Butt And Martins Star In Spurs Humiliation!
NEWCASTLE: Given, Beye, Faye, Cacapa, Jose Enrique, Geremi,Butt, Emre (Barton 71), N'Zogbia (Milner 46), Martins,Owen (Rozehnal 79).Subs Not Used: Harper, Ameobi.
TOTTENHAM: Cerny, Chimbonda, Dawson, Kaboul, Lee,Malbranque (Berbatov 58), Jenas, Zokora, Bale (Tainio 19),Keane, Bent (Lennon 78).
Subs Not Used: Forecast, Gardner.
Att: 51,411
The Magpies took full advantage of some poor defending by the Londoners, and Sam Allardyce got his tactics right ... apart from a one spell when he wanted everyone behind the ball in his own penalty area and Spurs came back into the game.
Obafemi Martins fired the Mags in front on the stroke of half-time after embarrassing Michael Dawson, and the unmarked Claudio Cacapa made it 2-0 six minutes after the break with a powerful header.
Robbie Keane's seventh goal in as many games briefly gave the visitors hope with a 57th-minute strike, but substitute James Milner made sure with a 73rd-minute volley to cement his side's top-half position in the Premier League.
The stars for the Magpies were Martins, Butt and Cacapa.
Michael Owen had an off night, and hardly looked a threat.
But Martins ran himself into the ground with a superb performance leading from the front. He hustled the Spurs defence into submission while Owen tried to creep in un-noticed through the back-door, without much success.
Owen drifted into the right-midfield spot and seemed to lose interest, and Big Sam replaced him.
Another who could have done better was Charles N'Zogbia, who made life very difficult for Enrique who often had the ball but couldn't find N'Zogbia in space. The French kid stood motionless, with a Spurs midfielder breathing down his neck, and the Spaniard often had to look for other options.
Sam replaced him too!
But Cacapa not only looked class at the back, but poped up to power home a superb corner from Emre to cap off a brilliant individual performance.
Man of the match, however, went to 'never say die' Nick Butt who hardly missed a tackle all evening. A ten-out-of-ten show if ever there was one.
The one sad point of the mach was a ridiculous 'con trick' when a Spurs midfielder went to ground in pain (supposedly) and waved to the dug-out for a stretcher. The United back-line, thinking he was hurt, switched off ... only for Spurs to play a quick free-kick to try and catch them out.
Then the midfielder got off his arse and walked away!
Michael Owen had an off night, and hardly looked a threat.
But Martins ran himself into the ground with a superb performance leading from the front. He hustled the Spurs defence into submission while Owen tried to creep in un-noticed through the back-door, without much success.
Owen drifted into the right-midfield spot and seemed to lose interest, and Big Sam replaced him.
Another who could have done better was Charles N'Zogbia, who made life very difficult for Enrique who often had the ball but couldn't find N'Zogbia in space. The French kid stood motionless, with a Spurs midfielder breathing down his neck, and the Spaniard often had to look for other options.
Sam replaced him too!
But Cacapa not only looked class at the back, but poped up to power home a superb corner from Emre to cap off a brilliant individual performance.
Man of the match, however, went to 'never say die' Nick Butt who hardly missed a tackle all evening. A ten-out-of-ten show if ever there was one.
The one sad point of the mach was a ridiculous 'con trick' when a Spurs midfielder went to ground in pain (supposedly) and waved to the dug-out for a stretcher. The United back-line, thinking he was hurt, switched off ... only for Spurs to play a quick free-kick to try and catch them out.
Then the midfielder got off his arse and walked away!