NEWCASTLE UTD 1 STOKE CITY 2
NEWCASTLE: Krul, Perch, Coloccini, Williamson, Jose Enrique, Ben Arfa (Gutierrez 62), Barton, Tiote (Ameobi 74), Routledge, Nolan, Carroll.
Subs Not Used: Soderberg, Lovenkrands, Ryan Taylor, Smith, Ranger.
STOKE: Sorensen, Wilkinson, Huth, Shawcross, Collins, Whelan (Delap 57), Whitehead, Diao (Fuller 49), Etherington, Jones, Walters, Fuller (Gudjohnsen 67).
Subs Not Used: Begovic, Higginbotham, Wilson, Faye.
Att: 41,915
Blackpool and Stoke City at home, I'm sure, were in the top five ... and we got bugger all from both them.
He seems to think he can predict the games he will get results, but when he told us about his "list of games to win", we (at NU Mad) wondered if he was being serious!
The record shows James Perch's own goal handed Stoke all three points, but the writing was on the wall long before the final whistle as ex-Mackem Kenwyne Jones rattled the cossbar and the post, before headed home from close range.
Yes, we just KNEW it was going to happen. Jones took stick from the Toon Army before - and during - the game, his every touch bringing out boos from the four corners of St James' Park.
My neighbour in the next seat to me in the Leazes said after five minutes of play: "Yer na what, the Mackem's ganna score, yer can put yer hoose on it!"
He did, and when Perch headed Matthew Etherington's corner into his own net under pressure from Robert Huth to complete the fightback ... the day just got a whole lot worse.
Last Saturday's 1-0 league win at Everton and their midweek Carling Cup heroics at Chelsea had made for a positive week for the Magpies, who returned to home turf determined to erase the memory of their last outing on Tyneside.
A fortnight ago, they turned up to face Blackpool with nothing on their minds but taking three precious points, but ended up empty-handed after Ian Holloway's men left with a 2-0 win under their belts.
Despite their last two results, both achieved by impressive performances, there was no room for complacency against a Stoke side whose prowess from set-pieces - and in particular Rory Delap's long throw - is well-documented.
Newcastle will not have been at all disappointed to see Delap's name among the substitutes and without him, to say the Potters were one-dimensional before the break would have been something of an understatement.
Plan A appeared to be to get the ball up to Jones as quickly as possible, but with the former Sunderland frontman having the kind of afternoon which persuaded Black Cats boss Steve Bruce to cash in on him this summer, the threat was minimal.
By contrast, the Magpies were enterprising going forward with the insurance provided by defensive midfielder Cheik Tiote allowing Joey Barton to run the midfield, while winger Hatem Ben Arfa proved a constant source of menace.
For all that, Chris Hughton's men were able to create few clear-cut chances with Ben Arfa's 19th-minute free-kick, which curled just wide, as close as they came to opening the scoring in the early stages.
The Frenchman's combination with full-back Jose Enrique down the left looked the most likely avenue for the home side and the Spaniard drilled a low cross across the face of goal seconds later.
But it was from that flank that the opening goal did arrive, albeit indirectly as Stoke's stubborn resistance was finally broken.
Enrique's towering cross attracted Andy Carroll's attention, although it seemed destined for the arms of keeper Thomas Sorensen.
However, before the Dane could get there, Huth barged the striker to the ground and, to his horror, looked round to see referee Mike Jones pointing to the spot.
His prolonged protests went unanswered and Nolan stepped up to face Sorensen, who once saved an Alan Shearer penalty at St James' Park during his Sunderland days, from 12 yards.
But there was to be no repeat as the Magpies' skipper sent him the wrong way to open the scoring two minutes before the break.
The pattern of the first half was largely reproduced during the early minutes of the second and City boss Tony Pulis responded within five minutes by replacing midfielder Salif Diao with striker Ricardo Fuller.
Stoke immediately looked more potent and forced two corners in quick succession, the second of which was headed just wide by defender Ryan Shawcross.
Sensing a change in the balance of the game, Pulis replaced Glenn Whelan with Delap with 56 minutes gone, and his side might have been back on level terms within three minutes.
Jon Walters climbed high above Enrique to return Matthew Etherington's cross towards goal, where Jones headed against the foot of the post with keeper Tim Krul beaten.
The rebound dropped to Fuller, who seemed certain to score, but he stabbed his shot wide of the far post as the home side breathed a huge sigh of relief.
They were counting their blessings again five minutes later when Jones met Dean Whitehead's free-kick with a powerful header, but saw it come back off the crossbar.
But it proved a case of third time lucky with 67 minutes gone when Huth helped Etherington's free-kick back across goal and Jones headed home from point-blank range.
Sorensen claimed Carroll's 70th-minute volley at the second attempt under pressure from Nolan, but the twist in the tale came five minutes from time when Perch powered a header past Krul and into his own net to hand the visitors victory.
Nolan had a chance to claw back a point in injury time, but his right-foot shot flew wide of the far post.
