NEWCASTLE UNITED 3
VILLARREAL 3
Saturday August 5, 2006
St. James' Park
Pre-season friendly game
Kick off 5.15pm

Ian Willis reports

MATCH REPORT

NICKY Butt was the unlikely hero for the Magpies as they came from two goals behind to snatch a 3-3 draw with Villarreal at St. James' Park on Saturday.

Josico gave the visitors an early lead, and after Shola Ameobi levelled, Robert Pires restored the lead before the break.

Villarreal went 3-1 in front through Rodriguez just after the hour, and it looked as though the Magpies were heading for defeat.

However Butt had other ideas, and after replacing Emre on 67 minutes he reduced the deficit with a header from James Milner's corner on 79 minutes, and was celebrating again a minute later after glancing home another flag kick from his fellow substitute to cap an impressive comeback. 

SECOND HALF UPDATES

90m Newcastle kept pressing in the closing stages, but Villarreal held on.

88m Herrera replaced Poyon for the visitors.

87m N'Zogbia passed to Ramage on the left, and his low cross was cleared by Diaz.

86m Somoza tried to get Villarreal back in front with a 30 yard drive, but his shot was well off target and it flew into the Leazes End.

84m Butt fed Milner down the right, and his cross was just too strong for Parker who had ghosted in behind the centre backs to try and get on the end of it.

80m NEWCASTLE GOAL (3-3) Butt's forward ball sent O'Brien racing away, but Pena headed the ball out for a corner. This time Milner took the flag kick from the right, and Butt was there again to glance home another header to make it 3-3.

79m NEWCASTLE GOAL (2-3) O'Brien was quickly involved, and his low cross from the left was cut out for a corner by Soriano. Milner swung the corner in, and Nicky Butt headed home from inside the six yard box. Before play resumed, Pires was replaced by Barreno.

76m The Spaniards made another change with Pena replacing Rodriguez, while Matty Pattison and Alan O'Brien replaced Albert Luque and Damien Duff for the Magpies.. 

72m Villarreal made their first change, replacing goalscorer Josico with Bruno Soriano.

69m Butt's pass to N'Zogbia saw the Frenchman drill in a low cross for Milner, but Viera managed to make the block.

67m Roeder made three more changes, with Emre, Babayaro and Solano making way for Butt, Ramage and N'Zogbia.

66m Pires did well on the left, nutmegging Solano before crossing low for Calmache, but he couldn't keep his shot down and the chance went begging.

64m Forlan threaded a ball into the path of Poyon, but Given saved bravely at the feet of the Villarreal man.

62m VILLARREAL GOAL (1-3) Calmache's right wing cross clipped of Boumsong for a corner, and when Calmache swung the ball in, Rodriguez was left unmarked to head the ball home from eight yards.

59m Forlan tried to catch Given out with a half volley from an acute angle after a ball down the right from Josico, but his effort looped over the top.

56m Carr fed Solano on the right to send in a cross for Duff, but the new boy was adjudged to have fouled Gonzalez as he leapt to try and turn the ball home.

56m Emre and Gonzalez had a ticking off from the referee after an altercation in the Villarrea half, but no cards were issued and play resumed with a free kick to the visitors.

54m Milner arrowed in a strong low cross, this time from the left hand side, and Parker got a touch but diverted the ball just over the top.

53m Milner was looking lively in the first few minutes of the second half, and his cross from the right was plucked out of the air by Viera as he tried to create another chance for an equaliser.

52m Carr's trip on Poyon stopped the midfielder in his tracks as he tried to break from midfield, and when the free kick was taken Milner did well to slide in and regain possession for the hosts.

50m Milner picked up possession from Duff and swung in a cross for the Irishman, but the linesman on the Milburn Stand side had his flag up.

49m Calmache teased Carr on the edge of the box before curling in a shot that flashed just wide.

48m Solano sent Luque away with another long ball over the top of the visiting defence, but Viera was alert and again came out to collect.

46m Glenn Roeder made three changes at the start of the second half, with Jean Alain Boumsong and Steven Taylor replacing Craig Moore and Titus Bramble, and James Milner came on for Ameobi up front. United had the first attack of the second period when Emre played a long ball to Luque, but Viera gathered.

FIRST HALF UPDATES

45m As the half went into stoppage time, Carr swept the ball out for a corner under pressure from Forlan, and after a short set-piece Bramble fouled Poyon to give the visitors a free kick a yard outside the box on the left hand side. Forlan clipped the ball in, and Bramble glanced it away for a corner on the right. Villarreal kept possession after a another well-worked short corner routine, and Given had to make another save to deny Poyon from an acute angle as the half drew to a close.

44m Given pulled off a superb save, flying to his right to tip away a piledriver from Somoza that had goal written all over it.

41m Moore and Poyon both needed treatment after a clash of heads just outside the centre circle, and players from both sides took advantage of the delay in proceedings to get some water on a warm afternoon. Play resumed with a drop ball, which Solano sportingly passed back to Viera in the visitors goal. 

38m Carr's low cross from the right saw Luque get ahead of Rodriguez, but his effort rolled wide of the upright.

