COVENTRY CITY 2
NEWCASTLE UNITED 3
Carling Cup Second Round
Ricoh Arena
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Kick-off 7.45pm

Craig Hope reports from Ricoh Arena ...

MATCH REPORT

SKIPPER Michael Owen was the Newcastle United match-winner for the second game in a row as he came from the bench to net the crucial strike in a five-goal thriller which took extra-time to separate the sides.

The Magpies were two goals to the good thanks to Charles N'Zogbia (21) and James Milner (38) when Clinton Morrison produced a top-drawer finish in first-half injury time to halve the deficit.

Kevin Keegan's men looked to have held on to that slender lead to book their place in the Third Round until City captain Scott Dann popped up in the 93rd-minute to connect with Anor Gunnarsson's long throw and head beyond a rooted Shay Given.

And so the match went to an additional 30-minute period with hitman Owen pouncing in the 97th minute as he finished past Andy Marshall after being played in on goal by Jose Enrique.

It was a pulsating affair and the hosts could've snatched another leveller when Elliott Ward sent his header smashing against the crossbar.

SECOND-HALF EXTRA-TIME UPDATES (click refresh for latest)

That's it! A huge sigh of relief as Michael Owen's extra-time winner books the Magpies place in the Third Round.

118min - This one is going to go right to the wire and the Magpies survive another late scare as Given spills Simpson's low strike, Morrison is steaming in but the Irish stopper manages to scramble the rebound to safety.

115min - Butt, who clearly wins the ball, is adjudged to have fouled Gray on the near touchline and City have a free-kick. Ward is flagged offside from Simpson's deep delivery and United are able to regroup.

111min - Milner has been outstanding tonight and wins a corner once again through his infatigable work-rate. His far-post delivery is headed to safety by Ward.

107min - It's getting sloppy and a couple of unforced errors are creeping into the game, Habib Beye loosing the ball in a dangerous position before fouling Gray on the right. Simpson whips in the free-kick but no Sky Blue body can get a touch and the ball flashes away for a goal kick.

The Geordies get us started with one last period of 15 minutes left to play.

FIRST-HALF EXTRA-TIME ACTION

105+1min - City rattle the crossbar as United survive an injury-time scare with Elliott Ward crashing his header against the woodwork after the visitors had failed to clear a deep corner.

102min - Given is at full stretch as he flings himself low to his right to palm Simpson's goal-bound drive around the post. Like the majority of corners this evening it's a poor delivery and United clear.

99min - This game could still go either way and when the Magpies fail to clear from another long thow it's Gray who is unlucky not to find an instant replay as his shot skids wide of Given's upright with the keeper static.

97min - NEWCASTLE GOAL (2-3): City fail to clear an N'Zogbia corner to the safety of the opposition half. Enrique seizes the loose ball 40 yards out and clips a delightful pass over the top for skipper MICHAEL OWEN to race on to, the Toon No.10 takes a touch before finishing side-footed past the on-rushing Marshall to restore United's advanatge.

95min - Bassong is forced to hurry his clearance and boots into the stands at the expense of a corner with Mifsud breathing down his neck. City have been buoyed by that late equaliser with the home crowd roaring their team now. Coloccini heads clear Gray's corner.

93min - City have used all of their substitutes now but midfielder Gunnarsson is flat out on the far touchline with what looks like cramp.

The Sky Blues get us started again here at the Ricoh Arena.

SECOND-HALF ACTION

There'll be an extra 30 minutes as United and City regroup on this nearside touchline.

90+2min - COVENTRY GOAL (2-2) Unbelievable! City win a throw in high on the right which Gunnarsson jettisons into the penalty area, skipper SCOTT DANN is arriving at pace to head low into the bottom corner with Shay Given rooted to the spot.

90+1min - Simpson's cross looks like catching out Given but the Irish stopper backpedals to claim underneath his crossbar.

There will be two minutes added time.

88min - Robbie Simpson replaces Jay Tabb with one last throw of the dice for City.

87min - Owen's first sniff of goal comes as he heads N'Zogbia's free-kick wide from a difficult angle.