NEWCASTLE UTD MAD
CONTACT US: Kevnumad@fsmail.net
NEWCASTLE UNITED 2010/11
PREMIERSHIP
NEWCASTLE 1 STOKE CITY 2 (Nolan pen)
Krul, Perch, Coloccini, Williamson, Jose Enrique, Ben Arfa (Gutierrez 62), Barton, Tiote (Ameobi 74), Routledge, Nolan, Carroll.
Subs Not Used: Soderberg, Lovenkrands, Ryan Taylor, Smith, Ranger.
EVERTON 0 NEWCASTLE 1 (Ben Arfa)
Harper (Krul 35), Perch, Coloccini, Williamson,Jose Enrique, Routledge, Tiote, Barton,Ben Arfa (Gutierrez 84), Nolan, Carroll.
Subs Not Used: Campbell, Lovenkrands, Ryan Taylor, Smith.
NEWCASTLE 0 BLACKPOOL 2
Harper, Perch, Coloccini, Williamson, Jose Enrique, Routledge (Ameobi 81), Smith (Lovenkrands 62), Barton, Gutierrez (Ben Arfa 73), Nolan, Carroll.
Subs Not Used: Krul, Campbell, Ryan Taylor, Tiote.
WOLVES 1 NEWCASTLE 1 (Carroll)
Harper, Perch, Williamson, Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Routledge, Smith, Barton, Gutierrez, Nolan, Carroll (Ameobi 81).
Subs Not Used: Krul, Lovenkrands, Ryan Taylor, Kadar, Vuckic, Ranger.
NEWCASTLE 6 ASTON VILLA 0 (Barton, Nolan 2, Carroll 3)
Harper, Perch, Coloccini, Williamson, Jose Enrique, Routledge (Ameobi 76), Smith (Ryan Taylor 76), Barton, Gutierrez (Xisco 80), Nolan, Carroll.
Subs Not Used: Krul, Lovenkrands, Vuckic, Tavernier.
MAN UTD 3 NEWCASTLE 0
Harper, Perch, Coloccini, Williamson, Jose Enrique, Routledge, Smith, Nolan (Ameobi 71), Barton,Gutierrez (Xisco 80), Carroll.
Subs Not Used: Krul, Ryan Taylor, Vuckic, Ranger, Tavernier.
CARLING CUP
CHELSEA 3 NEWCASTLE 4 (Ranger, R Taylor, Ameobi 2)
Krul, Ryan Taylor (Tiote 63), Campbell, Coloccini (Williamson 63), Ferguson (Barton 90), Ranger, Gutierrez, Vuckic, Smith, Ameobi, Lovenkrands.
Subs Not Used: Soderberg, Nolan, Carroll, Ben Arfa.
ACCRINGTON STANLEY 2 NEWCASTLE 3 (Ryan Taylor, Ameobi, Lovenkrands)
Krul, Ryan Taylor, Kadar, Tavernier, Ferguson, Ranger, Donaldson, Vuckic (Nolan 90), LuaLua, Ameobi,Lovenkrands.
Subs Not Used: Soderberg, Williamson, Barton, Routledge, Perch, Smith.
PRE-SEASON
CARLISLE 0 NEWCASTLE 3 (Best, Ranger, Vuckic)
Harper (Krul 46), Tavernier (R Taylor 46), Coloccini (S Taylor 46) (Henderson 81), Williamson (Perch 46), Enrique (Ferguson 46), Inman (Routledge 46), Smith (Barton 46), Nolan (Guthrie 46), LuaLua (Vuckic 46) , Carroll (Best 46), Lovenkrands (Ranger 46).
NORWICH CITY 2 NEWCASTLE 1 (Ameobi)
Krul, Taylor (Routledge 45), Tavernier, Coloccini (Williamson 45), Diaz (Ferguson 57); Ranger (Xisco 45), Barton (Smith 45), Nolan (Guthrie 45), Vuckic (Edmundsson 72); Best (Lovenkrands 45), Carroll (Ameobi 45).
NEWCASTLE 2 PSV EINDHOVEN 2 (R.Taylor, Best)
Harper, Perch, Enrique, Coloccini, Williamson, Guthrie, Nolan, Smith, Ryan Taylor, Lovenkrands, Ameobi. Subs: Carroll, Xisco, Best, LuaLua, Krul, Vuckic, Ranger, Donaldson, Tavernier.
DEPORTIVO 0 NEWCASTLE 0 (NUFC win 5-4 on penalties - Lovenkrands, Nolan, Carroll, R Taylor, Barton)
Harper (Krul 46); R Taylor, Perch (Tavernier 52), Coloccini, Enrique; Routledge, Barton, Guthrie (Nolan 46), Xisco (Gutierrez 46); Carroll, Best (Lovenkrands 73). Subs (not used): Smith, Ferguson
RANGERS 2 NEWCASTLE 1 (Lovenkrands)
Harper; Perch (Tavernier 81), Coloccini (Ferguson 81), Williamson, Enrique (R Taylor 56); Routledge (Xisco 83), Barton, Nolan, Guthrie, Gutierrez (Lovenkrands 69); Carroll (Ameobi 46).
NEWCASTLE UTD MAD
CONTACT US: Kevnumad@fsmail.net