Newcastle United 1 - 0 Wigan

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Saturday Sep 01 2007 03:00

Michael Owen headed Newcastle United to a late victory over Wigan Athletic with his first home Premier League goal for two years.

Owen left the field unscathed and playing a full 90 minutes as he ended Newcastle's sad statistic of having gone 646 minutes at home without a league goal.

He now looks certain to start for England in their European Championship game with Israel at Wembley next Saturday.

The Latics didn't help their own cause when Kevin Kilbane was sent off in the first minute of the second half for two bookable offences in the space of four minutes.

Sam Allardyce was called upon to make his first major selection decisions since arriving at St James' Park and he went for Owen at the expense of £10million striker Obafemi Martins and chose to leave out fit-again keeper Shay Given, giving the nod to Steve Harper.

Allardyce's decision to give Owen his first Premier League start of the season was well and truly vindicated.

After just eight minutes Owen latched onto a Mark Viduka flick and broke on the left and with just Chris Kirkland to beat he went for the far corner, only to see the keeper turn his effort narrowly wide.

Owen then had an effort disallowed for offside as Newcastle saw plenty of the ball against a Wigan side looking for a fourth successive league win.

The visitors were then denied the lead by a stunning Harper save after 19 minutes as the keeper went full length to keep out a Jason Koumas free-kick

Then from the corner kick, Harper was called into action again to keep out a close-range header from United old boy Antoine Sibierski.Titus Bramble, clearly handled the ball from a Viduka flick after 22 minutes, but referee Steve Bennett brushed aside all penalty claims.

Watched by billionaire owner Mike Ashley for the third time in six days, he saw Owen waste a gilt-edged chance to open the scoring just before the half-hour mark.Andreas Granqvist lost his footing and the ball dropped invitingly for Owen who with just Kirkland to beat lobbed his effort over the bar.

There was then a mad four minutes for Kilbane when he saw red. He was yellow-carded after 42 minutes for an ugly challenge on Steven Taylor and then within seconds of the second-half resumption, the former Everton man was sent off after harshly picking up another yellow for a challenge on Alan Smith.

In between Taylor had headed a Geremi corner against the bar.

Viduka failed to appear after the break because of a hamstring strain and his replacement, Shola Ameobi curled an early effort wide.

Bramble then made a last-ditch tackle to disposes Owen as he was about to pull the trigger and then Bramble inadvertently played in Nicky Butt, who fired over from eight yards.

Newcastle were finally rewarded four minutes from time when Owen finished off a flowing move.

Taylor picked up a wayward Bramble pass, spreading the ball wide to substitute Martins, whose cross was headed in by Owen who lost Wigan substitute Emmerson Boyce.

Live Commentary

90
Newcastle carry on their unbeaten start to the season and finally score a home goal in the league thanks to Owen as Wigan fail to hold out for a point.

90
Newcastle are just trying to run down the clock now, taking the ball into the corner and all the other usually tactics.

90
The fourth official indicates there will be five minutes of added on time.

89
Scharner swings in a free kick towards goal and Heskey goes for the ball and clatters into Harper, the ball eventually going over from close range.

89
Charles N'Zogbia gets a late booking after a foul on Brown.

86
Owen gives Newcastle the lead and surely all three points after Martins picked out Owen at the near post, the England striker getting ahead of Boyce and knocking it home.

81
N'Zogbia floats in another corner towards goal but its headed clear by Bramble as Newcastle look void of ideas.

77
Brown is booked after making one too many bad tackles.

76
Geremi swings in another Newcastle corner and again its headed clear by Bramble as the home side still can't find a way through.

74
Millner whips in a corner and nearly finds Cacapa, who is running in, but Kirland comes out to claim the ball well.

72
Ameobi tries to flick on a ball for Owen but a block by Boyce leaves Butt running onto the ball, who hammers it goalwards but only manages to send it high over the bar from inside the area.

70
N'Zogbia takes another corner and this time picks out a black and white shirt, Taylor getting a header on target but its blocked by a pair of Wigan players who clear.

69
N'Zogbia floats in the corner from the right but its headed clear by Boyce, the ball coming back and earning Newcastle another corner.

68
Ameobi looks to pick out Martins with a low cross but its cut out well by Granqvist who volleys the ball away.

65
Newcastle make an attacking change as Obafemi Martins comes on and replaces Alan Smith, who doesn't look happy with the change.

63
Millner picks Owen inside the area and just as the England forward is about to pull the trigger Bramble puts in a good challenge to win the ball.

60
Scharner throws himself into the back of Butt and earns himself a card for the challenge.

59
Millner turns his man and manages to swing in a cross towards the far post but its over everyones heads and out of play.

57
Wigan make their lst change of the game, Jason Koumas coming off for Marcus Bent .

57
Smith is booked after bringing down Scharner with a late tackle.

54
Ameobi bundles Granqvist off the ball and hammers the shot across the face of goal and out of play as Newcastle try to take advantage of being a man up.

51
N'Zogbia goes on a mazy run and eventually tries to whip in a cross towards the near post but Kirland is there to gather the ball.

47
Wigan have to adjust their formation and Antoine Sibierski is sacrificed as Emmerson Boyce comes on to drop into defence.

