Toon Tyke liberties – Newcastle 6 Barnsley 1
Posted on March 6th, 2010 | 89 Comments |
A minutes applause was impeccably overseen by both sets of supporters as they paid respect to Charlie Crowe and Keith Alexander, as I took up my usual vantage point. Unfortunately for me, the stewards were particularly jobsworth-like and were intent on contradicting the usual free-for-all-pick-your-seat process that goes on in much of Level 7, so I spent the first 20 minutes just trying to find somewhere else to stand. Of course, I could have just gone up to my seat but it’s one row from the back of the Level 7 corner and I just didn’t think I had the extra thirty steps in my legs. Those who know that part of the ground might sympathise.
As it was, I didn’t seems to miss much anyway and having finally settled down, I enjoyed the crack between the supporters, as a young lad who couldn’t have been more than twelve put himself in the firing line and had to endure cries of “who’s the midget in the red” and “one Alan Carr”, yes he did look like a miniature version. In fairness, the little fella took the grief well.
On the pitch, Chris Hughton had opted for the same side that won at Watford other than bringing in Lovenkrands for Leon Best, while Pancrate came in on the right of midfield and Guthrie switched back to the middle. Alan Smith made way for the Frenchman, with an apparent ankle injury picked up in training, though no doubt Hughton has one eye on the Boro game next week.
However, other than a half chance for Barnsley and a header from Andy Carroll at the other end, there was little to get excited about. So as I left early for half-time (it was my round this week), I was confident there was little danger of missing much. Typically, Lovenkrands then forced their ‘keeper into fouling him in the box (although TV replays suggest that was a harsh decision) and after Steele was dismissed, David Preece replaced him, though not before Steele made it clear how unhappy he was with the decision. And the first task for the understudy was to pick the ball out of the net, as Lovenkrands despatched confidently from the spot.
Into half-time and it seemed like the goal was a little more than we perhaps deserved and so when the second went in from Lovenkrands barely minutes into the second half, after a great ball from Carroll it came as a surprise, particularly as I was still waiting for one of the lads to finish his pint…
Fortunately we were back out for the third goal only a few minutes later as Danny Guthrie’s speculative effort from outside the box found the bottom corner for 3-0. Ten minutes later we finally saw that elusive Spiderman mask from Jonas Gutierrez and what a goal for which to don it. Cutting in from the left between two players he rode the next challenge before guiding the ball off the underside of the bar from outside the box for 4-0 to send Level 7 slightly mental.
The goals continued to flow as Danny Guthrie grabbed his second to make it 5-0, when his free kick and drifted into the far bottom. And there was mild disbelief, when two minutes later Kevin Nolan controlled a long ball from Kadar before rounding the keeper and slotting in to make it 6-0.
Hughton chose to make some changes with 20 minutes left, and Newcastle seemed to stop taking it seriously with the inevitable ‘showboating’ cries echoing around the ground. It was almost inevitable when Barnsley sub Daniel Bogdanovic, took advantage of a sloppy bit of play from Danny Simpson to reduce the deficit, albeit in vain.
So there was a mild feeling of irritation at the end but it would take a very cynical supporter to come away not being happy with a 6-1 win. With West Brom losing 3-1 to QPR, we’re now 8 points clear of Forest in second, who beat Swansea but we have a game in hand. Even despite the reoccurence of Enrique’s hamstring injury, match days don’t come much better,
Us – Harper, Simpson, Coloccini, Williamson, Enrique (Kadar 33), Pancrate, Guthrie, Nolan (R.Taylor 73), Gutierrez, Carroll (Best 72), Lovenkrands.
Other subs – Krul, Hall, Butt, Ranger.
Goals: Lovenkrands 44pen,48, Guthrie 50,69, Gutierrez 60, Nolan 71.
Barnsley – Steele, Hassell, Foster, Shotton, Dickinson, Teixeira, Colace, Doyle, Hallfredsson (Bogdanovic 63), De Silva (Preece 42), Gray (Macken 63).
Other subs – Moore, Hume, Potter, Hammill.
Att – 44,464 – (2,800 of them were Tykes and fair play to those stuck around).
NUFCBlog Author: bowburnmag
bowburnmag has written 234 articles on this blog.
Cracking result, still buzzing!