- Fortune (4), Fortune (73)
- Duff (2), Lovenkrands (9), Taylor, S (41)
- Date:2009-02-07
- Kick-off:15:00
- Venue:The Hawthorns
- Attendance:25817
- Referee:Foy, C
Live Commentary
90mins
WEST BROM 2-3 NEWCASTLE: Newcastle survive late West Brom pressure to deservedly secure three points against their relegation rivals.
89mins
Xisco has come on for goalscorer Lovenkrands.
84mins
Morrison shoots straight at Harper. It was a difficult chance but perhaps he should have done better.
82mins
It's a forward for a midfielder as Moore comes on for Valero.
81mins
Ten minutes to go! Can West Brom force an equaliser?
80mins
Great effort by Lovenkrands. He let the ball drop over his shoulder before unleashing a dipping volley that flew just wide of Carson's goal.
79mins
Ameobi makes way for Viduka.
77mins
Koren is booked for a late tackle on Duff.
76mins
West Brom are going for it now. Enrique hacks clear from a dangerous Robinson cross and Coloccini completes the clearance.
74mins
Smart save by Carson as Lovenkrands looks to restore Newcastle's two goal lead.
72mins
WEST BROM 2-3 NEWCASTLE: Game on at the Hawthorns as Teixeira finds FORTUNE who fires an angled drive past Harper for his second goal of the afternoon.
70mins
Newcastle look very comfortable now and the Albion fans are getting more and more frustrated with their team.
67mins
It's a card apiece as Barnett and Nolan are booked for coming to blows.
65mins
Duff almost makes it 4-1 to Newcastle . He burst into the area and smashed the ball wide of the right hand post.
62mins
Substitute Teixeira swings a boot at the ball but his shot goes over the bar.
60mins
Bednar crosses for Fortune but Coloccini heads clear for Newcastle.
58mins
West Brom are trying to get their game going but they can't find a telling final ball. Newcastle are content to take the pace out of the game.
55mins
So close for West Brom. Bednar headed into the path of Morrison but he sliced his shot wide of the target. Should have done better.
53mins
Morrison hits a curling shot that just flies wide of the target. Harper seemed to think it was going well wide but it was a good effort from the West Brom winger.
50mins
Enrique tries his luck from distance but Carson is able to make an easy save.
48mins
Albion fans scream for a penalty after it appeared that Coloccini handled in the box. The referee waved play on though.
46mins
West Brom boss Tony Mowbray has decided to ring the changes with Teixeira and Bednar coming on for Do-Heon and Brunt.
46mins
We're back under way in the second half at the Hawthorns.
45mins
Ryan Taylor is the first player into ref Chris Hoy's notebook.
45mins
Boos all round at the Hawthorns as the teams leave the field. Newcastle were the better side but both defences were error-strewn. West Brom boss Tony Mowbray will have plenty to say to his team.
43mins
Barnett does well to get in a block as Newcastle continue to surge forward.
41mins
WEST BROM 1-3 NEWCASTLE: STEVEN TAYLOR swoops to head home from a corner.
37mins
Meite does well to block a 20 yard shot on goal from Ameobi.
35mins
Good chance for Newcastle but Taylor can't connect with a long Duff pass into the box and Carson just manages to make a save.
33mins
The West Brom crowd are starting to get frustrated with their side.
30mins
Duff and Nolan combine well to set up Taylor but the new signing from Wigan blazes his shot high over the bar.
28mins
The game has settled down now after a furious pace was set in the opening 20 minutes. That said, the way these two defend there's bound to be at least one more goal.
25mins
Valero goes on a mazy dribble and finds Morrison but his shot is deflected away by Coloccini.
23mins
Morrison and Brunt combine well for West Brom but the move breaks down and Taylor clears for Newcastle.
20mins
Valero fires a low cross in but Brunt can't stretch to reach it.
18mins
Barnett does well to head clear from a swerving Duff cross.
16mins
West Brom try a break away attack in this end-to-end clash. Fortune was in space but Valero over hit his pass.
14mins
Newcastle bomb forward again and Robinson is forced to make a last ditch block tacke to deny Ameobi. There must be more goals in this one.
12mins
So close for Newcastle. Taylor made a surging run down the right and sent over a teasing cross for Lovenkrands. The former Rangers man couldn't connect though and the ball fizzed out for a West Brom throw.
10mins
It's been two minutes since the last goal. Surely we should have had another by now?
8mins
WEST BROM 1-2 NEWCASTLE. Thank goodness Joe Kinnear isn't watching this! Newcastle go ahead again as LOVENKRANDS seizes on another West Brom mistake to put the Magpies back in front.
4mins
WEST BROM 1-1 NEWCASTLE: It's all happening here as Valero finds FORTUNE with a great pass and the striker turns to fire past Harper.
2mins
WEST BROM 0-1 NEWCASTLE: West Brom are caught cold at the back and DUFF pounces to slam home his third goal of the season.
1mins
Referee Chris Hoy gets proceedings underway at a sold-out Hawthorns.
0mins
The two teams make their way onto the field. West Brom in their traditional blue and white stripes and Newcastle sporting a purple away kit.
0mins
West Brom: Carson, Hoefkens, Barnett, Meite, Robinson, Kim, Koren, Borja Valero, Brunt, Morrison, Fortune
0mins
Struggling West Brom must do without on loan Arsenal striker Simpson and the suspended Zuiverloon but Morrison starts.
