Source: Northern_Echo
Sheffield Wednesday 2 Newcastle United 2
Sheffield Wednesday 2 Newcastle United 2[LNB] ONE point gained, or two points dropped At the end of an absorbing, if flawed, encounter at Hillsborough, it was possible to make a case either way.[LNB] On the one hand, the result extends a dreadful record that has seen Newcastle fail to win a single Boxing Day away game since 1988, and means the Magpies have now relinquished winning positions on each of their last two away outings.[LNB] But on the other, the 2-2 draw extends the club's unbeaten run to ten matches and represents another forward step along the long and winding road to promotion.[LNB] True, there was a palpable sense of disappointment among the 7,000-strong away contingent at the final whistle, but as a harrowing year draws to an end, perhaps that should be interpreted as a positive rather than a negative. If a spirited draw at Sheffield Wednesday is regarded as something of a failure, then the wider picture must be rosier than it has been for the majority of the last 12 months.[LNB] In the cold light of day, we know we've got no given right to win any football match in this division, said Chris Hughton, who watched Newcastle's lead at the top of the Championship shrink to eight points after West Brom beat Peterborough 2-0.[LNB] We need certain elements to go with us either we're playing well enough, or the opposition are not playing well enough but that's not going to happen every week.[LNB] It takes a lot to win a football match, and we haven't had any easy games from the word go.[LNB] That's the way it is, but I think that's what's kept this group of lads going. They know they have to be at it every single game to get results.[LNB] Fortunately, we've had more days where we've been at it than where we haven't.[LNB] But we can't just assume success, and that's why you have to take results like this on the chin.[LNB] In other words, Newcastle are not going to win every game they play this season, and with Saturday's game representing the halfway point of the campaign, a tally of 15 wins, five draws and three defeats is still far in excess of what anyone could have predicted when things got underway at the start of August.[LNB] We would certainly have taken where we are, said Hughton.[LNB] And while a failure to beat a Sheffield Wednesday side stranded in the bottom three was hardly the ideal start to a festive double-header, the result will look rather different if Newcastle beat Derby at St James' this evening. Win at home and draw away for the rest of the season, and the Magpies will be back in the top-flight with points to spare.[LNB] That said, though, they will still have been dissatisfied with significant chunks of Saturday's stalemate, as their opponents caused them more problems than almost any other side this season in a game that fluctuated wildly.[LNB] Forget the classic game of two halves, this was a tie of three distinct thirds.[LNB] The first lasted from kickoff until the 19th minute, and saw Wednesday's energetic opening force Newcastle firmly onto the back foot.[LNB] Steven Taylor was forced to make three last-ditch blocks in the opening three minutes, and while Nicky Butt deputised ably for Alan Smith at the heart of midfield, the Magpies were unable to establish a foothold in the game before the hosts opened the scoring.[LNB] Darren Potter fed James O'Connor on the edge of the area, and the midfielder's chipped cross enabled an unmarked Luke Varney to head past Steve Harper from eight yards.[LNB] Given that Newcastle had previously conceded just 12 goals all season, the best defensive record in the division, and that Wednesday had gone more than ten hours without hitting the target, it was a strangely simple success.[LNB] We didn't start the game well at all, admitted Hughton. And by our own high standards, that was a really poor goal to give away.[LNB] It was, but instead of inspiring the hosts to push on, it instead sparked a half-hour spell that saw Newcastle run riot.[LNB] All the evidence of why the Magpies are top of the league was apparent, from the midfield probing of Danny Guthrie and Jonas Gutierrez to the thrusting attacking of Kevin Nolan.