NORWICH CITY v
NEWCASTLE UNITED
Craig Fleming Testimonial
Carrow Road
Wednesday July 26, 2006
Kick-Off 7.45pm

Ian Willis reports

MATCH REPORT

NEWCASTLE United spoiled Craig Fleming's party as they won 2-1 at Carrow Road in the defender's testimonial game.

Peter Ramage opened the scoring on 21 minutes, and Charles N'Zogbia doubled the lead on 57 minutes with a super strike.

City pulled a goal back through Paul McVeigh, but United - who finished the team with no fewer than seven Academy products - held on to claim the victory.

There were bizarre scenes at the end when torrential rain was followed by a thunder and lightning storm that forced the referee to call a halt to proceedings with a minute left.

SECOND HALF UPDATES

89m Milner had an angled drive well saved by Lewis, and the referee called proceedings to a halt with a minute left on the clock as torrential rain and thunderstorms threatened to turn proceedings into a farce.

86m Craig Fleming was given a standing ovation as he was substituted three minutes from time, with Michael Spillane coming on as the replacement for the long-serving defender.

84m As the game drew to a close, Norwich made a change between the sticks with youngster Joe Lewis replacing Paul Gallacher.

82m Roeder made another switch, with Liam Atkin getting his first taste of senior action in place of Butt. Moments later Huckerby made way for Ryan Jarvis for the home side. When play resumed, Amady Faye dragged a right foot shot well wide after a good move down the right hand side.

81m McVeigh was looking lively for the home side after coming off the bench, and the City scorer tried his luck from distance with was deflected wide.

80m Milner's corner was headed onto the bar by Huntington, then when the ball was played back in by O'Brien to Finnigan the young strier teed up Gate but his effort from 12 yards was blocked by Gallacher.

78m Peter Thorne tried his luck from 20 yards with a first time effort, but Harper got down low to his right to make the save.

77m Huckerby whipped in a cross from the right after getting space from Gate, but Huntington headed clear.

75m NORWICH GOAL (1-2) A 22-yard yard from Henderson was deflected away for a corner, and Harper was forced to make two impressive blocks in quick succession to keep City out when the corner wasn't cleared. But from the second corner on the left, City got back into the game when Paul McVeigh swivelled and shot home from inside the six yard box after Doherty flicked on Huckerby's set piece.

70m Faye's weighted pass picked out Pattison, and he created space for himself before firing in an 18-yard effort that Gallacher was equal to.

65m There were more changes for both sides, with Carl Finnigan coming on for Charles N'Zogbia, while City boss Nigel Worthington threw on Paul McVeigh and Carl Robinson for Rob Earnshaw and Dickson Etuhu.

64m Milner's corner was headed on by Faye but Thorne swept the ball away, and when City launched a quick break they won a flag kick of their own which came to nothing. 

63m Norwich made their first chanesof the night when Ian Henderson replaced Andy Hughes and McKenzie made way for Peter Thorne, while Phil Cave and Paul Huntington replaced Peter Ramage and Steven Taylor for the visitors.

59m Norwich tried to find a quick response, and Safri saw a long range free kick deflected wide for a corner, which was dealt with by Harper. Newcastle immediately went on the attack, and when O'Brien pulled the ball back into the path of Milner, Dckson Etuhu did well to get in a sliding challenge before he could get his shot away.

57m NEWCASTLE GOAL (0-2) Milner's free kick was headed away by Doherty, but the ball fell at the feet of Charles N'Zogbia and the Frenchman took a touch before rifling the ball into the top corner past a helpless Gallacher.

56m A quickly-taken free kick from Butt set Milner free, and his low cross was poked onto his own post by Shackell with Pattison putting him under pressure.

55m Safri's ball out wide picked out Huckerby, and he had the time and space to get in a shot that Harper diverted around his near post for a corner. Huckerby took the flag kick, but the Magpies goalkeeper made a simple catch.

54m Butt's pass down the right sent N'Zogbia away, but theyoungster saw the ball bobble past him before he could get a cross in.

49m McKenzie had Norwich's first shot of the second period with a strike from 20 yards after Earnshaw's pass that looped over the top of Harper's crossbar.

48m O'Brien's first touch saw him whip in a good cross from the left, but Milner was the only United player in the box and the ball floated past him.

46m Glenn Roeder made four changes at the start of the second half, with Craig Moore, Matty Pattison, Alan O'Brien and Kris Gate all coming off the bench to replace Titus Bramble, Scott Parker, Nobby Solano and Stephen Carr.

FIRST HALF UPDATES

45m+1 Doherty got ahead of Milner to concede a flag kick on the right in first half stoppage time, but Ramage's header was off target as the half ended with the Magpies on top.

