Newcastle United 5 Cardiff City 1
St. James' Park, 5/Feb/10, KO 7:45, WTCTSDTD. Att. 44,028
What an absolutely magic night eh? After stuttering along through January, we got our promotion push right back on track with the best performance of the season against a Cardiff side that many thought might end our unbeaten home record.
Injuries to Collocini, Butt and Smith saw ‘One Size’ Fitz Hall, Gutierrez and Best come in while Simpson returned at right back for Kadar and you could have been forgiven for thinking the Friday half day finishes had done strange things to your head in an opening fifteen minutes that absolutely blew everyone, Cardiff included, away.
We were ahead inside two minutes as a long corner was helped back into the box by ‘One Size’ to be bundled home by Carroll. Hall’s signing hardly set the pulses racing and he had the baggiest pair of shorts we’ve ever seen at NUFC but he was excellent all night and the goal set the tone for the rest of the game. We were two ahead just a couple of minutes later when Routledge (a man who runs fast! In our midfield! Brilliant!) laid a lovely through ball on to Carroll. He hit the post but the ball came back off their defender and into the open goal.
Cardiff looked totally shellshocked but almost pulled one back immediately when a portly McCormack caught a beautiful volley but saw his effort crash back off the bar with Harper beaten. With less than 15 minutes on the clock though, we were in a state of total delirium when Carroll made it three with the goal of the game.
Simpson marked his ‘proper’ debut by putting over a great cross and Carroll absolutely bulleted the header past the keeper. The poor bloke had it bad enough by having to wear a shocking pink ensemble and here he was fishing the ball out of the net for the third time with the whole ground going nuts. Magic.
Carroll was, to coin a modern footballing cliché, unplayable for the first half, winning everything in the air and giving their centre halves no peace at all.
Despite being an excellent finisher on his day, this was Andy Carroll at his best – bullying defenders and generally putting himself about. The SJP crowd were loving it, if a little bit stunned by what was unfolding but Cardiff nearly scored when a cross floated over Harper and onto the bar but we went in three up and bouncing.
We started the second half slower and Best was replaced by Lovenkrands after an OK debut – his touch was pretty good and he seems very keen – and the introduction of the Scottish sounding Danish gadgie kicked us on another gear. He made it four with twenty minutes to go, latching on to another Routledge through ball to slot past the keeper with their defence stood stock still. Routledge again nearly turned provider when a beautiful deep cross was just about scrambled clear but we weren’t done yet.
Lovenkrands got his second and it was a cracker – cutting in from the wing to curl a great shot past the keeper via the post. They grabbed a consolation but it wasn’t from Michael ‘I won’t celebrate’ Chopra with Wildig doing the honours. It hardly took the gloss off what was an exceptional performance and a very important win, nay hiding of the side that is currently the best of the rest outside the top three.
All over the pitch we were impressive with Carroll, Williamson and Van Aanholt especially shining. The latter is nee Jose (who is?) but is going to be some player in a couple of years time and Williamson looks like a superb signing and could even cut the mustard at the top level based on performances so far. Smith’s absence was a real blessing in disguise in the middle, giving us more pace and a willingness to go forward through Guthrie and Hall and Best both had encouraging debuts.
I can barely believe I’m writing this, but the transfer window has actually gone well for us with only a high earning has-been leaving and some good acquisitions coming in. We’ve got a very busy month coming up with another six games in the next three weeks but we’re back in the driving seat and now it’s over to you WBA and Forest. Two days to get shot of a hangover as well – I’m writing to the League to see if we can have every game on a Friday night from now on!
Keep the Faith
Newcastle United – Harper 7, Simpson 8, Williamson 9, Hall 8 (Kadar n/a), Van Aanholt 9, Routledge 9, Guthrie 8, Nolan 8, Gutierrez 8 (R Taylor n/a), CARROLL 9, Best 7 (Lovenkrands 8)
Ref – Friend – 7 – Never really noticed him which is of course a compliment
Our Fans – 9 – Tremendous, buoyed by drink and a few goals. New songs aswell!
