Source: Northern_Echo
Newcastle prove there is life after Carroll
A ONE-MAN team Not exactly. If this is what life without Andy Carroll looks like, the biggest fear for the next few weeks might be that Newcastle owner Mike Ashley decides his club can do without their leading goalscorer permanently.[LNB] With Carroll beginning an enforced break after suffering a tear to his thigh muscle, there were fears Newcastle's lack of attacking alternatives would be exposed as they travelled to a ground that had previously seen Magpies fans turn against Graeme Souness, Sam Allardyce and Joe Kinnear.[LNB] Instead, Shola Ameobi scored his first goal since October, defenders Fabricio Coloccini and Steven Taylor both hit the woodwork, and the Magpies secured their first ever victory at the DW Stadium. Unlike so many of his predecessors who have suffered festive misery in Wigan, at least Alan Pardew can leave Lancashire dreaming of a Happy New Year.[LNB] Ultimately, Ameobi's predatory first-half strike was the difference between the two sides, and the striker's partnership with fellow forward Peter Lovenkrands augured well for the forthcoming games without Carroll.[LNB] While Newcastle's newly-capped England international has performed superbly in the first half of the season, he dominates play to the extent that almost all of the club's attacking moves head in his direction.[LNB] Without him yesterday, the Magpies were forced to look elsewhere. Thanks to Ameobi's hold-up play, Lovenkrands' movement and the patient probing of the impressive Joey Barton, the visitors caused a succession of problems throughout.[LNB] The win lifted them to tenth position, six points clear of the relegation zone, and also featured a first clean sheet since mid-November.[LNB] Having quickly decided that Taylor and Coloccini are his first-choice centre-halves, Pardew will have been delighted at the way the duo gelled yesterday.[LNB] Not, however, that the afternoon started especially well for the Magpies boss. With both sides bursting out of the blocks, Pardew watched Ameobi waste a glorious opportunity inside the opening two minutes.[LNB] Danny Simpson slung over an inviting cross from the right, but after pulling away from his marker to the back post, Ameobi directed a close-range header over the angle of crossbar and upright.[LNB] For all that he towers above most defenders, the Nigeria-born striker has never been a particularly good header of the ball. Little more than 100 seconds into his absence, and it was already hard not to wonder what Carroll might have done in the same position.[LNB] Seventeen minutes later, however, and the aberration was both forgiven and forgotten. Ameobi's fourth league goal of the season might have been one of the simplest he will ever score, but it was no less welcome for that.[LNB] Barton was the architect of the success, as was the case for many of Newcastle's best moments all afternoon, out-muscling full-back Steve Gohouri and firing in a low drive that goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi parried but failed to collect.[LNB] Lovenkrands reacted quickest to the loose ball, and after the Dane's six-yard prod rebounded off the base of the left-hand post, Ameobi was perfectly positioned to tap in.[LNB] The goal was only the second Newcastle had ever scored at the DW Stadium, and it secured the lead thanks in no small part to the early efforts of Steve Harper, who was making his first start since injuring his shoulder at Everton in September.[LNB] Harper replaced Tim Krul, who had performed creditably enough at Tottenham five days earlier but was surely paying a delayed price for his second-minute howler against Manchester City on Boxing Day. Five minutes in, and the change of goalkeepers already looked like a wise decision.[LNB] Tom Cleverley's 20-yard drive was creeping into the bottom right-hand corner, but Harper flung himself to his left to keep it out. At such an early stage of proceedings, it was a particularly agile save.[LNB] Cleverley has been Wigan's stand-out player this season, but the Manchester United loanee, who was watched by his permanent boss Sir Alex Ferguson, wasted Wigan's best opportunity of the afternoon moments before Ameobi scored.[LNB] Mohamed Diame picked him out from the left-hand side, but despite being completely unmarked on the edge of the six-yard box, Cleverley volleyed wide.[LNB] The profligacy was clearly catching, as Lovenkrands and Jonas Gutierrez also failed to profit from promising positions before the break.[LNB] Lovenkrands lost the ball between his feet as he attempted to turn and shoot on the edge of the six-yard area, while Gutierrez shot straight at a prone Al Habsi after breaking clear down the left.[LNB] Unlike so many previous matches between the two sides in Lancashire, the ebb and flow of the action was relentless throughout, and both teams hit the woodwork in the final ten minutes of the first half.[LNB] Wigan's effort was relatively routine - Antolin Alcaraz out-jumping the visiting defence to power Cleverley's right-wing corner against the crossbar - but Newcastle's was close to producing one of the goals of the season.[LNB] Fabricio Coloccini sprinted 20 yards to meet Barton's corner on the edge of the 18-yard box, but while his header boasted sufficient power to beat a startled Al Habsi, it rattled the top of the crossbar. A second goal at that stage would have provided some breathing space, but having entered the interval trailing by just one strike, Wigan began the second half in a more purposeful mood.[LNB] Hugo Rodallega flashed two hopeful long-range efforts past the post, but despite an increased workload, Newcastle's defenders held firm, maintaining a tight line and preventing Wigan's midfielders from threading balls behind them.[LNB] Taylor was particularly impressive, and almost made his mark in the Wigan box in the 68th minute. He out-leapt Gary Caldwell to meet Barton's set-piece, but became the second Newcastle player to head against the crossbar.[LNB] That was effectively that, although Taylor had to survive an 83rd-minute penalty appeal against Mario Boselli when the substitute's shot appeared to catch both arm and chest.[LNB] Newcastle had chances to extend their lead, but substitute Leon Best wasted the best of them when he shot wide after galloping clear in the final minute.[LNB]