43m Milner was adjudged to have fouled Shackell as he latched onto Solano's ball over the top, then in the next attack N'Zogbia was clipped by Doherty and appeared to be in some discomfort as he limped away from the challenge.

40m Solano picked out N'Zogbia with a good ball after some impressive work from Milner and Butt, but the Frenchman couldn't get the ball under control and Fleming cleared.

39m Huckerby had time and space on the left to send in a cross, but his centre was too strong for Hughes at the back post and the ball drifted away for a goal kick.

38m Parker did well to toe poke the ball back to Harper after a quickly-taken free kick following Taylor's foul on Earnshaw.

34m Huckerby teased Carr on the Norwich left before pulling the ball into the path of Earnshaw, but the striker's effort curled high and wide of Harper's goal.

33m Harper came out to scoop up a through ball from Earnshaw which was intended for McKenzie down the middle.

29m Huckerby's corner was headed back to him by Bramble, and when the second ball was cleared to the edge of the box Andy Hughes could not get his first time effort on target.

27m Milner did well to turn Doherty from a pass from Ramage down the left side, and when he crossed low into the middle, Colin put the ball out for a flag kick. Solano's cross again was only half cleared, and when Parker picked out N'Zogbia his powerful drive forced a good save from Gallacher.

24m Solano's clever ball over the top sent Parker away down the middle, but Gallacher was once again alert and came out to make the block before Doherty swept the ball away.

21m NEWCASTLE GOAL (0-1) Solano's right wing corner was headed out by Jurgen Colin, and when the ball was played back out to the Peruvian by Bramble, Peter Ramage popped in when the ball clipped Doherty to poke the ball home and record his first senior goal.

19m Harper had to react quickly to gather a back header from Butt as Earnshaw tried to nip in, then seconds later the former Cardiff and West Brom striker saw an effort from the inside left channel easily saved by the Magpies goalkeeper.

18m Solano stung the palms of Gallacher with a 25 yard strike after Parker had surged forward from midfield as the Magpies pressed to break the deadlock.

16m Faye had the ball in the net after Milner swung in a looping cross from the left, but the Senegalese midfielder saw his effort ruled out for a foul on the goalkeeper.

15m Solano's block on McKenzie saw the Canaries awarded a free kick on the left flank level with the edge of the box, but Ramage was well positioned to rise above Safri at the back post when Huckerby swung the ball in.

10m Faye threaded a ball into the path of Milner who got goal-side of Doherty, but Gallacher was quick off his line to save at his feet.

8m Safri's foul on N'Zogbia gave the visitors a free kick 35 yards out, and when Solano tapped the ball into the path of Carr the full-back's low drive flashed wide of Gallacher's left hand upright.

4m Former Ipswich man Bramble, as expected, was booed by the home fans every time he touched the ball, and when he was dispossessed by McKenzie in front of the travelling fans he was relieved to see the cross overhit with Earnshaw unable to get a touch in the middle.

2m The Magpies were first to show, and Gary Doherty did well to head away Solano's free kick from wide on the right after their first attack. 

1m In true testimonial fashion, Craig Fleming was afforded a guard of honour as he emerged from the tunnel, and both sides posed for a joint team photo before City got the game underway attacking the Barclay Stand. United were wearing their new second kit for the first time, having sported the blue third kit at the weekend.

TEAM NEWS

NEWCASTLE United fielded their strongest available team for Craig Fleming's testimonial game with Norwich City at Carrow Road on Wednesday evening.

Steve Harper started in goal in the absence of Shay Given, while Peter Ramage and Amady Faye got their first taste of action this season and Nicky Butt started for the first time since the Premiership game between the Magpies and the Canaries at this venue back in April 2005. 

Glenn Roeder's bench had a youthful look about it and - Craig Moore apart - all of his substitues had turned out for the club's Academy side.

Norwich included former Magpie Darren Huckerby in their line up.

TEAMS

Newcastle United: Steve Harper, Stephen Carr (Kris Gate 46), Steven Taylor (Paul Huntington 63), Titus Bramble (Craig Moore 46), Peter Ramage (Phil Cave 63), Nobby Solano (Alan O'Brien 46), Amady Faye, Scott Parker (Matty Pattison 46), Nicky Butt (Liam Atkin 81), Charles N'Zogbia (Carl Finnigan 65), James Milner
Sub (not used): Tim Krul

Norwich City: Paul Gallacher (Joe Lewis 84), Gary Doherty, Jurgen Colin, Jason Shackell, Craig Fleming (Michael Spillane 86), Darren Huckerby (Ryan Jarvis 82), Andy Hughes (Ian Henderson 63), Youseef Safri, Leon McKenzie (Peter Thorne 63), Robert Earnshaw (Paul McVeigh 65), Dickson Etuhu (Carl Robinson 65)
Subs: all used

Referee: Kevin Wright
Attendance: 15,305

Newcastle World