Source: Northern_Echo
Pardew enjoys perfect start
The Newcastle United fans may have been burning with rage before the game but by full-time they were celebrating a fine win as Alan Pardew's reign got off to the perfect start.[LNB] The Newcastle United fans may have been burning with rage before the game but by full-time they were celebrating a fine win as Alan Pardew's reign got off to the perfect start.[LNB] At a vociferous St James' Park his team were worthy 3-1 winners over Liverpool to end another turbulent week in the history of Newcastle on a high.[LNB] Kevin Nolan gave the Magpies a half-time lead before Dirk Kuyt levelled just after the break but in the last ten minutes a goal from scouser Joey Barton and a fabulous Andy Carroll strike handed the Magpies a victory that Mike Ashley must have been praying for.[LNB] Newcastle's owner had, again, infuriated the supporters by sacking the popular Chris Hughton as manager and replacing him with Pardew.[LNB] Having led a mixed managerial career so far, supporters met Pardew's appointment with little enthusiasm and hundreds of fans made their feelings known outside the main entrance to St James Park before kick-off.[LNB] As the players emerged there were also banners held aloft in support of Hughton, one saying simply: Thank you Chris.[LNB] There were also derogatory chants aimed towards Ashley, who watched the game from the stands alongside managing director Derek Llambias, but soon the the supporters had something to cheer due to an early goal.[LNB] It came from a Barton free-kick which was flighted to the far post where Carroll rose above Martin Skrtel and headed into Nolan's path who made no mistake inside the six-yard box on 15 minutes.[LNB] Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson, however, would surely ask questions of his team due to their slack marking, specifically as Nolan had been allowed to evade Raul Meireles.[LNB] The game had started at a fair pace with the Reds' Sotiris Kyrgiakos stinging Krul's palms with an rising drive from inside the penalty area after Newcastle had failed to clear a Liverpool free-kick while the Reds made the first of several defensive errors to hand Pardew's side their first sight of goal.[LNB] Fernando Torres' heavy touch handed possession to Newcatle with Jonas Gutierrez playing a fine pass into Carroll but the pony-tailed striker allowed the chance to slip away when his first touch let him down as he ran into the penalty area when chasing a Jonas Gutierrez pass.[LNB] Post-match Hodgson was pleased with his side's first-half showing. They missed a half-chances to level with Maxi Rodriguez heading over after latching on to Glen Johnson's high ball before Jose Enrique cleared off the line after a Meireless shot had deflected off David Ngog.[LNB] Meireless then played the ball back into the danger area but Ngog mised his attempted glancing header.[LNB] Newcastle were handed another chance via a Liverpool error when Meireless' udner-hit pass was seized upon by Shola Ameobi whose resulting shot was diverted wide by Martin Skrtel's outstretched boot.[LNB] Having held the lead for the majority of the first half, Newcastle took only five minutes of the second 45 to give it away with Sol Campbell at fault.[LNB] The veteran defender turned his back on the ball as Liverpool played it up field, it hit on his back and fell to Dirk Kuyt whose shot rolled into the corner of the net.[LNB] Steven Taylor may have got the last touch in attempting to stop the shot, but Campbell's error was the major factor in conceding to a team who have previously scored only five away goals in eight away game.[LNB] The equaliser led to a flurry of Liverpool chances with Campbell, who misjudged a flighted free-kick, again at fault for the next one which allowed in Torres but Krul did well to save at the Spanish striker's feet.[LNB] Torres saw a header held by Krul before the misfiring Ngog misdirected a header following Kuyt's right-wing cross.[LNB] Liverpool were in the ascendancy and Campbell, playing only because of injuries and suspension, handed Liverpool their next opportunity.[LNB] His punt clear went straight to Lucas Leiva who headed into Torres' path but Spaniard's shot was wide and in an entertaining game it was then the Magpies' turn to show some assertiveness with substitute Nile Ranger almost enjoying an immediate impact.[LNB] After Carroll had headed over a Barton right-wing cross, Ranger shot wide of the far post after showing strength to muscle Slovak centre-back Skrtel off the ball.[LNB] The game had been competitive throughout and it momentarily boiled over when Barton and Lucas exchanged limp-wristed taps to the head, though referee Lee Mason sensibly chose not to use his notebook.[LNB] The altercation, coming after Barton had played on after Ngog had gone down with head wound, which requited stitches and that resulted in his substitution, resulted in players from both sides coming together in a melee.[LNB] During a rare lull in proceedings both sides were off target with long-range efforts.[LNB] Cheik Tiote was an impressive presence in midfield where he stamped his authority on the game, though his one sight of goal, after being teed up by Ranger, was a side-footed effort that sailed over.[LNB] Then Lucas did likewise, swerving a 25-yard effort well wide after Carroll had headed clear a Meireles free-kick.[LNB] Just as the game appeared to be heading for a 1-1 draw though, Liverpool's weak defence came to the fore with Skrtel handing the chief culprit as Barton bagged his second goal of the season.[LNB] It came in the 80th minute following Krul's punt down the pitch which Carroll, imperious in the air, flicked on but with Skrtel muscled off ball by Ranger, Barton nipped in and prod past Jose Reina.[LNB] Pardew celebrated with Steve Stone as a victorious home bow appeared to be in sight while Liverpool's heads dropped, their fighting spirit evaporated.[LNB] Thereafter there was only going to be one winner and the scoring was completed in injury-time with Carroll blasting home his tenth goal of the season in fine style.[LNB] He collected Enrique's in-field pass on the left, took advantage of the space around him to cut inside and unleashing a venomous 25-yard blast across Reina and into the corner of the net to spark jubilant scenes.[LNB] Goalkeeper Krul even raced from his own penalty area to join in the celebrations.[LNB] Hodgson will, however, be disappointed with his team's defending as they allowed the forward too much space, but Newcastle were not complaining as they enjoyed Pardew's first game in charge.[LNB] Goals: Nolan (15, 1-0); Kuyt (60, 1-1); Barton (80, 2-1), Carroll (90, 3-1)[LNB] Bookings: Johnson (19, foul); Kyrgiakos (78, foul); Tiote (83, foul)[LNB] Referee: Lee Mason[LNB] Attendance: 50,137[LNB] Newcastle United (4-4-2): Krul; Simpson, S Taylor, Campbell, Enrique; Barton (Routledge 90), Nolan (Smith 87), Tiote, Gutierrez; Carroll, Ameobi (Ranger 63). Subs (not used): Harper (gk), Guthrie, Lovenkrands, Perch[LNB] Liverpool (4-4-2): Reina; Johnson, Kyrgiakos, Skrtel, Konchesky; Kuyt, Meireles, Leiva, Rodriguez (Jovanovic 85), Torres, Ngog (Babel 73). Subs (not used): Jones (gk), Aurelio, Cole, Poulsen, Kelly[LNB]