37m Luque tried to launch an attack with a strong run from midfield, but after weaving his way down the left hand side he was eventually crowded out by Rodriguez and Calmache before he could get a cross in.

35m A low shot from distance from Emre was easily saved by Riera, who got down low to his left to smother the ball.

34m VILLARREAL GOAL (1-2) The visitors took the lead after a quick break following a long ball over the top. The ball sailed over Moore to Forlan, and he raced into the box down the left channel before squaring to Robert Pires for a simple tap-in.

33m Emre's lunge on Poyon gave Villarreal a free kick 22 yards out in a central position, but Forlan swerved the set piece well wide of Given's right hand upright.

32m Bramble diverted the ball out for a corner after Pires threaded a ball into the path of Forlan to cross, but when Calmache sent the flag kick into the box, Moore was able to powerfully head clear. 

30m Gonzalez had to head the ball out for a corner whne Solano arrowed in a cross from the right flank, but Emre's cross was nodded away by Josico.

27m Luque did well to rob Sanjuan and send in a teasing centre from deep for Ameobi, but the striker just failed to get on the end of it.

25m Babayaro clipped a ball over the top to Duff, but visiting goalkeeper Viera was quick off his line to gather.

22m NEWCASTLE GOAL (1-1) A foul on Duff by Josico saw Newcastle awarded a free kick 20 yards out on the left hand side of the box. Solano swung the ball in to the back post, and Ameobi rose above Rodriguez to nod the ball home from close range to get the Magpies back on level terms. 

21m Forlan's pass inside to Poyon saw the midfielder turn Bramble, but Babayaro came across to cut out the danger and clear the ball to safety.

19m Duff showed great skill to beat his marker and send Luque away down the left channel, but the Spaniard's cross was too deep for Ameobi who had raced into the middle and the ball drifted out for a goal kick. 

17m Solano had appeals for a penalty waved away when his attempt at putting the ball into the box appeared to be blocked by the arm of Josico, but Mark Halsey decided it was a case of ball to hand rather than the other way around and play continued.

14m Newcastle tried to find a quick reponse and Emre's ball to Ameobi saw the striker win a corner off Diaz, but again the visitors cleared.

13m VILLARREAL GOAL (0-1) The Spaniards took the lead when Poyon pulled the ball into the path of Josico, and he took a touch before rifling the ball into the top corner from just inside the box.

12m Solano's cross from the right deflected off Diaz for a corner, but Pires did well to head the flag kick away from a crowded penalty area.

10m A good move involving Babayaro, Duff, Emre and Parker ended up with the ball being sprayed out wide to Solano, but his cross was overhit.

8m A probing ball over the top from Emre sent Luque on the chase, but he was stopped in his tracks by an offside flag on the East Stand side.

6m Forlan had the ball in the net after a break down the left, but he was well offside and play resumed with Shay Given taking a free kick.

3m Villarreal almost took the lead when Bramble's slip let in Forlan, and when he shot through Given's legs the ball rattled off the post. Josico swung the ball back into the box, and Calmachie shot over the top.

1m Ameobi and Luque got the game underway with the Magpies attacking the Leazes End.

TEAM NEWS

CRAIG Moore was handed a place in the starting line up for the first time this summer for Saturday's friendly with Villarreal at St. James' Park.

Moore, who was given extra time off following his World Cup exploits with Australia in June, lined up alongside Titus Bramble in the heart of defence with Steven Taylor dropping down to the bench.

Celestine Babayaro was back in at left back after missing the game with PSV Eindhoven last week with a thiugh strain, so Peter Ramage dropped out, while Albert Luque started the game in attack alongside Shola Ameobi with Charles N'Zogbia missing out.

Damien Duff started his second game following his move from Chelsea, while Jean Alain Boumsong was involved for the first time since reporting back from World Cup duty with France after being named among the substitutes.

The visitors were missing Argentinian World Cup duo Sorin and Riquelme, though there were two familiar faces in their side for the Tyneside crowd in the shape of Robert Pires, once of Arsenal, and former Manchester United striker Diego Forlan. 

TEAMS

Newcastle United: Shay Given, Stephen Carr, Craig Moore (Steven Taylor 46), Titus Bramble (Jean Alain Boumsong 46), Celestine Babayaro (Peter Ramage 67), Nobby Solano (Charles N'Zogbia 67), Emre (Nicky Butt 67), Scott Parker, Damien Duff (Alan O'Brien 76), Albert Luque (Matty Pattison 76), Shola Ameobi (James Milner 46)
Subs (not used): Steve Harper, Paul Huntington

Villarreal: Sebastian Viera, Javier Rodriguez Gonzalo (Pena 76), Sanchez Diaz Jose Enrique, Diego Forlan, Josico (Bruno Soriano 73), Robert Pires (Marcos Barreno 80), Calmache, Sanjuan Alvarez, Leandro Somoza, Jose Mari Romero Poyon (Alvaro Herrera 87), Josemi
Subs (not used): Javi Venta, Mariano Barbosa, Alberto Madueno

Referee: Mark Halsey
Attendance: 20,114