And the beat goes on. Newcastle 2-0 Liverpool match report.

Posted on April 1st, 2012 | 38 Comments |

Newcastle 2-0 Liverpool April 2012.
Cisse bags another brace.
Newcastle United notch up a comfortable 2-0 win over Liverpool to retain 6th place on level points with Chelsea, 10 points clear of 7th-placed Everton.

We kicked off the game at a glorious, sunny St James’ Park and it was to be a tightly contested half with both sides having their chances. Our front three were once again impressive but Liverpool looked to have decent attacking options too, particularly with Craig Bellamy who managed to find himself in space on the right a few times.

Within the first 5 minutes Shelvey’s dipping shot took a deflection and nearly dipped enough to get in under the bar but was just over in the end leading to a Liverpool corner. After defending that we got away and on the counter-attack with Ba finding space up the left. Ba put the cross in to Cisse but Reina managed to snatch the ball from its path ahead of him.

Perch picked up a yellow card after 6 minutes when he took the ball – seemingly cleanly – from Suarez but managed to upend the Uruguayan in the process. The yellow was a bit harsh I thought, but those sorts of things generally pick up a yellow these days.

On about 8 and a half minutes Carroll – who had looked a bit frantic and keen to prove a point – managed to lose Perch in the box and found himself with only Krul to beat. However, instead of actually trying to play the ball he chose to dive and received a yellow card for his troubles. It was justified – the replay clearly showed there was no contact and why Carroll didn’t simply play the ball is anyone’s guess. Just after that, Cisse had a soft header saved by Reina but it will go down as a chance.

On quarter of an hour Bellamy found space out to the left of our box and put in a cross that Krul seemed to get his fingertips to and it rolled across the top of the crossbar for a few inches and back into play for Ben Arfa to put behind for a Liverpool corner. Gerrard took the corner on our right and Krul went for it but fumbled it. The ball seemed to come off Williamson and went towards goal but was saved by Simpson who was on the goal line. The replay showed that Simpson had kept the ball out with his arm and had the referee have spotted it we’d have been in trouble. Anyway, the ball was eventually sent out for another Liverpool corner from which Carroll headed wide.

On around 16 minutes Liverpool got their first booking when Shelvey clattered Cisse to the ground.

A couple of minutes later we’d opened our tally. Simpson brought the ball out of defence and passed it to Ben Arfa on the right. Benny moving slightly more central, dummied a few Liverpool players and then floated a perfect cross from just inside the area to Cisse who was lurking to the left of goal in the box. Cisse can’t have had much of the goal to aim for from that angle but somehow guided the header beyond Reina’s reach and it went in off the inside of the post. 1-0

5 minutes after that Benny passed a great through ball to Demba Ba in the box but Ba was just a few inches too far forward and couldn’t gather it for a shot. Liverpool were far from out of it though and Bellamy – once again in space on Liverpool’s right – put a dangerous cross across the face of the goal but it missed everybody. A couple of minutes later another Bellamy cross saw the ball spring up from between two players for Carroll to head over the bar.

On 29 minutes Cisse picked up a daft yellow card for standing too close to a Liverpool free kick which bounced straight off his knee.

There was more skill from Benny on about 33 minutes when he brought the ball in from the right wing, skipping easily between two Liverpool players, ran it into the box and tried to put in a pass for Cisse. Unfortunately a defender got their first and put it out for a corner. Benny took the corner put it was pants and sailed harmlessly passed the the goal and out for a goal kick.

A minute later Ba came very close when he picked up the ball in midfield, skillfully controlled it and started motoring towards goal. He took a long shot, some 10 or 15 yards outside the area, which took a deflection and just went past the post.

On 40 minutes Cisse headed just wide following a corner and on the break after that Bellamy got behind our defence again but was flagged offside. Just before the end of the half Perch had to make an excellent clearance to break down a Liverpool attack and Flanagan had his name taken for a poor, late tackle on Tiote.

Half Time

The first meaningful attack of the second half came from us when Guthrie’s cross into the box saw Williamson’s header denied by the woodwork. Shortly after that Tiote picked up a yellow card for upending Gerrard but seeing Gerrard upended is always high-value amusement so it was worth it.

Jonas, who was having a quiet game at left-back, looked to be injured on 48 minutes when he got kicked on the ankle but his ponytail has special powers that heal all injuries so he was okay.

Bellamy, who for me was Liverpool’s best (and, as always, mouthiest) player today, nearly found himself on the end of a great pass from Gerrard on 55 minutes but Krul was up to the task and got there first. Just after that Shelvey – who was Liverpool’s second best player for my money – had a shot fairly easily saved by Krul.

