Newcastle United v
Lillestrom
Saturday July 15 2006
Intertoto Cup 3rd Rnd (1st Leg)
St. James' Park
Kick Off 5pm

Full match commentary on Newcastle World

MATCH REPORT

NEWCASTLE head to Oslo next weekend to face Lillestrom with the Intertoto Cup third round clash finely balanced after a 1-1 draw at St. James' Park.

The visitors, who are well into their domestic season back in Norway, looked the stronger side in the first half and after Shay Given had pulled off a fine save and Celestine Babayaro had cleared a shot off the line, it was no surprise when Robert Koren gave them the lead with a deflected drive.

But United stepped up a gear in the second period, and Albert Luque curled home a fine strike from the edge of the box to level the tie.

Alan O'Brien, who replaced Luque late on, went agonisingly close to winning the game with the last kick of the match, with his last-gasp effort flashing across the face of goal and inches past the post. 

SECOND HALF UPDATES

90m - Two minutes of time were added on at the end of the game, and Alan O'Brien went agonisingly close to bagging a winner witht he last kick of the game with a shot that rolled inches wide of Muller's left hand post, leaving the match finely balanced ahead of the return in Oslo next week.

90m - Wehrman's free kick was sliced out of play for a corner by Ameobi, and Taylor did well to head away from the back post when the flag kick was curled in.

88m - Parker's challenge on Occean saw the visiting striker react angrily, but the referee was quickly on the scene to calm things down.

81m - With four minutes to go, Luque made way for Alan O'Brien.

79m - Luque went down in front of the Gallowgate End holding the back of his leg, but it looked as though the Spaniard was suffering from cramp and he was able to resume after treatment from Derek Wright.

78m - Parker's foul on Wehrman gave Lillestrom a free kick 30 yards out, and it was Wehrman who took the set piece with a curling effort that bounced just wide of Given's right hand upright.

76m - Newcastle kept on pressing as the game went into the last 15 minutes, and the goalkeeper had to be alert again when Luque drilled a ball across the face of goal with Ameobi once again looking to get on the end of it.

75m - A quickly-taken free kick from Emre sent Luque away on the right, and when his cross drifted to the far side of the box N'Zogbia whipped it back in but Muller gathered. Moments later the goalkeeper rose to catch a high cross from N'Zogbia with Ameobi lurking.

73m - Carr made a great challenge on Mifsud when it looked as though the striker was going to break free through the middle. When Newcastle broke, Charles N'ogbia's low cross was hacked away by Rambekk as Emre tried to poke the ball home from close range. When Emre's corner fell to Solano at the back post, his half volley flew into the Gallowgate End.

69m - A good spell of home pressure finished with Emre trying to chip the visiting goalkeeper from the edge of the box, but Muller was equal to the effort.

68m - Bjorn Helge Riise was replaced by Kasey Wehrman in Uwe Rosler's third and final change of the game.

67m - Rambekk was well positioned to get in the way of a shot from N'Zogbia after a clever pass from Luque, then Solano put the ball back into the box but Stefanutto cleared.

65m - Glenn Roeder made his first switch of the afternoon, replacing Milner with Shola Ameobi.

63m - Riise won a corner on the right for the visitors, but Babayaro was able to hook the ball away from inside a crowded six-yard box.

60m - Stefanutto had time and space on the left to swing in a cross, but when Riise got ahead of Bramble he couldn't get a connection and the ball drifted away. Before Given took his goal kick, Lillestrom replaced goalscorer Koren with Pal Strand.

54m - Riise shot high and wide after a good ball from Mouelhi, then Occean picked up the first yellow card of the afternoon after a late challenge on Parker.  The skipper needed treatment before he could continue.

52m - N'Zogbia played a ball in from the left to Luque, but this time his control let him down and the chance went begging.

50m NEWCASTLE GOAL (1-1) Albert Luque got United back on level terms with a great finish, curling the ball home from the edge of the box after turning Andresen. 

49m - Solano's cross from the right was headed away by Mouelhi as the Magpies looked for an early leveller in the second half. Solano swung the corner in, and when Taylor's shot was blocked the loose ball fell to Emre 30 yards out but his effort was too high.

48m - Emre reacted angrily to a challenge from Occean in front of the dug-outs, but the referee took no action and play resumed with a United free kick.

46m - There were no changes to either team as the half got underway with the hosts attacking the Gallowgate End.

FIRST HALF UPDATES

46+2m - Solano whipped the ball into the danger area after good work from Emre and N'Zogbia, but Andresen dived to head the ball away as the half finished with the visitors a goal to the good.

45m Three minutes of time were added on at the end of the first period.

45m - Occean threaded a good ball through for Mifsud as the game passed the 45 minute mark, but Given was alert to race off his line and scoop the ball up before the striker could get there.

43m - Shane Stefanutto's foul on Milner gave United a free kick 22 yards out just to the right of centre, and Emre's clipped effort looked destined for the top corner until Muller made a fine save to tip the ball away for a corner. The flag kick once again came to nothing as Lillestrom cleared their lines.

