Sunderland v Newcastle United match report, highlights and post match interviews.

Posted on January 16th, 2011 | 52 Comments |

Kevin Nolan feels like chicken tonight once again!
Kevin Nolan feels like chicken tonight once again!
As Newcastle United got the game underway, accompanied by a chorus of boos from the bitter residents of the more underdeveloped side of the North East, I have to admit that I had some slight trepidation about this game. The Mackems were deperate for revenge after their comprehensive 5-1 humiliation at St James’s Park, and have had a more than decent run of form since that day, lying at sixth in the table.

As the game progressed, Newcastle started brightly enough, but it was proving to be something of a scrappy affair in the first half. But there was to be some, if not alot of excitement at both ends of the pitch. The first event of any note was when Ameobi, usually something of a talisman against Sunderland, missed a very good chance after around three or four minutes of the game to put the Magpies ahead. While he showed some endeavour to get on the end of a very good delivery by Joey Barton, his finish wasn’t great, and his effort was just wide of the post. Shortly after that, Sunderland’s Darren Bent was to return the favour at the other end, however he fired his fairly close range effort firmly at the legs of Steve Harper.

Barton continued his good work work by whipping some balls into the general area, however there weren’t many great chances at all. The windswept dust bowl that is The Stadium of Plight was it’s usual self, and this was hardly conducive to good passing. One highlight however was a great run by Enrique around the quarter of an hour mark, however it comes to nothing when he is eventually stopped in his tracks. Incidentally, it was an excellent game in general for the Spanish left back, along with his Argentinian sidekick, Fabricio Coloccini, who were both definite contenders for some kind of “man of the match” award, along with the aforementioned Barton. Both Colo and Enrique were huge in defence on the day, with Colo in particular putting in some great tackles and generally outmuscling the opposition. His mobilty around all areas of the pitch was also excellent, and like Enrique, he lent his weight to the attack, without forgetting to track back and take care of his own business. This is something his collegue, Steven Taylor (who didn’t play today) could learn alot from.

After around 35 minutes of the game, our substitute midfield terrier, Alan Smith, received a taste of his own medicine for a change, as he had to limp forlornly off the pitch after an illegal challenge by Sunderland’s Kieran Richardson. This gives a chance for Danny Guthrie to get on the pitch and show us what he can do.

After half time, things got a bit better, especially for Newcastle who were just about dominating the game generally. However it should be noted that this was somthing of a lacklustre performance on the day by Sunderland, especially for a local derby game which was something Sunderland manager, Steve Bruce, later acknowledged. It was almost first blood to the them though, as Darren Bent had a good chance which he spurned, clipping a shot past Harper, but also past the right post too.

Joy for Newcastle finally came in the 52nd minute though, as another good delivery from Barton (from a corner) found the head of Ameobi, who’s downward header was picked up by Kevin Nolan for a real poacher’s goal that was only a few inches from the goal line. Cue yet another “Chicken Dance” from the scouser!

Shortly after that, there was another great chance for the Magpies. A beautiful cross slung in by Enrique almost found Leon Best for what would have been a certain goal. However the striker just couldn’t quite get there on time unfortunately.

By now, the game was less scrappy and Newcastle certainly seeemed to be geting the upper hand generally. We deserved our 1-0 lead, and the defence, most notably the aforementioned Enrique and Coloccini were doing a sterling job. Sunderland’s genuine chances were very few at this stage, with Ahmed Elmohamady having the only genuine chance that I can remember. However that shot was deflected off one of his own players and sent wide of the mark. This made extra time all the more painful, as events were somewhat marred (for us lot, anyway) by a goal in the final seconds by Asamoah Gyan, as a shot by Sunderland’s Bardsley is palmed away by Steve Harper, and Gyan picks up the sloppy seconds for a looping effort off his chest into the top corner of the goal.

Very disappointing after a decent game for the lads, but at least it wasn’t a loss.

For match highlights videos and post match interview videos, please click on the links.

NUFCBlog Author: workyticket workyticket has written 1095 articles on this blog.

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52 Responses

  1. sure we all would have taken a point before game,so just lets get on,we might bloody arrys nose and make up for it a bit,would help if we have carroll and maybe new striker,we need one imo

  2. Well done lads great performance. Its been a while since a late goal has cost us points and it would have to be against the inbreads. Not a problem though the Mags can hold their heads high unlike the unwased who think its okay to invade the pitch and attack players. Hang your big fat head in shame Bruce as your constant jibes about revenge this week and what you were going to do to your childhood club wound your dumbat fair weather morons up. Let’s hope the FA look at this shambles of a club and punish them accordingly.

  3. icedog says:
    January 16, 2011 at 8:37 pm

    “sure we all would have taken a point before game,so just lets get on”

    Aye Ice. Main thing is divven’t lose to the tramps under any circumstances, ‘because you just know what they’re gannin’ to be like when they have something over us!