Their Fans – 7 – Fairly good in the circumstances, plenty of them and supported their team well. Made me walk the long way round to the Forth after the match by having the police close off Stowell Street though, so minus one for that.
Gareth Harrison
Injuries to Collocini, Butt and Smith saw ‘One Size’ Fitz Hall, Gutierrez and Best come in while Simpson returned at right back for Kadar and you could have been forgiven for thinking the Friday half day finishes had done strange things to your head in an opening fifteen minutes that absolutely blew everyone, Cardiff included, away.
We were ahead inside two minutes as a long corner was helped back into the box by ‘One Size’ to be bundled home by Carroll. Hall’s signing hardly set the pulses racing and he had the baggiest pair of shorts we’ve ever seen at NUFC but he was excellent all night and the goal set the tone for the rest of the game. We were two ahead just a couple of minutes later when Routledge (a man who runs fast! In our midfield! Brilliant!) laid a lovely through ball on to Carroll. He hit the post but the ball came back off their defender and into the open goal.
Cardiff looked totally shellshocked but almost pulled one back immediately when a portly McCormack caught a beautiful volley but saw his effort crash back off the bar with Harper beaten. With less than 15 minutes on the clock though, we were in a state of total delirium when Carroll made it three with the goal of the game.
Simpson marked his ‘proper’ debut by putting over a great cross and Carroll absolutely bulleted the header past the keeper. The poor bloke had it bad enough by having to wear a shocking pink ensemble and here he was fishing the ball out of the net for the third time with the whole ground going nuts. Magic.
Carroll was, to coin a modern footballing cliché, unplayable for the first half, winning everything in the air and giving their centre halves no peace at all.
Despite being an excellent finisher on his day, this was Andy Carroll at his best – bullying defenders and generally putting himself about. The SJP crowd were loving it, if a little bit stunned by what was unfolding but Cardiff nearly scored when a cross floated over Harper and onto the bar but we went in three up and bouncing.
We started the second half slower and Best was replaced by Lovenkrands after an OK debut – his touch was pretty good and he seems very keen – and the introduction of the Scottish sounding Danish gadgie kicked us on another gear. He made it four with twenty minutes to go, latching on to another Routledge through ball to slot past the keeper with their defence stood stock still. Routledge again nearly turned provider when a beautiful deep cross was just about scrambled clear but we weren’t done yet.
Lovenkrands got his second and it was a cracker – cutting in from the wing to curl a great shot past the keeper via the post. They grabbed a consolation but it wasn’t from Michael ‘I won’t celebrate’ Chopra with Wildig doing the honours. It hardly took the gloss off what was an exceptional performance and a very important win, nay hiding of the side that is currently the best of the rest outside the top three.
All over the pitch we were impressive with Carroll, Williamson and Van Aanholt especially shining. The latter is nee Jose (who is?) but is going to be some player in a couple of years time and Williamson looks like a superb signing and could even cut the mustard at the top level based on performances so far. Smith’s absence was a real blessing in disguise in the middle, giving us more pace and a willingness to go forward through Guthrie and Hall and Best both had encouraging debuts.
I can barely believe I’m writing this, but the transfer window has actually gone well for us with only a high earning has-been leaving and some good acquisitions coming in. We’ve got a very busy month coming up with another six games in the next three weeks but we’re back in the driving seat and now it’s over to you WBA and Forest. Two days to get shot of a hangover as well – I’m writing to the League to see if we can have every game on a Friday night from now on!
Keep the Faith
Newcastle United – Harper 7, Simpson 8, Williamson 9, Hall 8 (Kadar n/a), Van Aanholt 9, Routledge 9, Guthrie 8, Nolan 8, Gutierrez 8 (R Taylor n/a), CARROLL 9, Best 7 (Lovenkrands 8)
Ref – Friend – 7 – Never really noticed him which is of course a compliment
Our Fans – 9 – Tremendous, buoyed by drink and a few goals. New songs aswell!
Their Fans – 7 – Fairly good in the circumstances, plenty of them and supported their team well. Made me walk the long way round to the Forth after the match by having the police close off Stowell Street though, so minus one for that.
Gareth Harrison