42m - Taylor made a good tackle on Occean as he tried to find a way through the middle.

41m - A free kick wide on the right from Koren was headed away, but when Lilestrom regained possession the ball was played back in for jorn Helge Riise - brother of Liverpool's John Arne - and he headed wide.

37m - Luque's through ball for N'Zogbia was overhit and Muller was able to gather. Moments later N'Zogbia played in Luque and he tried to create space for a shot with some neat footwork, but Khaled Mouelhi made a savely tackle to block the Spaniard's shot.

36m - Bramble's long ball caused confusion in the visiting box between Rambekk and Andresen, but when Milner nipped in his attempt at a lob was easily saved by Muller.

35m - Newcastle won their first corner of the afternoon when Milner put Rambekk under pressure after a quickly-taken free kick from Luque, but Emre's flag kick drifted away. 

28m - A foul by Espen Sogard on Parker gave the Magpies a free kick 25 yards out, but Solano's curler hit the wall and Lillestrom cleared.

27m - Koren drifted a free kick from the centre circle into a packed penalty area, but Anderss Rambekk's flicked header looped over the top. 

22m - Newcastle tried to find an immediate response, and Kali did well to sweep the ball away from Luque after good work from Taylor and Emre around the edge of the penalty area.

21m - LILLESTROM GOAL (0-1) Koren, who had a shot seconds earlier, broke the deadlock when his 18-yard effort clipped Taylor and looped over Given to give the Norwegians the lead.

20m - Robert Koren tried his luck from 30 yards, but his effort was high and wide.

19m - Mifsud weaved his way into the box, skipping past Bramble, Parker and Taylor before sidefooting the ball goalwards past Given, but Babayaro stuck out a boot to divert the ball away for a corner, which came to nothing.

18m - The game continued to switch from end to end, and Koren's cross was gathered by Given at his back post.

17m - N'Zogbia's low cross from the left after Babayaro's pass was too close to goalkeeper Heinz Muller, and he smothered the ball before Luque could get there.

16m - Mifsud was looking to be the visitors' dangerman, and his cross from the right was just too strong for strike partner Occean who had burst into the bos.

13m - Carr and Milner combined well on the right to feed Solano, but the Peruvian's centre was overhit and Lillestrom regained possession with a goal kick. Play quickly switched to the other end, and Given was forced to make a fine save from Mifsud's angled drive, and Taylor blocked the rebound from Robert Koren as he tried to pounce on the loose ball.

10m - Olivier Occean did well to rob Parker on the Lillestrom left, but the newly-appointed skipper recovered well to get the ball back and eventually forced a free kick from the visiting striker.

8m - Michael Mifsud did well to force his way past Carr and Bramble, but Given did well to smother the ball at his feet before he could get a shot away.

5m - Luque did well to turn Pal Steffen Andresen down the inside left channel and pulled the ball into the path of Emre, but his cross was too deep and the ball drifted out. Before play resumed, Cyril Kali replaced Winsnes, who failed to reappear after his first minute injury. 

1m - The visitors kicked off attacking the Gallowgate End, and a high boot from Charles N'Zogbia left Johan Petter Winsnes in need of attention for a facial injury inside the opening minute. He was eventually stretchered off, though there was no immediate substitution.

TEAM NEWS

GLENN Roeder handed striking roles to Albert Luque and James Milner for the visit of Norwegian outfit Lillestrom in the Intertoto Cup third round first leg game at Gallowgate.

Shola Ameobi, who has been troubled with a hip problem during pre-season training, was on the bench along with Nicky Butt who is back in the fold after returning from his loan spell at Birmingham.

Steven Taylor started for the first time since injuring his shoulder at Liverpool on Boxing Day, partnering Titus Bramble in the heart of defence.

Jean Alain Boumsong and Craig Moore were both absent following their World Cup commitments, while Kieron Dyer isn't yet ready to figure and Michael Owen is a long-term absentee with his knee injury.

The Norwegians were managed by former Manchester City striker Uwe Rosler, with ex-Boro star Jan Aage Fjortoft as his assistant.

TEAMS

Newcastle Utd: Shay Given, Stephen Carr, Steven Taylor, Titus Bramble, Celestine Babayaro, Nobby Solano, Scott Parker, Emre, Charles N'Zogbia, James Milner (Shola Ameobi 65), Albert Luque (Alan O'Brien 81)
Subs: Steve Harper, Amady Faye, Nicky Butt, Peter Ramage, Matty Pattison

Lillestrom: Heinz Muller, Anderss Rambekk, Shane Stefanutto, Johan Petter Winsnes (Cyril Kali 5), Robert Koren (Pal Strand 61), Bjorn Helge Riise (Kasey Wehrman 68), Michael Mifsud, Pal Steffen Andresen, Khaled Mouheli, Olivier Occean, Espen Sogard
Subs: Otto Fredrikson, Magnus Myklebust, Frode Kippe, Arild Sundgot

Referee: Joeri Van Der Velde
Attendance: 31,059

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