    Thankfully, it doesn’t happen very often!

  4. Everyone in Black and White was a hero today. Went into the game fearing the worst but in the end we deserved to win. However I’m still delighted with the draw and I can’t wait for some of our other players like HBA, Tiote etc… to come back as well.

  5. They got a jammy goal plain and simple, we dominated the game and showed them to be what they are a bunch of 2nd rate no hopers.

  6. Oh well it’s still a good away point. As soon as smith went off we had a shot for the win.

  7. dissgusting them tramps on the pitch assaulting harps, throwing stuff @ joey @ corners, that club should be well and truly punished….

  8. How the hell did they get to whatever position they’re in?
    Surely they can’t stay there?
    I guess it’s the dull repugnant shit game putting the oppo to sleep & getting draws?
    Did they manage to fill the ground with 99p tickets sold down at poundstretcher?
    :)

  9. I have to say i was really nervous about this game today. That being said all sunderland seemed to do was long ball looking for Bent or Gyan. Our defence was solid as a rock. Colo was immense and Enrique his usual self! That being said 2 points lost on the whole we shoulda won by at least 2

  10. I was listening to rad 4 this morning & they were asking the question: Is there still a North/south divide?
    It made me shout at the radio: Whey aye, we hate mackems!
    :)

  11. Clint – heard poundstretcher were doing BOGOF’s on the tkts mate :lol:
    How else were they going to fill more than half a stadium.
    And how many had left before the dodgy equaliser. Ha ha.
    PEASANTS.

  12. ‘Pardew said. “I don’t think there was anything malicious about it, there wasn’t a punch thrown or anything.”

    Even so the FA will await Webb’s referee’s report with interest and will almost certainly launch an inquiry into today’s events on Wearside before potentially imposing sanctions on Sunderland.’

    Good god, they mean to say the FA might actually do something in our favour for once and impose sanctions on sunderland, surely not. Are they feeling ok.

  13. clint m8 they shud play games behind closed doors for a few games to punish them, you’l see the takings at the bridges poundland go up by £17,000, that was there last crowd werent it? the stewards at SOL are the worst in the country and the likes of horseshit on real radio bulling up the daft lads in the corner adds to there stupid 70’s hooligan mentality…good to see the coppers putting up a fan seperator outside the ground..wouldnt want to see them ugly makems at mid-day, put me off my pie..boy are they ugly…….

  14. Mrs Doubtfire’s comments after: “All I want now is to finish above the Geordies at the end of the season”
    pft ! Glad to see the big chip is still alive and kicking.
    and they say we’re deluded. arf arf. Pathetic!

  15. CLiNT FLiCK says:
    January 16, 2011 at 9:28 pm

    “It made me shout at the radio: Whey aye, we hate mackems!”

    I beleive in rehabilitation, not hatred, Clint.

    Perhaps if they could be put in some kind of institution and taught the ways of civliisation. Have their track suits removed and given decent clothes, slowly weaned off Special Brew, 20/20 and Cheezy chips, and possibly even taught to perform basic, menial tasks? They may turn out to be not so bad after all.

  16. Yes Andy 2 points lost but our pride has been regained. Look at the whole picture which is we are on the way back. If we can continue to tie up the players which are the future of NUFC and keep adding quality players who want to wear the shirt like Ben Arfa then the future looks rosey indeed.

  17. BB,
    thought there musta been some special deal going on mate.
    That was probably a price rise then?
    :)

  18. Just think if we’d held out for one more minute the gap would have been slashed from 5 to 2 points. They are in such a FALSE position like. I don’t care what anybody says FALSE position, they’ve had so many fluky results and played teams at good times ect. They should never be in 6th, I recon they will have a bad run at some point and slide down the table, they always do. They were crap today, we played them off the park even with Guthrie and no Tiote or Carroll.

  19. Ooooh! those beastly Mags are always top dogs in the NE. its so unfair. It must be our turn now mince mince.
    Well I wouldn’t hold your breath fat boy, not playing like that. Its only 5 points, and yous were lucky AGAIN today. Keep looking over your shoulder Brucie, the Mags are gonna trample all over ya.
    Toon Toon.

  20. I personally think if we buy a good striker, a decent winger and a couple of squad players in the summer we’ll have the makings of a good side.

    Definately need a bigger squad though.

    I see a great opportunity to get into Europe over the next couple of seasons as the standard is poor and if we punch our weight in the transfer market we should do well.

  21. Good job we didn’t listen to you Stu, 2-0 you said. I think we should have beaten them 2-0 the way the second half went at least 1-0.

