News
NEWCASTLE UNITED 1
PORTSMOUTH 4
Premier League
St.James' Park
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Craig Hope reports from St.James' Park ...
MATCH REPORT
THREE goals inside four first-half minutes left Newcastle United shell-shocked as Portsmouth condemned Sam Allardyce's side to their first home defeat of the season.
Noe Pamarot (8) set the visitors off on their goal blitz, his unstoppable 25-yard strike flying beyond a despairing Steve Harper and into the top corner.
And, with United still reeling from the Frenchman's thunderbolt, lone striker Benjani (9) added a second, out-muscling Claudio Cacapa on the edge of the area before curling past Harper.
John Utaka (11) made it three, Cacapa again culpable as the Nigerian midfielder got the better of the Brazilian before rounding Harper and rolling into an empty net.
The Geordies pulled one back within five minutes when Sol Campbell turned into his own net after Michael Owen's low shot was saved by David James.
But, despite a brief rally after the break, Pompey made the game safe as Niko Kranjcar's 70th minute free-kick found its way into the United net via the knee of Steven Taylor.
SECOND HALF ACTION (click refresh for latest)
The fourth official announces three minutes added time.
88min - Sulley Muntari leaves the field to be replaced by Pedro Mendes.
84min - Muntari tries a low drive from 25 yards but it's never troubling Harper and he is able to gather with ease.
80min - Martins wins a corner off Johnson on the right. Emre goes across to take, Smith gets his head to the ball in front of Distin but he can't direct it on goal and it skids away from danger.
79min - Harper does well to deny Pompey a fifth as he races from his line to claim at the feet of Kanu after a clever ball from Kranjcar inside Faye.
75min - Kanu comes on for Benjani.
70min - PORTSMOUTH GOAL (1-4): Pompey have a free-kick on the left after Joey Barton tugs on the shirt of NIKO KRANJCAR. The Croat curls the set-piece towards United's near post where Steven Taylor fails to clear with the ball flying past a rooted Steve Harper for the visitors' fourth.
69min - Emre replaces James Milner.
68min - Taylor is driving United forward and his crunching tackle on Davis frees Milner on the right, the young winger whips over a dangerous cross which James spills on the edge of the six-yard box, unfortunately for United the Pompey stopper reacts quicker than Oba Martins and pounces on the loose ball.
67min - The Magpies are enjoying a good spell of pressure and Smith sees a low shot saved by James after good work by Taylor on the right.
66min - Faye sends a low pass forward looking for Martins, the Nigerian sub dummies and the ball runs through to strike partner Owen, he takes a touch before working a narrow angle for a shot but his right-footed curler from the edge of the area is easily saved by James to his left.
64min - Johnson rolls a quick free-kick down the right flank for Utaka to run onto, the Nigerian crosses first time and Bouba Diop gets his head to the ball ahead of Faye but can't direct his effort and United have a goal-kick.
58min - Oba Martins comes on for Jose Enrique and receives a rousing reception from the Toon Army.
57min - Davis is late on Barton on halfway and is shown yellow by Chris Foy.
52min - Barton and Butt combine nicely 20 yards to create space, Butt is stopped in his tracks by Davis however and Chris Foy awards the hosts a free-kick in a dangerous position. Milner and N'Zogbia stand over the ball and it's the Frenchman who takes but his left-foot curler sails over the crossbar.
50min - The next goal is going to be crucial and Pompey almost have it as Muntari breaks down the left, his cross has too much weight however and narrowly evades the head of Benjani who had ghosted into the area.
The Geordies get the second period started attacking the Gallowgate End.
FIRST HALF ACTION
It's half time at St.James' - United 1 Pompey 3
The fourth official announces two minutes added time.
42min - Enrique is checked on the left flank and United have a free-kick in a promising position. Milner takes but it's a poor delivery and Campbell heads away at the near post.
40min - Nicky Butt picks up his fifth booking of the season for a tug on Bouba Diop and will miss next week's derby clash at Sunderland.
39min - N'Zogbia works an opening 25 yards out after cutting in from the left, his shot lacks direction however and drifts wide of James' post.
36min - Smith is next to see yellow following a late sliding challenge on Sol Campbell.
33min - Distin enters the book as comes through the back of Alan Smith midway inside the visitors' half.
32min - Barton spreads the play to Taylor who is charging up the right flank, he rides the challenge of Pamarot but overuns the ball and Pompey have a goal-kick.
27min - Utaka tries an audacious drive from all of 40 yards, luckily for United it's always rising and clears the crossbar - it was a sweet strike though.
24min - Kranjcar drives at a backpedalling United defence and is only denied a shooting opportunity by a sliding Rozehnal who swipes behind for a corner. Kranjcar takes from the left and Enrique boots downfield and away for the hosts with the flag-kick evading everyone inside the area.
20min - The Geordies are pushing for a second and Taylor sees a low drive tipped around the post by David James. N'Zogbia takes from the right-wing but James races from his line to claim and Pompey immediately break, Utaka crosses from the left flank and Rozehnal hacks behind for a corner. Kranjcar takes and there is a scramble inside the United penalty area before Butt lashes behind for another flag-kick from the toe of Benjani. This time Kranjcar takes from the right side and when the ball is only cleared as far as Pamarot he tries to repeat his earlier trick but lashes over Harper's crossbar from 20 yards out.
18min - Cacapa pays the price for those early errors and is replaced by David Rozehnal.