86min - Danny Fox sees yellow for an earlier challenge which upended Nicky Butt on halfway.

82min - Owen's neat link-up play gives N'Zogbia the chance of a shot as he makes strides into the penalty area, it's a low, stinging strike but Marshall again uses his legs to save.

81min - Given has to be careful as he watches Mifsud's deflected effort from 20 yards out into the safety of his arms.

80min - The game has died down a little compared to the pulsating pace of the opening hour.

Attendance tonight is 19, 249.

77min - United have a corner on the right. N'Zogbia's ball is low and easy for City to clear.

75min - Here's Michael Owen with the Magpie skipper replacing Geremi.

74min - Leon McKenzie makes way for Julian Gray.

70min - Gunnarsson's long throws are beginning to cause problems - the Iceland international twice arrowing deep into the penalty area from otherwise safe positions midway inside the United half.

66min - Marcus Hall is booked for a cynical trip on N'Zogbia. Geremi's free-kick comes off the head of Ward and loops away for a corner. Milner's ball is poor and City hack to safety at the near post.

65min - N'Zogbia's purposeful burst forward results in Guthrie being freed on the left, the midfield man checks inside his man to make space for the shot and sees his drive deflect away for a corner. Milner works short to Enrique but when the cross eventually comes City are able to deal with it.

64min - Michael Doyles replaces Guillaume Beuzelin.

62min - Milner, faced with two City defenders on the right, darts between both challenges and into the penalty area, the angle has opened for the shot and his low daisy-cutter is kept out by the knees of Marshall who falls to the turf to save at his near post.

58min - Marshall again comes to the rescue as he palms a deflected Beye cross over the crossbar with the ball dropping from the sky and headed for the back of the net. Nothing comes of Milner's corner.

55min - Gutierrez looks to have sprung N'Zogbia clear with what looks like a fantastic ball, the Frenchman is covering the ground at a rate of knotts to get there but Marshall is alert to the danger and rushes from his goalmouth to boot to safety.

52min - It's end to end stuff here and United have a corner on the left after Gutierrez's whipped centre is headed behind by the diving Elliott Ward at the far post. Milner crosses but Marshall shows a commanding presence to race from his line and claim.

50min - Milner is denied a second when his low strike is saved by the legs of Marhsall, Enrique retrieves before standing up a cross for Geremi to attack at the far post, Fox wins from the United man but can only head as far as the unmarked Guthrie who arrives at pace on the edge of the area before lashing wildly into the stands.

47min - The visitors have an early corner as Geremi's low cross is turned behind by Fox. Geremi's deep cross is only half cleared but when the ball is worked back to the Cameroon star he is flagged offside.

United get the second period started with neither side having made any changes.

FIRST-HALF ACTION

That's it, half-time here with City right back in it thanks to Morrison's strike right on the stroke of the break.

45+1min - COVENTRY GOAL (1-2): The hosts are back in this as CLINTON MORRISON produces a finish of the highest order to curl above and beyond Shay Given from the edge of the area after United had failed to clear the danger from a swift City breakaway.

42min - The Geordies are piling on the pressure here with City firmly on the back foot.

38min - NEWCASTLE GOAL (0-2): JAMES MILNER spins away from Ward with a razor-sharp turn midway inside the City half. The forward weighs up his options before delivering a cross-cum-shot from the right which catches out keeper Marshall with the ball bouncing beyond his dive and into the far corner.

37min - City are beginning to come out of their shell and win successive corners with Butt heading clear Fox's second from the right.

31min - N'Zogbia this time turns provider for Milner with a neat pull-back from the touchline, the United forward lets fly with what looks like an unstoppable strike but Dann shows an admirable disregard for his safety as he throws his body in the way to divert behind for a corner. The flag-kick is eventually worked to N'Zogbia on the left who again pulls back for Milner with Fox the man who this time deflects his shot away for yet another corner. City clear Geremi's delivery but United quickly recycle possession and the ball is worked to N'Zogbia just inside the area, he darts by Elliott Ward and it looks like he is tripped by the former West Ham defender but the referee waves away penalty protests - that looked like a blatant spot-kick from here!