On 58 minutes it was pretty much all over as Cisse claimed another to keep his astonishing scoring rate going. Benny made the running up the right initially, drifting central again. He passed to Cabaye, who passed to Ba who passed to Benny who had kept on running and was on the penalty spot. Benny couldn’t gather it and it went to Cisse on his left. Cisse took it past Raina’s sliding tackle, checked himself and cooly slotted it into the left corner past the Liverpool defender on the line. 2-0.

3 minutes after out goal Liverpool had their best chance of the half (and possibly the game) when Enrique crossed into our box. Krul came out for it but missed it and the ball landed as the feet of Suarez a few yards out but Suarez completely fluffed the shot.

Liverpool had a few 5 minute spells of possession here and there but we’d decided to shut up shop a bit and we seemed to do it quite well, which is encouraging as that’s one thing we’ve struggled to do in the past. The half kind of fizzled out a bit.

On 65 minutes Guthrie looked to injure his ankle and was replaced by Dan Gosling. On 73 minutes Cisse came off and Shola came on. On 75 minutes Shelvey was taken off for Downing.

On 78 minutes Ba contrived a decent chance for Benny on the break but 4 defenders closed in on him in the box and he was bound to bump into one of them. Liverpool then brought on Kuyt for Carroll, to much cheering, and Henderson for Bellamy in a last gasp attempt to salvage something. It was to no avail though – we had this one sewn up.

There was still time for controversy though. A Cabaye free kick on the left found its way out to the right where Gosling (I think) crossed it back into the box and Williamson made good contact with his head, forcing a save from Raina. Raina was running back out with the ball when he tripped over Perch’s feet (having re-watched it a few times I’m pretty sure there was nothing deliberate from Perch) and this upset the baldy shot-stopper. Raina went eye-to-eye with Perch and brought his head towards Perch’s head; Perch went down and there was trouble in the offing. Perch got yellow carded for something, although I have no idea what, but Raina saw red and was sent off. I’m inclined to think Perch made a bit much of it to be honest, although Raina should have known better than to move his head towards Perch like that.

Jose Enrique was nominated to take over in goal from Raina and Steven Gerrard had to wave Kenny Dalgish off the pitch in an irritating manner – not sure what all that was about!

Anyway, on 90 minutes we brought on Santon for Benny and just ran down the extra time fairly easily.

I didn’t think we were ever in too much trouble today. Liverpool, though, look a mess. It’s a shame the second half wasn’t as exciting as the first but all in all a solid performance from us even with a makeshift defence.

Team sheets

Newcastle United (4-3-3): Tim Krul (G), Danny Simpson, Mike Williamson, James Perch, Jonas Gutierrez (C), Danny Guthrie (Dan Gosling 66), Cheick Tiote, Yohan Cabaye; Hatem Ben Arfa (Davide Santon 90), Papiss Cisse (Shola Ameobi 74), Demba Ba.

Subs: Rob Elliot, Shane Ferguson, Davide Santon, Dan Gosling, Ryan Taylor, Haris Vuckic, Shola Ameobi.

Liverpool (4-4-2): Pepe Reina (G), Jon Flanagan, Jamie Carragher, Martin Skrtel, Jose Enrique; Jonjo Shelvey, Steven Gerrard (C), Jay Spearing, Craig Bellamy (Jordan Henderson 77); Andy Carroll (Dirk Kuyt 77), Luis Suarez.

Subs: Alexander Doni, Fabio Aurelio, Sebastian Coates, Maxi Rodriguez, Jordan Henderson, Stewart Downing, Dirk Kuyt.

Goals, stats etc…

Goals: Papiss Cisse (20, 59).

Yellow Cards: Andy Carroll (9), Jonjo Shelvey (18), Papiss Cisse (30), John Flanagan (45), Cheick Tiote (49), James Perch (82).

Red Cards: Pepe Reina (straight red 83).

Possession: Newcastle United 49.5%, Liverpool 50.5%.
Shots on target: Newcastle United 3, Liverpool 2.
Shots off target: Newcastle United 4, Liverpool 3.
Corners: Newcastle United 3, Liverpool 6.
Fouls: Newcastle United 10, Liverpool 12.

Newcastle United vs Liverpool – Full match video, extended highlights and interviews.

NUFCBlog Author: Hugh de Payen I'm a baby-boomer of the punk rock persuasion, currently exiled in Somerset for crimes committed in a previous life where locals keep trying to poison me with something called 'scrumpy'. Hates sprouts, coat-hangers, Cilla Black, ornaments, Steven Seagull movies and 50 Cent (he's not worth 10). Hugh de Payen has written 634 articles on this blog.

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38 Responses

  1. Bet Andymac’s gutted that Carroll & Enrique didn’t score or win….pr1ck!!

  2. AndyMac, still think we should axe ‘Pardwho’? Gan give your head a shake lad. ;)

  3. NizzleToon says:
    April 1, 2012 at 5:24 pm

    “Bet Andymac’s gutted that Carroll & Enrique didn’t score or win….pr1ck!!”