16min - NEWCASTLE GOAL (1-3): United have one back! N'Zogbia shoots from distance and James can only parry as far as Michael Owen, he tries to squeeze the ball under the Pompey stopper but it deflects up off SOL CAMPBELL and into his own net. The goal rouses the home crowd as Owen grabs the ball from the net and races back to halfway line for the restart.
14min - Taylor wins a corner off Pamarot but N'Zogbia's delivery is headed away by Campbell.
11min - PORTSMOUTH GOAL (0-3): Another long ball forward catches United out at the back, this time it's JOHN UTAKA who gets the better of Cacapa before rounding Steve Harper and rolling into an empty net.
9min - PORTSMOUTH GOAL (0-2): United are shell-shocked! Boupa Diop punts one forward and Cacapa and BENJANI tangle on the edge of the area, the Pompey strikers gets the better of the Brazilian before curling past Harper to double the lead.
8min - PORTSMOUTH GOAL (0-1) Cacapa looses out to Muntari on halfway and the visitors break, Benjani tries a speculative shot from 20 yards out but sees his effort deflect wide for a corner. Portsmouth work it short and when they eventually do cross the ball is only half cleared to the edge of the area where NOE PAMAROT cracks an absolute screamer into Harper's top left hand corner - there was nothing the Toon keeper could've done - it's a brilliant goal.
5min - N'Zogbia danes his way along the edge of the Pompey area before teeing up Alan Smith who lets fly with a left-foot strike from 20 yards out, the ball takes a wicked deflection off Sean David and spins towards David James' far corner, the former England stopper manages to scramble across his goal before diverting the ball around the post for a corner. N'Zogbia takes but Distin heads away amid a packed penalty area.
Pompey get the game underway attacking the Gallowgate End.
TEAM NEWS
SAM Allardyce makes five changes to the side that was beaten at Reading for Saturday's visit of Portsmouth. Shay Given (groin) is ruled out with Steve Harper coming in for his seventh start of the season. Elsewhere, Big Sam has chosen recall to Steven Taylor to the Magpies line-up, with Alan Smith, Charles N'Zogbia and James Milner also in the starting XI. That means no place for Geremi, Emre, Oba Martins and Habib Beye, the latter not included in the matchday 16. Nicky Butt takes the captain's armband in the absence of Geremi, while midfield partner Joey Barton makes his full home debut. TEAMS NUFC: Steve Harper, Steven Taylor, Jose Enrique, Claudio Cacapa, Abdoulaye Faye, James Milner, Charles N'Zogbia, Nicky Butt, Joey Barton, Michael Owen, Alan Smith PFC: David James, Sol Campbell, Sylvain Distin, John Utaka, Niko Kranjcar, Papa Bouba Diop, Glen Johnson, Sulley Muntari, Noe Pamarot, Sean Davis, Benjani Referee: Chris Foy
Subs: Fraser Forster, David Rozehnal, Emre, Geremi, Oba Martins
Subs: Jamie Ashdown, Matt Taylor, Lauren, Nwanko Kanu, Pedro Mendes
Attendance: 51, 490
FACTS AND FIGURES
NEWCASTLE
1. Lost away to Reading last Saturday, but not suffered back-to-back league defeats this season, nor in 11 outings.
2. The current tally of 17 points after 10 games is their best return since the 2001-02 season, when Sir Bobby Robson's side went on to finish fourth.
3. Need a victory to total 3,500 top flight points.
4. One of two clubs unable to pick up any Premier League points from losing positions. The other club is Reading.
5. Picked up the second lowest number of cards in Premier League competition this term; 15 - all yellow. Liverpool match that, but Everton have been shown 12 cards (10 yellow, two red).
6. Yet to concede a league goal earlier than the 28th minute.
7. The lowest placed of seven clubs still holding an unbeaten home record in the Premier League.
8. Hoping to add the scalp of Portsmouth to those of Wigan, West Ham, Everton and Spurs gained in the last four league games at St James' Park.
9. Lost just one of the last eight Premier League fixtures in front of the home faithful; that being 0-2 to Blackburn on 5 May.
10. The next match after this is the Wear-Tyne derby, away to Sunderland next weekend. Thereafter three tough fixtures are scheduled; home to Liverpool, away to Blackburn and home to Arsenal.
PORTSMOUTH
1. Unbeaten in six Premier League matches. Won four and drawn two since losing 3-1, away to Arsenal on 2 September.
2. Still two matches short of their longest unbeaten streak in the Premier League of eight games, secured between 21 March and 4 May 2004, when a run of five wins and three draws was constructed in their rookie season in this league.
4. One draw short of 300 in top-flight football.
5. The current tally of 19 points after 11 games mirrors last season's return, when they went on to gain 20 points after the first 12.
6. The joint second highest scorers in the Premier League; their 19 goals is just three short of Arsenal's total.
7. One of four clubs to have won every Premier League match in which they've opened the scoring (all four matches).
8. Hoping to add the scalp of Newcastle to those of Blackburn, Fulham and Wigan gained in their last three league outings on the road.
9. Converted two penalties in Premier League competition this season, but awarded more than any other club, with the exception of Arsenal. Both have been awarded four.
10. A home fixture against Manchester City follows this, before a trip to Birmingham, a home clash with Everton and a visit to Aston Villa.
REF WATCH
CHRIS Foy - last presided over a Magpies fixture during the 3-1 defeat at Man City last month having also been in charge for the 3-1 win at Bolton on the opening day of the season.
Foy will be flanked by Mr J Devine and Mr C Sarginson.
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