either way, with Michael Chopra wasted a golden opportunity when he over hit his pass and Andy Carroll had a goal disallowed after a Shola foul.

Not the result the Toon Army wanted but after going 0-1 down and again playing below bar, a draw is something at least, however, this battle is a taste of what is coming up in the final thirteen games.

On our sour note sadly after the game 20 arrests were made following trouble outside Newcastle's central station.

A Northumbria Police spokeswoman said: "Disappointingly, arrests were made over the course of the day for offences of assault, disorder and drunkenness, including one for going on the playing area.

"There were additional arrests made outside the Central Station area after a very large group of Newcastle fans gathered intent on causing trouble post-match."

Ch Supt Neil Mackay added: "The overwhelming majority of fans were well-behaved and wanted nothing more than to attend the match free from the fear of violence, disorder or other crime.

"I wish to apologise for the inconvenience caused to decent members of the public when dealing with the idiots gathered outside Central Station intent on attacking Sunderland fans and police officers."
 		  
 

AUSSIE MAGS By Row 'S' Army