28min - Milner races forward and takes aim with a left-foot shot, the ball is always arcing wide and City have a goal kick.

27min - Enrique looks for Geremi with an incisive near-post cross, it's a good knock but Ward has read the ball and heads clear.

24min - N'Zogbia wins a corner on the left when his cross cannons behind off Hall. Milner's in-swinger is headed away for another flag-kick by Morrison back on defensive duty at the near post. This time it's worked short but nothing comes of Enrique's far post delivery.

21min - NEWCASTLE GOAL (0-1): Gutierrez and Milner exchange passes on the left with the Argentine freeing his team-mate, the young winger bursts into the penalty area before cutting sharply back for CHARLES N'ZOGBIA who stabs home from close range with two City defenders in close attendance.

21min - Mifsud goes looking for the opener and is unlucky not to find it as his low dig from 20 yards is kept out by Given.

19min - Bassong has to be on his toes to deal with a long pump downfield, the French debutant showing a turn of foot to snuff out the threat with the pacey Mifsud breathing down his neck.

15min - City double up on Milner on the right with the winger's cross blocked and charged behind for a corner by a combination of Fox and Ward. N'Zogbia's centre is better but Marshall comes to claim with ease amid a crowded penalty area.

12min - United have a free-kick after Gunnarsson goes in high on N'Zogbia. It is the Frenchman who dusts himself off to take but blazes high into the Coventry Evening Telegraph Stand - it's a wild effort.

9min - The Magpies have their first flag-kick as Tabb robs N'Zogbia just outside the area with the ball skidding away for a corner. N'Zogbia's delivery is poor and is cleared at the near post. However, the Magpies quickly win back possession before working the ball wide to Coloccini has stayed in the City danger zone, he drops a shoulder to work space for the shot inside of Hall but his strike veers well wide of Marshall's target and away for a goal kick.

5min - The Ricoh Arena erupts into noise as Mifsud wins a corner from Enrqiue. Fox crosses deep and N'Zogbia heads behind at the far post. Fox switches flanks to take, Nicky Butt is first man there at the near post to chest down and clear.

2min - Gunnarsson propels a misile of a throw into the United danger zone, it's travelling at pace but Nicky Butt deals with the threat and heads clear.

The Toon Army are here in number with what looks like about 3,500 Geordies away to our right. It'll be the hosts to get us underway with United sporting their new purple away shirt with white shorts and white socks.

TEAM NEWS

KEVIN Keegan makes three changes from the side which beat Bolton Wanderers 1-0 at St.James' Park on Saturday.

In comes Jose Enrique, Geremi and Sebastien Bassong with the French defender making his United debut.

Making way are centre-back Steven Taylor, who drops down to the bench, and injured strikers Oba Martins (groin) and Damien Duff (knee).

Charles N'Zogbia moves into midfield with Jonas Gutierrez likely to partner James Milner in attack.

Michael Owen, the match-winner against the Trotters, is again named among the substitutes as he continues his return to full fitness following a niggling calf problem.

Teenage forwards Ryan Donaldson and Nile Ranger, who signed from Southampton this summer, are also included among the Magpie subs.

TEAMS

CCFC: Andy Marshall, Marcus Hall, Danny Fox, Elliott Ward, Scott Dann (c), Guillaume Beuzelin, Aron Gunnarsson, Leon McKenzie, Michael Mifsud, Clinton Morrison, Jay Tabb
Subs: Danny Ireland, Michael Doyle, Julian Gray, Ben Turner, Robbie Simpson, Kevin Thornton, Jordon Clarke

NUFC: Shay Given, Habib Beye, Jose Enrique, Fabricio Coloccini, Sebastien Bassong, Nicky Butt (c), Danny Guthrie, Geremi, Charles N'Zogbia, James Milner, Jonas Gutierrez
Subs:  Michael Owen, Steve Harper, Steven Taylor, David Edgar, Ryan Donaldson, Nile Ranger

Referee: A Bates
Attendance: 19, 249