NEWCASTLE UNITED 1
ARSENAL 1
Premier League
St.James' Park
Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Craig Hope reports from St.James' Park ...

MATCH REPORT

STEVEN Taylor fired a second-half equaliser against table-topping Arsenal but United will count themselves very unlucky not to have taken all three points.

Spurred on by the vociferous backing of the Toon Army, the Geordies laid siege to the Gunners goal in the closing stages, Taylor going desperately close to grabbing his second with just seconds left on the clock.

But it was the visitors who took an early lead, Emmanuel Adebayor (4) volleying past Shay Given after controlling Eboue's right-wing centre with his chest before finishing with aplomb from 12 yards.

The Magpies could have been on level terms within 60 seconds, Geremi seeing his header whistle inches wide of Almunia's upright after getting on the end of Milner's delivery.

Taylor struck the woodwork just after the half hour mark before eventually firing a much-deserved equaliser on 59 minutes.

The industrious Barton did well to charge down Rosicky's attempted clearance with the ball running free for Habib Beye, the Senegal star dug out a cross for Alan Smith with his headed flick running through to Taylor at the far post, the Geordie defender striking first time past Almunia and into the Gunners net via the upright.

Arsenal were camped inside their own half for the majority of the remaining half hour and were lucky to escape with a point as United forced five consecutive corners in the dying stages.

And it was from one of those flag-kicks which Taylor saw his close range shot somehow deflected up and over the bar by a cluster of bodies on the goal-line.

The home side left to a standing ovation and will certainly go into Saturday's game with Birmingham buoyed by tonight's display.

SECOND HALF ACTION (click refresh for latest)

90+2min - Rozehnal catches Diarra with a high boot and the Gunners have a late chance with a free-kick on the right. Eboue takes but Given races from his line to punch clear with Mike Dean signalling the end of the game - it's a thoroughly deserved point for the Magpies.

There will be three minutes added time.

88min - The Magpies go down the other end and Viduka works a yard for shot on the edge of the area, the Aussie star takes aim but Gallas throws himself in the way to deflect behind for a flag-kick. Almunia palms Milner's delivery behind for another corner. N'Zogbia takes this time and again it's another corner as Smith's header is deflected behind. Milner crosses deep and Rozehnal heads down for Taylor inside the six-yard area, it looks like the Geordie star has got his second but somehow Arsenal deflect the ball up and over the bar. This time the Gunners do manage to clear from N'Zogbia's centre.

86min - The Gunners get the run of the ball on the left and Beye is forced to concede a corner Diarra's attempted cross. Rosicky takes and Viduka turns the ball behind at the near post. Rosicky delivers deeper this time and Given comes to fist away for United.

83min - The Geordies are pressing for a winner and Milner does well to dig out a cross from the left, Viduka is at the far post but the ball has slighlty too much weight and he is unable to turn it goalwards.

80min - Rosicky pulls back Eboue's deep free-kick and a combination of Taylor and Given clear at the near post with Arsenal bodies lurking.

76min - Geremi's last involvement is a 30-yard free-kick which skids wide of goal as he is replaced by Mark Viduka with Alan Smith dropping back into midfield and taking over the captaincy.

74min - Sagna goes looking for an Arsenal second but his left-foot shot lacks direction and drifts high and wide of the target from 30 yards out.

73min - Beye is booked for a tug on Rosicky.

71min - Geremi misles yet another long throw into to the area and Arsenal can only clear as far as the skipper who returns first time, the ball is begging to be turned into the Gunners net but there is nobody there and Amunia claims.

68min - Nicklas Bendtner replaces Eduardo Da Silva.

66min - Smith's quick thinking tries to get strike partner Martins away with a hooked pass and Almunia is forced to race from his line to hack into the stands.

64min - That incident has only served to rouse the Toon Army and the atmosphere inside St.James' is electric at the moment with the home side pushing for a second.

63min - Sagna disgracefully tries to get Smith booked when there was clearly no contact and the French full-back rightly enters Mike Dean's book.

59min - NEWCASTLE GOAL (1-1): Barton closes down Rosicky's attempted clearance on the left and the ball spins free for Beye, the Senegal star takes a touch and digs out a cross aiming for Smith on the penalty spot, his headed flick is dummied by Martins for STEVEN TAYLOR who is lurking at the back post to shoot right-footed beyond Almunia and into the Gunners goal via the upright.

58min - Milner slips the ball inside for Smith and goes for the return, the winger's is being tracked every inch of the way by Sagna and Toure, a quick double touch sees the winger escape their guard and send a low cross skidding across the face of goal, Almunia dives from his line to gather and the Gunners survive.

55min - Milner is tripped by the left-hand corner flag and United have a free-kick. Germei's whipped centre is dipping right under Amunia's crossbar but the Spanish keeper stands firm to claim.

54min - It's end-to-end stuff and Arsenal look to have broken clear as Adebayor nicks the ball away from the challenge of Rozehnal on halfway, Rosicky is only denied a clear run on goal by the pacey Beye who recovers to stop the Czech midfielder in his tracks.

50min - Rosicky drives the visitors forward and skips by Rozehnal 35 yards out, rather than shoot he slips the ball wide for the overlapping Eboue who has a crack first time, Given has his near post covered however and gathers with ease.

