Toon So Close To Win

Subs Not Used: Jones, Lee, Hines.

NEWCASTLE: Harper, Carr (Ramage 6, Cacapa 58), Taylor, Rozehnal, N'Zogbia, Butt, Geremi, Smith, Milner, Martins (Owen 72), Viduka.

Subs Not Used: Given, Ameobi.

Att: 28,875

 

We thought Viduka had won the game with his first goal in a black and white shirt (and his 150th in British football) but Boro had the last word.

Just as Viduka got one over on the Smogs, it was Mackem old boy Julio Arca who obviously got a lot of pleasure scoring against the Mags, as he levelled three minutes later.

It was always going to be a fiercely-contested encounter, as there is no love lost between the two clubs, and there were eight bookings.

But games like this can be all muscle and no content, which wasn't the case here, with both sides going for the win from the first minute to the last.
 
Charles N'Zogbia opening the scoring with a stunning 22nd-minute effort as he cut in from the left but hammered the ball into the top corner with his right foot.

Mido cancelled out the lead within six minutes, rounding Steve Harper after being played in by Fabio Rochemback, and made the most of the moment as he taunted the Toon fans.

Newcastle started brightly and finished well, while the home side had most of the play either side of half-time.

Former Magpie Jonathan Woodgate rose from his sick bed to play in a match that was big to him. returning only days after starting training from knee surgery.

Woodgate and central defensive partner David Wheater coped well with Viduka before the break, and some expected Michael Owen coming on at half-time (which didn't happen).

Newcastle started confidently. Obafemi Martins blasted harmlessly wide after being played in by Viduka on 16 minutes and it took a vital block from George Boateng to deny Alan Smith a free shot at goal seconds later.

However, the Ton went ahead with 22 minutes gone when full-back N'Zogbia produced a moment of rare brilliance.

The Frenchman was picked out on the left by Peter Ramage, on after just six minutes for the injured Stephen Carr, and cut inside Boateng before unleashing a superb curling shot which was simply too good for keeper Mark Schwarzer.

But Boro responded in kind within six minutes when Mido ran on to Rochemback's beautifully-weighted pass over the top, held off Steven Taylor and then rounded Harper to shoot into an empty net.

Harper scrambled across his goal as Rochemback's deflected shot sailed just wide and then pulling off a fine one-handed save to deny Arca.

Arca and Rochemback made life intensely difficult for Nicky Butt and Geremi.

However, James Milner almost won a 44th-minute penalty after Wheater appeared to wrestle him to the ground.

Luke Young and Woodgate both clattered Martins as tempers started to fray.

Butt followed Woodgate into the referee's notebook for a rash challenge on Downing.

Harper had to block with his legs on 53 minutes after Mido and Jeremie Aliadiere had played Rochemback in, and David Rozehnal hacked away Downing's cross seconds later with the Teessiders establishing a momentum.

Sadly on 59 minutes Ramage was carried off on a stretcher to be replaced by Claudio Cacapa, Taylor taking over at right-back.

Viduka just failed to get a touch to N'Zogbia's inviting cross under pressure from Wheater.

With 19 minutes remaining Martins was replaced by Michael Owen, and the Nigerian was far from happy when he trooped off.

Viduka had the Toon Army dancing the samba on 77 minutes when he accepted N'Zogbia's pass, deftly turned Woodgate and after teeing the ball up, smashed a shot past the helpless Schwarzer.

However within three minutes Arca latched on to a clearance and drilled a left-foot shot into the bottom corner.

Owen should have won it in a frantic finish, but his flick from N'Zogbia's free-kick fell into Schwarzer's arms.