47
Heskey goes into the referee's book after protesting a little too much about Kilbane's dismissal.

45
Kilbane picks up his second yellow card after Steve Bennett ajudged the Irish international of head butting Smith while going up for a header, crazy decision.

45
Newcastle have made a change at the break with Shola Ameobi coming on for Mark Viduka

45
Newcastle get the second half underway hoping to break the deadlock and finally score a goal after 10 hours of goalless Premiership football at St James.

45
Its all square at half time with Newcastle having the best of the match so far, Taylor coming close with his header right at the end of the half.

45
Geremi swings in the corner and finds Taylor who power a header at goal and Wigan are only saved by the crossbar as the visitors scramble the ball away eventually.

45
The fourth official indicates there will be four minutes of added on time.

43
Kirkland keeps Wigan in the game after an Owen flick found Butt at the far post who got his header on target but the Wigan goalkeeper makes himself big to deny Butt.

42
Smith tries the acrobatic scissor kick from the edge of the area but sends it high over the bar.

41
N'Zogbia is brought down by Kilbane ,who just stuck out a hopeful leg, ad becomes the first name to go into the referee's book.

39
Butt is forced to change shirts after taking an inadvertant elbow to the nose which has caused a nose bleed.

35
Geremi swings in a cross towards goal, finding Smith who gets his head on the ball but can only send it straight up in the air and over the bar.

31
Scharner tries his luck from long range but can only send it straight at Harper who only has tt crouch down and pick up the ball.

29
Wigan are forced to make a change with Denny Landzaat coming off with an injury and Josip Skoko coming on.

27
Granqvist slips on the turf and Owen finds himself one-on-one with Kirland, the England striker lobbing the goalkeeper but can only watch the ball fly over the crossbar and onto the top of the goal.

26
N'Zogbia finds Viduka with a short pass and the Australian finds time to turn and shot but it only cannons off Bramble and Melchiot takes possession for Wigan.

23
Butt uncorks one from just outside the area and see's it just whistle past the post, although Kirkland didn't seem interested.

21
Viduka wins another header flicking it onto Brambles thigh after which the ball seemed to hit the defenders hand inside the area as the crowd scream for a penalty but Steve Bennett waves away the protests.

19
Koumas's corner finds Sibierski who puts in a weak header at goal from inside the six yard box, sending it straight into Harper's hands.

18
Koumas strikes a freekick from just left of centre on the edge of the Newcastle area and seemingly puts Wigan infront but Harper produces an excellent save to turn it around the post.

16
The follow-up throw is badly cleared by Melchoit, only sending it to Millner who strikes the ball on the volley into a crowd a bodies and is then stabbed in by Owen but the linesman cuts short the Toon's joy as both Owen and Viduka are both offside.

15
Geremi swings in a free kick, sending it towards the near post but Scharner does well to head the ball away.

14
Viduka and Smith play a nice one-two leaving Smith with a shooting oppurtunity, the midfielder striking the ball with the outside of his boot, bending it away from goal and wide.

12
Koumas tries to float in a cross towards Heskey and Sibierski in the penalty area but its an awful cross as Taylor cuts out the attempt.

10
Landzaat tries to slip in Heskey with a nice through ball but the Newcastle defence just steps up in time to catch the forward out.

8
N'Zogbia's corner fires across the face of goal finding no one but is nearly touched in by the flying Rozenhal who just misses the ball as it drifts out of play.

7
Viduka this time finds another Newcastle player with his flick on unleashing Owen who got in behind the Wigan defence and sprinted away to goal, firing in a decent shot towards the bottom right hand corner, forcing Kirland to tip the ball behind

4
Geremi finds Viduka again with a free kickand much like the last one Viduka flicks it on straight into Kirland's arms.

2
Geremi floats a long pass into the box from a freekick and finds the top of Viduka's head, the Australian just flicking the ball on for Kirkland who gathers.

1
Sibierski knocks a long ball down for Koumas who has the first shot of the game, driving it straight at Harper who has no problems holdng onto the ball.

0
Referee Steve Bennett gets this game underway here at St James Park as the home fans hope they will finally get to see a Newcastle goal. Wigan take the kick-off

0
Wigan XI: Kirkland, Melchiot, Granqvist, Bramble, Kilbane, Landzaat, Brown, Scharner, Koumas, Sibierski, Heskey

0
Wigan revert back to the side that drew at West Ham last week after being humbled by Hull in the league cup. New signing Marcus Bent hast to be content with a place on the bench as the Latics go in search of a first ever win at St James Park.

0
Newcastle XI: Harper, Taylor, Rozehnal, Cacapa, N'Zogbia, Smith, Geremi, Butt, Milner, Owen, Viduka

0
Michael Owen is finally fit enough to start a Premiership game for Newcastle as Mrtins drops to the bench. But the Toon still have a catalogue of injured players with Emre, Ramage, Carr, Babayaro, Barton and Duff out.

Statistics

Newcastle United

Shots on target	8
Shots off target	11
Shots off bar/post	1
Fouls	15
Offsides	5
Corners	9

Wigan

Shots on target	6
Shots off target	1
Shots off bar/post	0
Fouls	18
Offsides	6
Corners	1

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