[Liverweb] Newcastle Match Report

Liverweb Match Report

Newcastle United 1 Liverpool 3

Liverpool : Reina, Kromkamp, Carragher, Hyypia, Agger, Warnock,
Gerrard (C), Kewell, Hamann, Crouch, Cisse

Subs Used : Garcia for Crouch (64), Alonso for Gerrard (74), Fowler
for Hyypia (89)

Subs Unused : Dudek, Traore

Ref : Mike Riley

Att : 52,302

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The Reds took all three points at Newcastle with some ease
yesterday. The game finished 3-1 but could with a little more desire
and concentration ended up much more convincing. The Reds went ahead
as early as the tenth minute through Crouch. Gerrard extended the
lead on thirty four minutes before Ameobi gave the home side a
lifeline shortly before half time. An early Cisse penalty in the
second half ensured the Reds could win at a relative canter in the
end.

Rafa Benitez juggled his side around once again bring in Kromkamp to
the back line but rather than replacing Agger with Hyypia he merely
included the Finn in a newer look five at the back. Against
Newcastle who have no great width this was a good formation to allow
both Warnock and Kromkamp to attack down the lines.

The Reds got the game underway at St James' Park but it was
Newcastle who had the first attack of note. However it only became
noteworthy due to Reina who rushed out of his goal. He was injured
as he clattered Ameobi but was able to carry on. The Reds were
getting a lot of early possession and in particular Stephen Warnock
down the left hand side was getting early joy and crosses in.

The Reds took the lead after just ten minutes thanks to Peter
Crouch. Jan Kromkamp got down the right hand side and put a ball to
the back post where Crouch ran in and headed home despite Boumsong
and Ramage being close by. This was exactly the start the Reds
deserved and needed. It let the Reds settle down more on the ball
and ultimately take Newcastle apart.

In fact on eighteen minutes the Reds should have gone 2 up. Warnock
linked well with Kewell before the Aussie star crossed in to the
box. It went over Crouch's head but Cisse got the ball at the back
but blazed it when he really should have been doing better. At the
other end Shearer should have scored midway through the half but he
blazed his shot wide. Newcastle's best chances seemed to be coming
through Pepe Reina who seemed to have forgot how to communicate with
his defence. He got away with it on more than one occasion.

Newcastle were forced in to a change on twenty seven minutes when
Lee Bowyer replaced N'Zogbia. The Reds were two up though on thirty
four minutes. Agger strode forward superbly with the ball and thirty
yards out switched the ball right to Cisse. He crossed to the back
of the box were Gerrard brought the ball down and played a 1-2 with
Crouch. Gerrard then smashed the ball low past Given to make the
score line reflect the game a lot more.

Peter Ramage picked up a yellow card on thirty eight minutes as he
took Warnock out of the game. Warnock had gone charging down the
left and reached the ball just before the defender. With four
minutes to go before half time the home side grabbed an unlikely
lifeline from Shola Ameobi. He beat the offside trap to sneak in
behind Carragher and Hyypia and head past Reina who was left with no
chance. It gave the home side hope and the Reds really had to take
control of the game pretty quickly. Newcastle pressurised the Reds
up until half time without scoring though and the teams could re-
group again.

No changes were made at half time and the home side started the ball
rolling again. Newcastle had the crowd right behind them at the
start of the half but it didn't take long to quiten them down.
Inside five minutes the Reds had extended their lead. A ball to the
back was completely missed by Boumsong and Crouch nipped in to the
area to try and shoot on goal. Before he could reach the ball though
Boumsong grappled Crouch to the floor in a move more akin to rugby
than football. Mike Riley awarded the penalty instantly and had no
real choice but to send off Boumsong. That's the twelfth sending off
against us this season already. Boumsong took his time walking off
the pitch which merely delayed Cisse taking the penalty. The French
man stepped up and drilled it hard and low left with Given going the
wrong way. Cisse was booked for his celebration which involved
revealing an I Love You t-shirt.

In the very next Reds attack Cisse, by now being heckled by the
crowd broke down the right and won a corner. He reacted to the crowd
chants by goading them back which nearly brought him a second yellow
card. Thankfully Mike Riley saw for to warn him and both Gerrard and
Carragher calmed the French star down. The game went to a point of
nearly boiling over now. Bowyer picked up a yellow card on fifty
four minutes for a bad tackle on Hamann who jumped straight back up
ready to have a go back at the Newcastle player.

Newcastle just didn't really have any cutting edge about them at
all. Dyer replaced Ameobi on sixty one minutes and a couple of
minutes later Garcia replaced Crouch. With the game pretty much won
at this point you had to start thinking about the FA Cup game being
played just 48 hours later. The Reds could have had a shed load of
goals in the final half hour as Newcastle just lost shape
altogether. With better vision and shooting we would have as well.
Cisse shot wide on sixty four with Kewell all alone on the penalty
spot. Four minutes later Garcia shot wide from the right side of the
area as it looked like target practice.

Xabi Alonso came on after seventy four minutes to allow Gerrard a
rest. On seventy eight minutes Shay Given pulled off two superb
saves. The first came from an Alonso shot from twenty five yards
which he pushed for a corner. The second came from that corner which
was floated right to the back of the box. Kromkamp volleyed the shot
on target only to see Given push the ball away to safety.

The Reds were cruising to victory with ease now as Newcastle looked
shell shocked completely. You'll Never Walk Alone was started up and
rang around the ground nicely to round off a great win. The home
fans did try and rally around their players with their own song but
that was more loyal support than anything else. Both Agger and
Carragher were booked in the final minutes of the game for poor
tackles but the game was won. Lee Clark replaced Emre and Robbie
Fowler replaced Sami Hyypia as injury time was started at the end of
the game but neither switch changed anything about this game.

Going to Newcastle can be a very difficult game but the tactics for
this one were spot on and allowed the Reds to build well and
consistently. The important thing now as well is that we are
starting to see goals for our efforts as well. This was a great win
on the back of the Fulham result and puts in confident manner to end
the season on.

MotM : Dan Agger - has settled down really well and his run for the
second goal was superb to see. He was composed throughout the game
and is certainly looking like the long term replacement for Hyypia.

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Match Stats
Newcastle Liverpool
58% Possession 42%
3 Shots On Target 6
4 Shots Off Target 6
1 Blocked Shots 1
2 Corners 1
21 Fouls 18
6 Offsides 5
2 Yellow Cards 3
1 Red Cards 0

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