    To be fair Nizzle, like myself and a few others like Jimbob, Andy has been advocating for Pardew to play the way we did today for quite some time, and I’m sure he’ll be as pleased as the rest of us for our very good performance today.

    We did have a bit of luck too but very well done to all concerned, including the Silver Supremo himself.

  4. Yeah agreed very proud today, it was perfect. Great to see us using a 4-3-3 and the players look much happier. The movement and passing has improved greatly and HBA looks much more of a threat.

    Two very good performances in a row now which is really pleasing, but for the third time I gotta mention Perch, what a difference a year makes!

  5. Worky…I’m Witters & has he fcuk. Andymac’s wanted nothing more than failure just to prove himself right (although he’s very wrong)

    Btw has he ever produced/ written this so called master piece…I bet he’s just bidding his time, waiting for the right moment to unleash what will no doubt be complete & utter sh1te

    ;-)

  6. NizzleToon says:
    April 1, 2012 at 5:38 pm

    “Worky…I’m Witters & has he fcuk. Andymac’s wanted nothing more than failure just to prove himself right (although he’s very wrong)

    Btw has he ever produced/ written this so called master piece…I bet he’s just bidding his time, waiting for the right moment to unleash what will no doubt be complete & utter sh1te”

    What a stupid, ignorant bore you are. It’s no wonder you’re so lonely that you spend all your time trying to get on a site you’re banned from to troll people.

    Being full of hate and bile all the time will get you nowhere. ;-)

  7. williamson put last week’s clanger behind him and had a rock steady english old fashioned style nut and boot center half game .well done lad

  8. Great to hear Perch had another good game. It’s amazing what some playing time will do. I have to wonder about Santon though. Did I miss something? It seemed like he’d finally made LB his own and now he’s no where to be seen (save the 90th minute). Any one have any ideas on that?

  9. It’s just great to see us playing well, playing decent football, and not needing a lot of luck to win matches. If NUFC can keep playing like this, the side will be masters of their own fate. Pity chelski had to go and win yesterday. But Everton are still 10 points behind us. Let’s up that LFC’s defeat today will inspire them in the cup. So long as Everton aren’t in the final. I guess that’s crucial to us as 5th place is going to be a real battle, I would think.

  10. Tripp says:
    April 1, 2012 at 6:33 pm

    “It’s just great to see us playing well, playing decent football, and not needing a lot of luck to win matches.”

    We did get some luck anyway, Tripp. Did you not see the arm ball on the line and potential sending off for a start? :-)

  11. Pardew said the alleged handball was “high up on the shoulder” – and I for one believe him!

    Bout time we got some decisions going our way…..

  12. we’ve had plenty all season, to be sure. But every team does. I’m talking about like the first QPR match, or Blackburn away. Games where we were under the cosh for long periods of time and really should have gotten nowt from the match.

  13. We did get some luck anyway, Tripp. Did you not see the arm ball on the line and potential sending off for a start?

    ‘Arm’ sounds so incriminating. Let’s call it an ‘upper torso appendage’.

  14. Perch in line for player of the season how much has this bloke come on.Great display by the lads even funny watching jose going in goal.Liverpool have got problems but they didnt really hurt us though we let them play a bit.Reckon Andy bottled rather than score just fell over.Keep it going lads.

  15. Great “stumble” by Agent Carroll – no way was he going to score, he likes going out in the Toon too much :)

  16. sandybaz says: Perch in line for player of the season how much has this bloke come on
    agreed mate – I said the same a couple of weeks ago & how sorry I was for slagging him off when he started
    – very very pleased for him!

  17. Jimbob says @5: very proud today, it was perfect. Great to see us using a 4-3-3 and the players look much happier. The movement and passing has improved greatly and HBA looks much more of a threat.
    Two very good performances in a row now which is really pleasing, but for the third time I gotta mention Perch, what a difference a year makes!

    couldn’t agree more mate!

  18. UTD111 says:
    April 1, 2012 at 6:55 pm

    “For a club that’s spent £100M – I thought Liverpool had some very ordinary players out there today…”

    It’s actually looking a bit like Ashley, the early days, so far, UTD111. They have the sinister DOF (Dennis Wise / Comolli the Clown). They’ve got the local idol in as face man (King Kev / King Kenny), and they’ve got Geordie Xisco (you know who) :-)

  19. @worky – haha, season in championship might do them good, in fact make it a few seasons :)

  20. 4411 says:
    April 1, 2012 at 8:35 pm

    “@worky – haha, season in championship might do them good, in fact make it a few seasons :) ”

    That’s the thing though 4411. They’ve still got a trophy, a place in Europe and a crack at another trophy as well where we got relegated. Bastads!

