Newcastle United 3 Preston North End 0
20/Feb/10, KO 3pm, St James' Park, WTCTSDTD. Att. 45,525
Another routine victory against highly average opposition saw us stretch our lead at the top to five points after a fruitful week that has brought six points and seven goals at SJP. Smith came back into the side for the injured Routledge but any worries of the change bringing a lobsided look to the side were banished when we took the lead inside two minutes.
Lovenkrands grabbed the goal with what was essentially a fluke, putting a cross in that floated over the otherwise impressive keeper and into the top corner. The Dane only lasted for a quarter of an hour before being replaced by Best with what looked like a hamstring injury. It was obvious that Preston were a pretty poor bunch and we could have been further ahead half way through the half from a most unlikely source when Smith had a half volley from the edge of the box well saved. Harper was called into action at the other end when Parkin, a player HIGHLY optimistically described as ’weighing 14 stone’ in the paper midweek lashed a shot straight at the keeper who was in the right place at the right time.
At the other end, Williamson saw a certain goal from a header fantastically stopped by their keeper and there was a scare for us just before half time when Parkin controlled and shot just wide with Harper beaten. Parkin is a very obvious target for ridicule but in all honesty he was their best player, overshadowing the anonymous but highly rated Wellbeck and the only explanation for a man of those proportions being anywhere near second tier football in a possession of some skill hidden away.
We finished the match off completely just ten minutes into the second half with a bit of a strange goal. The Preston defence seemed frozen to the spot as three or four of our lot queued up to receive a five yard ball inside the box. In the end it was slipped through to Nolan and he managed to knock it home despite the keeper getting a hand to it. The rest of the game passed by with us comfortably in control in second gear but it took until the final minute to put the gloss on the result that the performance had merited.
Pancake and Ryan Taylor, our newly found Xavi and Messi from the bench combined for the second time in four days with the Frenchman doing well to pull back from a tight angle and the overly large headed Scouser lashing the ball home from ten yards out.
The scoreline was no more than we deserved and despite Preston being very poor, there were a lot of positives to be taken from the game. Collocini absolutely strolled through the afternoon and looked a class above everything else on the pitch, Van Aanholt again looked quality and we pretty much cruised through the game. Preston’s poorness masked a couple of obvious problems with our squad though – Guthrie, who ironically put some good balls over when he actually moved out wide, spent chunks of the first half just wandering round or standing stock still in the middle of the park with Simpson crying out for an overlap and Best was fairly ineffectual in his 75 minute run out but it would be churlish to highlight the negatives on a day when we totally dominated
With Forest continuing to keep the pressure on and WBA given a chance to narrow the gap again tomorrow, we’re not home and hosed yet and we have another test at Watford on Saturday after two awful away performances but we are well back on track again after this week. And let’s enjoy this winning easily caper – it might seem a distant memory this time next year.
Keep the Faith
Newcastle United: Harper 7, Simpson 7, COLLOCINI 9, Williamson 7, Van Aanholt 8, Guthrie 7 (Pancate n/a), Smith 6, Nolan 7, Gutierrez 7 (R Taylor 6), Lovenkrands 6 (Best 5), Carroll 7
Referee – Penn – 7 – Didn’t have much to do. Odd looking fellow mind.
Our Fans – 7 – Good turn out and noisy in the usual places.
Their Fans – 6 - Good turn out and noisy for the first five minutes.
Gareth Harrison
Lovenkrands grabbed the goal with what was essentially a fluke, putting a cross in that floated over the otherwise impressive keeper and into the top corner. The Dane only lasted for a quarter of an hour before being replaced by Best with what looked like a hamstring injury. It was obvious that Preston were a pretty poor bunch and we could have been further ahead half way through the half from a most unlikely source when Smith had a half volley from the edge of the box well saved. Harper was called into action at the other end when Parkin, a player HIGHLY optimistically described as ’weighing 14 stone’ in the paper midweek lashed a shot straight at the keeper who was in the right place at the right time.
At the other end, Williamson saw a certain goal from a header fantastically stopped by their keeper and there was a scare for us just before half time when Parkin controlled and shot just wide with Harper beaten. Parkin is a very obvious target for ridicule but in all honesty he was their best player, overshadowing the anonymous but highly rated Wellbeck and the only explanation for a man of those proportions being anywhere near second tier football in a possession of some skill hidden away.
We finished the match off completely just ten minutes into the second half with a bit of a strange goal. The Preston defence seemed frozen to the spot as three or four of our lot queued up to receive a five yard ball inside the box. In the end it was slipped through to Nolan and he managed to knock it home despite the keeper getting a hand to it. The rest of the game passed by with us comfortably in control in second gear but it took until the final minute to put the gloss on the result that the performance had merited.
Pancake and Ryan Taylor, our newly found Xavi and Messi from the bench combined for the second time in four days with the Frenchman doing well to pull back from a tight angle and the overly large headed Scouser lashing the ball home from ten yards out.
The scoreline was no more than we deserved and despite Preston being very poor, there were a lot of positives to be taken from the game. Collocini absolutely strolled through the afternoon and looked a class above everything else on the pitch, Van Aanholt again looked quality and we pretty much cruised through the game. Preston’s poorness masked a couple of obvious problems with our squad though – Guthrie, who ironically put some good balls over when he actually moved out wide, spent chunks of the first half just wandering round or standing stock still in the middle of the park with Simpson crying out for an overlap and Best was fairly ineffectual in his 75 minute run out but it would be churlish to highlight the negatives on a day when we totally dominated
With Forest continuing to keep the pressure on and WBA given a chance to narrow the gap again tomorrow, we’re not home and hosed yet and we have another test at Watford on Saturday after two awful away performances but we are well back on track again after this week. And let’s enjoy this winning easily caper – it might seem a distant memory this time next year.
Keep the Faith
Newcastle United: Harper 7, Simpson 7, COLLOCINI 9, Williamson 7, Van Aanholt 8, Guthrie 7 (Pancate n/a), Smith 6, Nolan 7, Gutierrez 7 (R Taylor 6), Lovenkrands 6 (Best 5), Carroll 7
Referee – Penn – 7 – Didn’t have much to do. Odd looking fellow mind.
Our Fans – 7 – Good turn out and noisy in the usual places.
Their Fans – 6 - Good turn out and noisy for the first five minutes.
Gareth Harrison