0mins
Newcastle: Harper, Steven Taylor, Bassong, Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Ryan Taylor, Nolan, Butt, Duff, Ameobi, Lovenkrands
0mins
Newcastle boss Joe Kinnear was taken to hospital after feeling unwell so deputy Chris Hughton takes charge and welcomes new signings Nolan and Taylor into the Magpies starting eleven.Lovenkrands also starts in place of the injured Owen.
0mins
Two clubs with relegation worries meet at The Hawthorns this afternoon in what is already being billed as a six pointer.
Match Preview
West Bromwich Albion host Newcastle United in a crucial fixture for both sides in their attempts to escape from the threat of relegation.
United manager Joe Kinnear could welcome Ryan Taylor into his squad following the midfielder's arrival from Wigan Athletic in a deal which saw Charles 'insomnia' N'Zogbia move to the JJB Stadium.
Kinnear failed in bids to sign Tal Ben Haim and Michael Johnson this week, but has been buoyed by the arrival of Kevin Nolan who made his debut in the 1-1 derby day draw with Sunderland.
Another bit of good news has reached the Toon boss, as Alan Smith has declared himself fit enough for a return to first-team action.
The former Leeds United and Manchester United star broke an ankle in pre-season, but made his comeback in a reserve team game last week.
Smith said: "My aim was to get through 60 minutes for the reserves so I was delighted to do that and at the end I didn't want to come off. West Brom is now the target for me."
Andy Carroll, Michael Owen and Mark Viduka all look set to miss out through injury, but Oba Martins could return after recovering from a groin strain.
Danny Guthrie, Cacapa, Habib Beye, Ignacio Gonzalez, Tamas Kadar, Joey Barton and Fabricio Coloccini are also in the St James' Park treatment table, while Jonas Gutierrez is suspended.
Albion boss Tony Mowbray will have targeted this game as a must-win match for his side if they are to have any chance of avoiding an immediate return to the Championship.
The Baggies have secured three points in several vital encounters at The Hawthorns recently, including victories against Tottenham, Middlesbrough and Manchester City.
Mowbray will be without Gianni Zuiverloon's services as the Dutchman is suspended after accumulating five yellow cards, while Jonathan Greening, Luke Moore, Ishmael Miller and Neil Clement are all currently injured.
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Match Report
Joe Kinnear was given the perfect pick me up as his Newcastle United side boosted their survival hopes with a priceless success against fellow strugglers West Bromwich Albion.
Kinnear was taken to hospital on the morning of the game as a precaution after complaining of feeling unwell.
Without him at the helm, his side won for the first time in seven games - and only the second time away from home this season - in an error strewn game that was decided by a series of defensive howlers before half-time.
Three of the goals came in a frantic opening nine minute spell with Damien Duff giving Newcastle the lead after just 65 seconds, Marc-Antoine Fortune equalising and then Peter Lovenkrands scoring his first goal for Newcastle.
Albion had won three of their last four home games, but all hopes of a dramatic comeback in this match effectively evaporated four minutes before half-time when Steven Taylor struck.
A second from Fortune in the 73rd minute briefly raised Albion hopes of a comeback, but Borja Valero wasted their best chance to complete the most dramatic of comebacks when he headed a Paul Robinson cross narrowly wide.
The victory kept Newcastle clear of the drop zone and in the context of the season it could be a crucial result.
Albion had been chasing a victory to leapfrog over Newcastle but they remain rooted to the bottom of the table after a defensive display that left manager Tony Mowbray fuming.
Leon Barnett, not for the first time this season, found himself culpable when he handed Duff Newcastle's opener.
The gangly central defender got himself in a terrible muddle trying to clear a pass from Shola Ameobi.
All he managed to do was push the ball into the path of Duff, who gave Scott Carson no chance from eight yards.
Having gifted Newcastle the advantage, it was somewhat ironic that a mistake in the United backline handed Albion a rapid route back on to level terms.
Valero pounced on a fourth minute clearance from Nicky Butt and picked out Fortune.
The on-loan Nancy marksman was being marshalled by Taylor but he slipped at just the wrong time and Fortune spun away before drilling a low, angled drive across Steve Harper.
Both sides would have hoped that would have been the end of any comical defending.
But things went bad from to worse for Albion when Lovenkrands ended a frantic opening nine minutes by regaining the lead for Newcastle.
Duff's left-wing cross picked out Taylor and his shot was cleared by Barnett only to bounce off the other Albion centre-half Abdoulaye Meite.
Unfortunately for Albion, the ball then flew invitingly to the foot of Lovenkrands, who made no mistake with a clinical finish from 14 yards.
If Meite thought his day couldn't get any worse it did four minutes before half-time when Taylor made amends for his earlier slip to increase Newcastle's advantage.
Taylor got away from the attention of Meite to stoop and head home a Ryan Taylor corner as Albion's defence was carved open again.
That should have been enough for Newcastle to cruise to victory but Albion ensured it was a nervy finale when Fortune grabbed his second.
The goal infuriated Newcastle as play momentarily stopped with Albion striker Roman Bednar down and appearing to need treatment.
Albion midfielder Robert Koren looked set to play the ball into touch but, when Bednar got to his feet, Koren played the ball forward.
It eventually found its way to Filipe Teixeira and his neat pass picked out Fortune, who again beat Harper with a low angled drive but it was ultimately too little to late.
West Bromwich Albion Team
Newcastle United Team
West Bromwich Albion | Newcastle United |
Corners
| 3 | 4 |
Fouls
| 7 | 12 |
Goal attempts
| 13 | 10 |
Shots off target
| 6 | 3 |
Offsides
| 7 | 5 |
87mins
Fortune fires in a 25 yard effort but Harper is able to make an easy save.