  22. So glad Jose is back for Spurs. I wan’t to see him destroy that cocky lil’ p***k, Lennon. Barton and Simpson will have to combine again to keep Bale quiet, but as they showed in the last game, it is possible. Only concern is VDV, what can we do about him without Tiote!? :S

  23. cant w8 4 MOD see what time we are given ..prob’s aboot 3-4 mns, will they highlite the harps incident? doubt it,is big al on ?will he give it to them mkms for the wimbledon approach 2day?..they are rubbish, we can improve and europe?? well its on if MA wants to splash some ££ and get a left winger in,,jonas m8 come on!!! you are better than the displays recently,,,

  24. El Toro,
    just keep the ball away from vdv, or at least make him run, which is the one thing he can’t do, at all.
    He’s so slow, he leaves a slime trail behind him.
    :)
    That gives me an idea, throw salt on the pitch, on the centre line, that’ll keep him in his own half.
    :)

  25. Dont need to buy too many all at once, it just unsettles the squad. Looking forwards to getting HBA and Gosling back, thats like 2 new signings. Need to develop young Ferguson more as cover for Jose. Thought he looked quite promising, but dissappeared off the radar again ???
    I would deffo sign up JB for longer if poss. He has been a revelation so far this season.

  26. Good call Stuart. We have a week squad but some quality players with the right atitude. We have the basis of a good team so let’s hope we get the right players in. P.s. If we only beat the turf jumpers 2-1 at home they would probably be third bottom now. Bad crack that it took that result to motivate rather than FAT FACE himself.

  27. DJG – Aye but I also said that after my prediction we’d probably go on and win.

    Looking forward to HBA coming back for sure.

  28. Well Spurs didn’t look nowt special and neither did manure. With Enrique back and if we play like today I fancy us to get something against them at SJP.

  29. Jordan Henderson is so overrated. I don’t get the hype, I really don’t. He seems an average player. Today he couldn’t even keep up with the game. One thing is for certain, he is no Jack Wilshere

  30. El Toro

    Their whole team is over-rated. The fact that they are 6th highlights how jammy they are and how even the league is this season. Before anybody says we rely on long ball. They are 6th and all they had for 30mins against us was the long ball to Bent and Gyan.

  31. yeah sweet, here’s hoping.
    Just hope they dont play like against stevenage. Although I think that was just our low point. A win would be awesome tho. HWTL.

  32. If Barton and Enrique sign new contracts and Carroll is not for sale we are in business big time.
    We have a very strong midfield, another winger will be needed and a young left back to cover for injuries to Enrique.
    Then we need to find the perfect partner for bigger Lad up front next season and they should be queuing up to play next to him.
    Gosling,Vukic,Ferguson, Ranger and other youth team players can develop to complement and reinforce the spine of the team.
    If Ashley wants to sell to the Qatarians he would be well advised to develop his current team with a left back and sell in the summer.

  33. 3 points would have been class but can’t argue again with the committment for the players, we were better all over the park than them and derserved the win. We needed to show a bit more composure to get the 2nd goal which would have killed it. Got to say I was impressed with Ameobi today, well done son.

  34. Alan Smith left the ground on crutches. I reckon he has fractured his ankle. Feel sorry for him as the next two games were key for him to prove his worth in Tiote’s absence.

  35. Good luck on that one tom, but if the club don’t get any change from the fa, doubt you will.
    They’ll probably bust us for incitement instead.
    :)

    El Toro,
    see this is what happens when the ref doesn’t protect our players.
    Again.
    :(

  36. Shame about Smith getting injured but we started to play better when Guthrie came on (which is what I wanted us to start with). Also Smith getting injured probably rules out the idea of selling him on in this window which is what I was hoping for. Saying that, he’s a good pro to have about the place, but an expensive one.

  37. i had to work with a mackem today… he stinks btw! it was after the game, after he saw us control the game and saw us as the better the team his reponse was… well joey bartons going to prison for being scum..
    typical non comment from a cluless mackem fan. it doesnt even have any relevance. then we debated henderson’s ability

  38. great match report worky , I am feeling ashamed today when smith went down I said to my son I hope it keeps him out team , I think we forget very quickly when players are having a bad time ,smith was excellent in the enforcer role in the promotion push he went thro the pain barrier on more than one occasion . I just think its time he moved down a division he wil be a good midfielder again in championship.I dont rate guthrie he was marginally better yesterday but for a so called playmaker and dead ball specialist he cant pass for shit .I would love to see his stats for pass completion

  39. Paul, I said the same

    But its not thiat we wish any harm on these players, its that we wish the managers would see that they are beyond their best and its time to give someone else a chance.

    Smith, unfortunately is a poor premiership player. I cannot remember winning a game when he starts, and the difference between him and Tiote in the side, is huge.

    In Carroll, Tiote, Barton, Enrique, Ben Arfa and Coloccini, we really do have some top quality players.

    A truely solid spine, and if we added another quality striker and IMO goal keeper like Shay Given to that we’d have a top squad.

    I just never feel comfortable with Harper or Krul in goals, although Krul has time on his side. Both are very inconsistant.

  40. Forgot to mention Nolan.

    He may not be deemed as classy, but his overall contribution as a leader and goal scoring contributions from midfield make him absolutely crucial to the team.