Source: Northern_Echo
Watford 1 Newcastle United 2
Watford 1 Newcastle United 2[LNB] IT'S funny how an on-field row with a team-mate can be overlooked when you are sitting top of the Championship.[LNB] But Newcastle United fans have that luxury after witnessing Alan Smith's injurytime bust-up with Mike Williamson.[LNB] In the past such an incident would have brought shame, embarrassment and disbelief to a Geordie support desperate for a turnaround in fortunes after years of decline.[LNB] At Vicarage Road, however, Smith's raised arm to Williamson, while many others in black and white colours argued among themselves, will not worry Newcastle fans, nor manager Chris Hughton.[LNB] How things can change in ten months.[LNB] Certain players were accused of not caring when Newcastle dropped out of the Premier League last May, now Hughton's squad to a man are all pulling in the same direction in the hope of an immediate top-flight return.[LNB] While Hughton would prefer not to see captain Smith clash with his team-mates out on the pitch, the incident highlights that winning is everything within a squad which has been rejuvenated in the Championship.[LNB] Will Hoskins' injury-time strike, when he reacted first to a deflected shot from Heidur Helguson, did not even pull Watford level. But it raised concerns of an unlikely comeback from Fabricio Coloccini and Andy Carroll's headers at the start of each half.[LNB] It shows you've got a good group of lads that have a real desire not to concede goals,[LNB] said Hughton. What it (conceding) did do was allow Watford back into a game which at that stage was very comfortable for us. I think that shows a real desire from the lads to win matches.[LNB] In the changing room everybody's hugging each other. That's the type of team spirit you want and at the moment we've got that.[LNB] During last season's relegation fight such confrontations would have been harder to heal. With Newcastle heading the Championship by six points, Hughton has no reason to be concerned now.[LNB] These are the sort of things that happen, he said.[LNB] You just try to create an environment in the team where there's a group of lads that want to work for each other.[LNB] There's only one place where these players want to be playing next season and I think that showed.[LNB] They're not always like that. You don't mind these moments as long as they're done in the right way and for good reasons. We have a good group of lads that get on very well and it's been part of the reason we've been able to do very well this season.[LNB] The resilience which has regularly formed a big part of Newcastle's play this season was evident again at Watford.[LNB] It might have been lacking all too often in the recent past, but it was there in abundance as they won away from home for the first time since early December.[LNB] The conditions were dreadful, the pitch worse, yet Newcastle did not look in any danger of extending that run once the outstanding Coloccini had scored after three minutes.[LNB] Danny Guthrie's free-kick from the left was flicked on by Kevin Nolan. Carroll's header looped across the face of the goal and Coloccini rose above Adrian Mariappa to head his second for the club low beyond goalkeeper Scott Loach.[LNB] With the exception of a couple of near misses from Carroll at either end, when an overhead kick and header dropped inches wide, Newcastle created little else other than the striker's 11th of the season.[LNB] It arrived four minutes after half-time, when he leapt high to power home another Guthrie centre, this time from a corner.[LNB] Once that had gone in there was no way back for Watford.[LNB] Hoskins' late drive might have caused some late panic, but Coloccini and Williamson's rugged and uncompromising defending epitomised Newcastle's display.[LNB] There was a lack of excitement in the driving rain after the restart, but Newcastle will not care. Eight points clear of the play-offs, it is hard to imagine a slip up now. They are proving to be the perfect Championship team. Rugged, powerful and, above all, desperate for Premier League status.[LNB] I hope this is a turning point away from home for us,[LNB] said Hughton.[LNB] We've been very good at home this season and what we need to add to that is the results we can pick up away from home. We've had a few good ones away from home but this was a big win because it was always going to be a really tough one.[LNB] Tough, though, is exactly what Newcastle have become this season and the rest of the Championship is finding out why.[LNB] Match facts Goals:[LNB] 0-1: Coloccini (4, headed down beyond Loach at the back post);[LNB] 0-2: Carroll (50, rose at the near post to nod Guthrie's corner low into the net);[LNB] 1-2: Hoskins (90, pounced to fire in from close range)[LNB] Bookings: Helguson (17, foul); Best (23, foul); Williamson (25, foul); Harley (43, foul); Nolan (44, foul); Smith (49, foul); van Aanholt (90, dissent)[LNB] Referee: Tony Bates (Stoke) too quick to get out his pencil and notebook out when it was not a dirty match. 5[LNB] Attendance: 17,120[LNB] Entertainment: [LNB] NEWCASTLE UNITED (4-4-2):[LNB] 6 Harper: Solid when called upon, even if he was never seriously tested[LNB] 6 Simpson: Linked well with Guthrie down the right and rarely looked ruffled[LNB] 8 Williamson: Entered the book and there were calls for a red card when he brought down Helguson.[LNB] 9 COLOCCINI: Blocked everything in his direction and scored a rare goal in the process[LNB] 6 Van Aanholt: Newcastle will miss his willingness to push the opposition's full-back[LNB] 7 Guthrie: His deliveries are becoming the biggest asset of Newcastle's attacking play[LNB] 5 Nolan: Quiet and rarely looked like adding to his 12-goal tally for the season[LNB] 6 Smith: Quick to put his foot in, even if it earned him a yellow card[LNB] 5 Gutierrez: Too quiet going forward for Newcastle's liking[LNB] 5 Best: Offered very little in the final third, although his chip almost gifted Carroll a second[LNB] 7 Carroll: Took his goal well and could have had more to his name.[LNB] Subs:[LNB] Ranger (for Best 74) Taylor (for Gutierrez 88) Pancrate (for Guthrie 89) (not used): Hall, Donaldson, Krul (gk), Kadar.[LNB] WATFORD (4-4-2):[LNB] Loach 5; Mariappa 5, Taylor 6, DeMerit 5, Doyley 5; Cowie 5 (McGinn 83), EUSTACE 6, Lansbury 5, Harley 5 (Hoskins 77); Graham 5, Helguson 5. Subs (not used): Jenkins, Lee (gk), Henderson, Bryan, Hodson.[LNB] MAN OF THE MATCH[LNB] FABRICIO Colloccini on the evidence of this display, it's hard to imagine him not playing in the World Cup.[LNB]