[LNB] They were stronger and savvier than their opponents, with brute force allied to impressive technique to produce a series of counter-attacks that brought two goals.[LNB] Nolan scored the first, his 11th of the season, with a pinpoint header from Guthrie's right-wing cross, and Ameobi claimed the second, albeit controversially, as he returned from an offside position to pick up Gutierrez's pass, turn past both Darren Purse and Mark Beevers, and smash a low drive past goalkeeper Lee Grant.[LNB] Ahead at the interval, that looked to be that. But whereas Newcastle have successfully ground out a one-goal win on six separate occasions this season, for once they were unable to shut up shop and put matters to bed.[LNB] Their defending became increasingly ragged, and whereas Ameobi and Marlon Harewood had successfully retained possession before the break, their second-half efforts often saw the ball returning to Newcastle's defensive half of the field.[LNB] The Owls grew in confidence as a result, and gained a deserved equaliser shortly before the hour mark.[LNB] Tommy Spurr crossed from the left, Varney tangled with Harper, and while the forward's header rebounded off the crossbar, James O'Connor was on hand to tap the rebound into an open goal.[LNB] Harper felt he had been fouled, and replays proved Varney caught the keeper as he challenged in the air.[LNB] But the impact was minimal, and it was hard not to attribute the goal to a rare error of judgement on Harper's behalf.[LNB] Whenever you're leading a game and don't see it out, I think you're a bit disappointed,[LNB] said Hughton.[LNB] That wasn't one of our better performances, but we've had similar this season and still been able to win the game. Unfortunately, we weren't quite able to do that here.[LNB] Match facts Goals:[LNB] 1-0: Varney (14, headed home O'Connor's chipped cross from eight yards out)[LNB] 1-1: Nolan (19, precise ten-yard header from Guthrie's right-wing cross)[LNB] 1-2: Ameobi (22, turned past Purse on edge of area and drilled low 20- yard strike past Grant)[LNB] 2-2: O'Connor (59, tapped home loose ball after Varney beat Harper to cross and headed against bar)[LNB] Bookings: Varney (36, foul), Tudgay (76, foul)[LNB] Referee: Stuart Attwell (Nuneaton) Awarded two goals that shouldn't have stood and became increasingly inconsistent as the game wore on 3[LNB] Attendance: 30,030[LNB] Entertainment: [LNB] SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY (4-5-1):[LNB] Grant 6; Simek 5, Purse 5, Beevers 4, Spurr 5; Varney 7 (Clarke 69, 5), O'CONNOR 8, Potter 6, Soares 5, Johnson 5 (Esajas 62, 5); Tudgay 7.[LNB] Subs (not used): O'Donnell (gk), Buxton, Hinds, Gray, Jeffers.[LNB] NEWCASTLE UNITED (4-4-2):[LNB] 5 Harper: Fouled in the leadup to O'Connor's goal, but should have been much stronger and claimed the ball;[LNB] 5 Simpson: Not one of the fullbacks most effective games, although he was steady for the most part[LNB] 7 Coloccini: Made a number of important tackles and kept his head well as Sheff Wed pressed late on[LNB] 6 S Taylor: Typically committed, but was never able to completely dominate the lively Tudgay[LNB] 7 Enrique: Defended effectively and instigated a number of attacks with some well-judged passes;[LNB] 6 Guthrie: Fairly quiet for spells, but provided an excellent cross for Nolan's header[LNB] 8 Butt: Ran the game from the heart of midfield and did the simple things extremely effectively[LNB] 7 Nolan: Took his 11th goal of the season with commendable composure and posed a constant attacking threat 5 Gutierrez: Laid on Ameobi's goal, but wasted a number of decent crossing opportunities;[LNB] 6 Harewood: Provided a muscular presence in the final appearance of his current loan deal[LNB] 5 Ameobi: Might have been offside, but still produced an excellent turn and finish for his goal Subs:[LNB] Pancrate (for Gutierrez, 64): His radar was off as he blazed two halfchances miles over the crossbar 5 Carroll (for Ameobi, 73) Lovenkrands (for Harewood, 84mins) (not used): Krul (gk), Kadar, R Taylor, Ranger.[LNB] MAN OF THE MATCH[LNB] NICKY Butt returned in place of the injured Alan Smith and provided a steadying influence throughout.[LNB]
