Source: Northern_Echo
Newcastle United 0 - Derby County 0
Newcastle United 0 - Derby County 0[LNB] A MISERABLE end to a miserable 12 months. When it comes to summing up Newcastle United's Annus Horribilis' in 90 mind-numbing minutes, a goalless home draw with Derby County pretty much does the trick.[LNB] For all of the satisfaction that can be drawn from the six-point advantage the Magpies continue to hold at the top of the Championship table, recent successes should not mask just how disastrous 2009 has been for everyone associated with Newcastle.[LNB] Relegation, boardroom embarrassment, more spins of the managerial merry-go-round and a realignment to reflect the financial realities of life outside the Premier League, this has been a year to forget at St James' Park.[LNB] The hope is that 2010 will right many of the wrongs that have been all-too-apparent in the last 12 months, but a festive return of just two points from two matches has provided a timely reminder that nothing has been achieved yet.[LNB] Newcastle's final game of 2008 proved a stark precursor of what was to follow, with Liverpool running riot at St James' Park en route to a crushing 5-1 victory, and if last night's footnote to 2009 is similarly prophetic, the second half of the season could be a test of nerves rather than a romp to the Championship title.[LNB] In eight of the last ten seasons, the side that has been top of the Championship on New Year's Day has gone on to win promotion, but Newcastle are not yet a good enough side to take anything for granted, as confirmed by last night's stalemate.[LNB] Having dominated the opening 20 minutes against a Derby side struggling in the bottom half of the table, Newcastle rapidly ran out of ideas, to the extent that they only created two opportunities in the whole of the second half.[LNB] A decade that started with Newcastle scoring 11 goals in their opening three matches of 2000 against West Ham, Sheffield United and Southampton ended with the club failing to find the target against a Championship also ran. Trust Newcastle to interpret the Noughties' far too literally.[LNB] It did not look that way in the opening quarter of last night's game, however, as Derby became the latest in a long line of sides to freeze in the environs of the biggest ground in the Championship.[LNB] The visitors appeared nervous and hesitant early on, enabling Newcastle's attacking players to carve out a succession of opportunities in the first 20 minutes.[LNB] That none of them was taken was down to a combination of poor finishing, bad luck and the excellence of Derby goalkeeper Stephen Bywater.[LNB] Andy Carroll's second-minute header fell into the first category, with the striker, who was restored to the starting line-up in place of Marlon Harewood, whose loan deal from Aston Villa has now expired, heading wide following Jonas Gutierrez's cross.[LNB] Ryan Taylor experienced the bad luck, as his 11th-minute free-kick rebounded off the top of the crossbar with Bywater beaten, and the Magpies midfielder, who was preferred to Danny Guthrie, was also cursing the Derby shot-stopper's ability as he was denied again eight minutes later.[LNB] Gutierrez's through ball sent Taylor racing through on goal from the inside-right channel, but after steadying himself for a side-footed finish, the midfielder saw Bywater produce an excellent save to turn the ball around his left-hand post.[LNB] With Gutierrez running riot down the left flank, a breakthrough appeared all but inevitable, but not for the first time this season, the Magpies took their foot off the pedal and failed to press home their superiority.[LNB] Indeed, the hosts would even have been behind at the break had Steve Harper not confirmed his status as the best goalkeeper in the Championship midway through the opening period.[LNB] DJ Campbell met Stephen Pearson's left-wing cross at the front post, but Harper produced an instinctive save to block the striker's effort.[LNB] The Easington-born shot-stopper might have been at fault for Sheffield Wednesday's equaliser at the weekend, but that was a rare aberration in an otherwise impressive campaign.[LNB] In truth, Harper's fine first-half save was just about the extent of his evening's work, with Derby's midfielders struggling to pick holes through a well-drilled Magpies defence that returned to its parsimonious best following Saturday's surprisingly shaky display at Hillsborough.[LNB] The majority of the second-half action took place at the opposite end of the field, but for all of their possession, Newcastle regularly lacked the guile required to break down Derby's back four.[LNB] Steven Taylor found sufficient space to meet Carroll's right-wing cross in the 57th minute, but the defender directed his header straight at Bywater when a yard either side of the goalkeeper would have resulted in a breakthrough.[LNB] Hughton introduced Shola Ameobi and Nile Ranger in an attempt to generate some momentum, and the latter came within inches of grabbing a winner two minutes from time.[LNB] Bywater turned Ranger's back-post shot against the underside of the crossbar, and while the ball rebounded onto the goalline, it did not cross it to enter the goal.[LNB] That was that in terms of goalmouth incident, but there was still time for Derby defender James McEveley to be dismissed after he picked up a second yellow card for a foul on Gutierrez.[LNB] Match facts Bookings: McEveley (33mins, foul), Hulse (41, foul), Savage (87, foul), Nolan (89, foul) Sending Offs: McEveley (90mins, second yellow card, foul) Referee: Kevin Wright (Huntingdon) 6 Attendance: 47,505 Entertainment: P NEWCASTLE (4-4-2): Harper 7; Simpson 6, Coloccini 7, S Taylor 7, Enrique 6; R Taylor 4 (Pancrate 70mins), Smith 6, Nolan 5, GUTIERREZ 7; Lovenkrands 5 (Ranger 78mins), Carroll 4 (Ameobi 65mins 5).[LNB] Subs (not used): Krul (gk), Kadar, Butt, Guthrie.[LNB] DERBY (4-4-2): BYWATER 8; Connolly 4, Addison 7, Buxton 6, McEveley 6; Green 5, Savage 6, Pearson 6, Hendrie 5 (Commons 69mins 4); Hulse 5, Campbell 4 (Livermore 84mins).[LNB] Subs (not used): Deeney (gk), Croft, Teale, Pringle, Dickov.[LNB] Man Of The Match: STEPHEN Bywater The Derby goalkeeper made three excellent saves, with the best keeping out Nile Ranger's late effort via the underside of the crossbar.[LNB]