  21. I know this has been done to death but… It almost certainly looks like we will at least finish 6th, and I’m going to assume we will. So if we do finish 6th, but Everton reach the F.A. Cup final, we do not qualify for the Europa and Everton will? Or have I got this wrong?

  22. Jimbob says:
    April 1, 2012 at 8:57 pm

    “So if we do finish 6th, but Everton reach the F.A. Cup final, we do not qualify for the Europa and Everton will? Or have I got this wrong?”

    Aye, you’ve got it right Jimbob.

    I think.

  23. That would be really really shite if that happened Worky. Looks like we’ll have to cheer our old boys on then…

  24. DJG says:

    “AndyMac, still think we should axe ‘Pardwho’? Gan give your head a shake lad. ;)”

    Why should I DJG ?

    http://www.eplindex.com/11161/hatem-ben-arfa-mercurial-maddening-epl-opta-stats.html

    “AndyMac // Mar 10, 2012 at 3:06 PM

    Spuds went 4-4-2 against the Gooners and got thumped so I’d go with 4-3-3 moving to 4-5-1 without the ball :(

    Guthrie and Cabaye look good on paper with Tiote holding slightly deeper but the key is the two wide men. They’ll have to work hard to nullify Arsenal’s wide men (although Walcott and Chamberlain are doubtful) but they’ll also have to provide ammunition for Ba up front.

    I dont trust Obertan to do that so I’d go with Thai Mag but the other way around. HBA on the left (notionally) and Jonas back to his rightful (geddit) position”

    Its only taken Pardwho 30 games this season to work out what a lot of us have known for quite some time so sorry if that offends you and your mate Witters but the stats have shown, up until West Brom, how we have failed to create chances, deliver accurate crosses and above all else hold on to the phucking ball.

    So having set the tone at West Brom last week the bloke should be commended for keeping faith with a much more fluid system that suits most of the players at the club right now.

    My only concern is that Demba will see his scoring opportunities reduced while playing on the left of the front three and may decide the grass is greener at PSG or wherever ?

  25. It’s got nothing to do with intricate formations against top 7 unfortunately for you. Fact is you have hated Pardew for many months so don’t turn all sheep in wolf’s clothes now, nobody is buying it. Instead of trying to say your tactics were right guys, why not applaude the guy who actually implemented them?

    “AndyMac, still think we should axe ‘Pardwho’? Gan give your head a shake lad. ”

    Why should I DJG ?

    I don’t understand, from that do you think we should sack the best manager we have had since Sir Bobby without question?

  26. Dont worry DJG I’m not turning into a Pardwho fan :)

    “Instead of trying to say your tactics were right guys, why not applaude the guy who actually implemented them?”

    Yeah you’re spot on DJG Pardwho must have been waiting for just the right moment :lol:

  27. Dunno if this will mean much to you DJG but nufcstats mentioned this back in February when 4-4-2 man was still working out where Zone 14 was !

    “Finally, the play in the most important area of the pitch for goal scoring (Zone 14 – central edge of box) is pretty none existent. Newcastle United do not have that player that is consistently clever and manipulative around the penalty area; just one chance has been created by ‘sliding’ in an attacking ball from Zone 14 and that turned into an assist (Best v QPR).”

    It should therefore come as no surprise to all that the above stat has dramatically improved since West Brom. Just goes to show what you can do when you put your mind to it ?

  28. Great result :)

    Has anyone taken the time to oook at Eric Pieters Twitter account, he is either a good friend of Krul’s or he is pushing for a move.

    Now checking the match #newliv Go Magpies and @TimKrul #getthose3points / Already 1-0 Papiss Cisse #keepitgoing

    Erik Pieters ‏ @_Erik_Pieters_ Reply Retweet Favorite · Open
    Go Magpies #newliv / 2nd Goal of Pepiss Cisse 25min left..!! #keepitgoing http://pic.twitter.com/idpswleA

    He also made comments before the derby saying “beat those people”.

  29. summerof69 says:
    April 1, 2012 at 10:25 pm

    “Has anyone taken the time to oook at Eric Pieters Twitter account, he is either a good friend of Krul’s or he is pushing for a move.”

    Since around the middle of March, Summer. It all looks like double dutch to me though.

  30. Great win today by the lads hopefully we can carry this form on and exciting times could be ahead. Great blog lads keep it up :-D .

  31. Great report Hugh, many thanks.

    I think that will be the end of the Carroll saga – overshadowed by a player five times better and a fifth of the cost –
    The Guardian says – Andy Carroll storms off at Newcastle as Kenny Dalglish feels the heat – Liverpool’s manager said the £35m striker needs to deal better with frustration after an unhappy return to his former club.
    The Telegraph says – Carroll reacted to his second-half substitution by swearing several times in the direction of Dalglish. The England striker claimed the decision to take him off was a “f—— joke” before storming straight down the tunnel.

    Comeing back? no chance!