Source: Northern_Echo
Newcastle United 1 Sheffield Wednesday 0
THERE is plenty that is wrong with Newcastle United at the moment, but sitting in a near-capacity St James’ Park yesterday evening, it was hard to believe this is a club on the verge of collapse.
In front of 43,904 – the biggest Championship attendance for four years – an energetic and enterprising Newcastle claimed their second victory inside five days, and secured a share of top spot in the table in the process.
Shola Ameobi followed up his hat-trick with a clinical 15th-minute finish, and the likes of Alan Smith and Kevin Nolan once again proved they have the stomach for life outside the Premier League.
Back-to-back home wins were recorded for the first time since last November, and Newcastle’s players, much criticised last season, provided another riposte to those who claimed they would crumble in the Championship.
Glaring problems still exist – most notably the lack of squad depth – but the opening two weeks of the season have provided cause for optimism as well as fear.
The key question now is whether Mike Ashley’s next move will help or hinder the club’s attempt to mount a credible promotion challenge.
Three or four well-adjudged additions would help Newcastle no end, but last night’s win over a committed Sheffield Wednesday proved the current squad is strong enough to hold its own, provided key players stay fit.
Prior to yesterday, Wednesday’s most recent visit to St James’ Park had ended in an 8-0 home win, a game that marked Sir Bobby Robson’s first in charge of the club.
Plenty has changed since then, but Newcastle began last night’s game with a swagger and intensity that suggested they were intent on producing a repeat performance.
Nolan hammered a longrange shot over within the opening 25 seconds, and with Ryan Taylor and Jonas Gutierrez probing effectively from the flanks, the hosts quickly picked up where they had left off against Reading at the weekend.
One man in particular seemed inspired by his performance against the Royals, and after grabbing his first senior hat-trick on Saturday, Ameobi made it four goals in 67 minutes with his first chance of the night.
Andy Carroll flicked on Steve Harper’s long clearance, and after chesting the ball down to evade the challenge of full-back Tommy Spurr, Ameobi dispatched a clinical 14-yard finish into the bottom right-hand corner of the net.
He almost grabbed a second shortly before the half-hour mark, but with his header from Ryan Taylor’s corner arcing towards the goal, Wednesday goalkeeper Lee Grant produced a fine save.
Ameobi offered an aerial threat throughout, and his partnership with Carroll is already proving effective.
Ameobi has spent his career unsuccessfully attempting to establish himself in the Premier League – like his former Newcastle team-mate Michael Chopra, the Championship might well represent his level.
But Fabricio Coloccini appeared uncomfortable last night, with Jermaine Johnson’s pace causing him no end of problems.
Johnson skipped past Coloccini moments before Ameobi scored, and Newcastle would have been trailing had Sean McAllister not fired over from close to goal.
Sol Campbell might turn 35 next month, but on this evidence, the former Portsmouth defender still appears a much better bet than Coloccini.
But the rest of the Newcastle team were dominant for the majority of the evening, twice coming close to doubling their lead within the opening eight minutes of the second half.
First, Grant produced an excellent save to keep out Ryan Taylor’s free-kick, then Nolan fired narrowly over the top as the Magpies decamped in Wednesday’s half of the field.
As the second half wore on, Newcastle failed to exert the same supremacy they had displayed before the break.
Xisco’s arrival as a replacement for Carroll hardly helped, as the Spaniard struggled to retain possession, and Geordie hearts were in mouths when Harper was forced into his first save of the evening in the 65th minute, a full-stretch effort that tipped Gray’s free-kick over the crossbar.
The keeper was called upon again four minutes from time, smothering an attempt from substitute Francis Jeffers to secure all three points.
Matchfacts
Goal: Ameobi (1-0, 15)
Bookings: Smith (foul, 14), Coloccini (foul, 25), Buxton (foul, 38), Miller (foul, 75), S Taylor (foul, 83)
Referee: Phil Dowd (Stoke-on-Trent) 6
Attendance: 43,904
Entertainment: ✰✰✰
NEWCASTLE (4-4-2): Harper 6; Simpson 6, S Taylor 7, Coloccini 4, Enrique 6; R Taylor 6 (Guthrie 90), Nolan 6, Smith 7, Gutierrez 6; Carroll 7 (Xisco 58, 4), AMEOBI 8 (Ranger 88). Subs (not used): Krul (gk), Kadar, Geremi, Lua Lua.
SHEFF WED (4-4-2): Grant 6; Buxton 4, Wood 5, Purse 6, Spurr 5; McAllister 5 (Esajas 73), O’Connor 5 (Jeffers 81), Potter 4, Gray 6 (Miller 73); Tudgay 4, JOHNSON 7. Subs (not used): O’Donnell (gk), Hinds, Beevers, Simek, Jeffers.
MAN OF THE MATCH
SHOLA Ameobi – relishing life in the Championship