47min - The hosts are straight on the attack and N'Zogbia rifles a 30-yard strike towards the Arsenal target from Gallas' headed clearance, the ball zips through the Tyneside air but Almunia is tracking its every movement and gratefully clutches to his left.

Arsenal get the second half started with neither side having made any changes.

FIRST HALF ACTION

It's half-time at SJP with Arsenal leading 1-0.

One minute added time will be played.

44min - Diarra clashes with Butt off the ball and sees yellow.

42min - Milner is again tracking Sagna's advances down the right and concedes a corner on the right. Diarra takes and the ball is only half cleared before Milner again hacks behind for a flag-kick. Diarra takes from the same flank and Adebayor has peeled away from Taylor to get on the end of the low delivery but scuffs his shot well wide of the Magpies target.

41min - Barton is unlucky to enter the book for what looked no more than a shoulder barge on Gilberto on halfway.

39min - Geremi is in the thick of the action and sees his cross hacked away for a thow-in by Gallas. The skipper arrows a long delivery to the near post and Smith flicks on, the Geordies are off their seats as the ball skids across the six-yard box and away to safety.

38min - United are well on top and Geremi sends another deep delivery into the penalty area looking for the run of Taylor, the Geordie centre-back challenges in the air with Almunia and the Spanish stopper is able to gather inside his six-yard area.

34min - The hosts are pressing for that much-coveted leveller and Taylor sees a header punched onto the post by Almunia from N'Zogbia's right-wing corner. United have another flag-kick but this time Geremi's delivery drifts beyong everyone inside the area.

33min - Smith is felled by Gallas in the right channel and United have a free-kick. N'Zogbia swaps flanks to take and whips over a fantastic ball, the delivery is just too high for Taylor and too quick for Milner arriving at the far post and Arsenal have a goal kick.

31min - Sagna skips down the right-wing but Milner is tracking his every move and slides to block the full-back's cross at the expense of a corner. Eboue takes and Adebayor tries to hook goalwards, the ball loops in the air and a combination of Martins and Smith jump to clear.

27min - Gilberto comes through the back of Martins on the edge of the area and Mike Dean blows for a free-kick. Milner and Geremi stand over the ball but it is the skipper who sends a low drive under the Arsenal wall, Almunia is at full stretch to save and almost spills with Martins closing in.

26min - The Magpies try to work an opening and Habib Beye lifts the ball into Smith 20 yards out with his back to goal, the England ace chests into the path of the supporting Milner but he screws his shot wide of the target.

23min - Newcastle are camped in their own half at the moment as the Gunners enjoy a passage of attacking possession which is only brought to an end when James Milner flies in on Eboue on the East Stand touchline to win it for the hosts.

17min - Arsenal get the run of the ball in the middle of the park after a collision between Rozehnal and Diarra which leaves the Czech star in a heap, Adebayor advances into the United penalty area from the left flank and slips by the challenge of Taylor and Butt, Given is alert and dashes from his line to narrow the angle, the Arsenal striker takes aim for the corner but the Irish stopper manages to get his body in the way and forces a corner. Rosicky takes and the ball skims off the head of Butt at the near post, Adebayor is lurking and tries to stab goalwards, it looks like it could be two but the striker's effort evades Given's post by inches.

10min - Geremi is caught in possession on halfway and Diarra tries to get Adebayor clear with an early throughball, Given has read the situation and races from his line to claim at the edge of his area.

5min - That goal has only roused the Geordie crowd and United think they have found an instant equaliser as Geremi sees a header evade Almunia's upright by a matter of inches from Milner's left-wing centre.

4min - ARSENAL GOAL (0-1): N'Zogbia can only clear as far Eboue on the right-wing, the Ivory Coast star controls before lifting a ball into the area looking for EMMANUEL ADEBAYOR, the Togo striker has peeled away from David Rozehnal and controls on his chest before lashing right-footed past Shay Given from 12 yards out.

1min - The Magpies make an encouraging start with Butt and Milner setting the tone with a couple of crunching tackles.

The Geordies get the game underway attacking the Gallowgate End.

TEAM NEWS

SAM Allardyce makes just one change from the team which started at Blackburn with Steven Taylor replacing the injured Abdoulaye Faye (calf).

The England Under-21 skipper was missing at Ewood Park because of a back problem but has recovered in time to take his place at the heart of the defence alongside David Rozehnal.

Mark Viduka again has to settle for a place on the bench with Big Sam opting for a front three of Alan Smith, Oba Martins and James Milner.

David Edgar returns to the bench at the expense of the sidelined Stephen Carr (hamstring).

Arsenal are without Cesc Fabregas and Robin Van Persie (both hamstring), and Alexander Hleb (Achilles).

TEAMS

NUFC: Shay Given, Habib Beye, Charles N'Zogbia, Steven Taylor, David Rozehnal, Nicky Butt, Joey Barton, Geremi (c), James Milner, Oba Martins, Alan Smith
Subs: Steve Harper, Jose Enrique, David Edgar, Emre, Mark Viduka

AFC: Manuel Almunia, Bacary Sagna, Kolo Toure, Tomas Rosicky, Lassana Diarra, Eduardo Da Silva, William Gallas (c), Gilberto Silva, Gael Clichy, Emmanuel Adebayor, Emmanuel Eboue
Subs: Jens Lehmann, Denilson, Alexandre Song, Nicklas Bendtner, Theo Walcott

Referee: Mike Dean
Attendance: 50, 305