[lfc-news] Newcastle report - PA

PA Sport, 5 Mar 2005
Newcastle 1 Liverpool 0

Newcastle midfielder Laurent Robert fired himself further into the
affections of manager Graeme Souness with a superb winning goal against
Liverpool.

The Frenchman beat debutant goalkeeper Scott Carson with a searing
71st-minute free-kick to clinch a fifth successive win for the Magpies,
as injuries and the mental scars of last Sunday's Carling Cup final
defeat took their toll on the Reds.

It was a win the hosts deserved after working very hard to break down a
well-organised Liverpool outfit, who had only one real effort of note on
goal - a 43rd-minute Luis Garcia shot which dropped on to the roof of
Shay Given's net.

Newcastle's remote hopes of clinching European football next season
received a boost as Souness finally had a 1-0 win to celebrate - while
the visitors' attempts to catch derby rivals Everton in the final
Champions League berth suffered another blow.

There were boos at half-time as the players left the pitch, not for the
first time this season at St James' - but on this occasion, they were
directed solely at referee Howard Webb.

He has not been a popular man on Tyneside since the day in November when
he took charge of the Magpies' Premiership clash with Fulham and made
two controversial decisions as the hosts lost 4-1.

Webb again angered the home supporters by allowing defender Mauricio
Pellegrino to get away with all but one of a series of fouls on Alan
Shearer. Then he brandished the yellow card at Amdy Faye and Robert -
while Pellegrino and his team-mate Igor Biscan escaped similar punishment.

Jean-Alain Boumsong and Titus Bramble dealt admirably with the lone
threat of Milan Baros, who appeared to have some difficulty staying on
his feet - while a Liverpool defensive trio of Sami Hyypia, Jamie
Carragher and Pellegrino allowed Shearer and strike partner Shola Ameobi
no leeway in the first half.

The visitors were content to try to smother the Magpies in the middle of
the field and attack on the counter - although they were more successful
in the former than the latter.

Newcastle needed a spark, and it came belatedly in the shape of Robert
and Kieron Dyer as they worked their way into the game from wide positions.

It was the Frenchman's 23rd-minute corner which dropped to Lee Bowyer -
and when his left-foot volley was blocked by Biscan Bramble hammered the
rebound high over.

Ameobi headed over from a Stephen Carr cross eight minutes later. But
Carson did not have a save of any note to make before the break - and
his opposite number Given was similarly under-employed.

Bramble almost ruined his afternoon's work within three minutes of the
restart when, as he tried to play his way out of defence, he gifted the
ball to Baros but immediately retrieved the situation by winning it back.

Robert continued where he had left off, whipping a swerving left-foot
shot from distance wide of Carson's right post a minute later - and Luis
Garcia did just the same at the other end on 52 minutes to maintain
Given's interest.

Dyer in particular was having a growing influence. But Newcastle were in
need of something different, and Souness tried to introduce it with 67
minutes gone when he replaced Ameobi with Dutchman Patrick Kluivert.

The answer finally came in the shape of the enigmatic Robert, after
Pellegrino had been penalised for a foul on Shearer.

The Frenchman has had to work hard to force his way into Souness' plans.
But what has never been in any doubt is his ability from a dead ball -
and his dipping, swerving free-kick sped past Carson.

Rafael Benitez withdrew Vladimir Smicer in favour of Antonio Nunez, and
Souness sent on Jermaine Jenas for Bowyer as time ran down - but the
home side were defending confidently.

Kluivert had a glorious opportunity to cement victory in the final
minute of normal time but dragged his shot just wide after mesmerising
Carragher.

But Steven Gerrard wasted an equally good chance to equalise in injury time.

Newcastle: Given, Carr, Bramble, Boumsong, Hughes, Dyer (Butt 88), Faye,
Bowyer (Jenas 77), Robert, Shearer, Ameobi (Kluivert 67)
Subs not used: Harper, Taylor
Booked: Faye, Robert
Goals: Robert 70

Liverpool: Carson, Finnan, Pellegrino (Le Tallec 82), Hyypia, Carragher,
Luis Garcia, Biscan, Smicer (Nunez 75), Gerrard, Riise, Baros (Warnock 88)
Subs not used: Dudek, Welsh
Booked: Smicer, Gerrard

Att: 52,323
Referee: H Webb (S Yorkshire)

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