All,
for those of you unable to attend games at Gallowgate for whatever reason here is the tenth of my match accounts for this season, including personal thoughts as a Newcastle supporter as the days events unfolded both outside and inside St James Park.
There’s just something about Cup Football that stirs the blood of Mags. Perhaps it comes from those glory days in the fifties when Wembley was like a second home to The Toon. Sadly, memories of visits to finals in more recent times have been more about drowning sorrows rather than cause for major celebration. That said this was something of a very special day among my family as it involved a new generation of fledglings from the magpie nest joining the Toon Army for their first competitive game at St James Park.
Pre match training was also a little different for this fixture against Rovers as I was designated driver however, it didn’t spoil the banter around the table when it came to talking team selections, hopes, dreams, and score-lines. The kids joining in with the adults and showing all the passion for Newcastle United which has been passed down from generation to generation on Tyneside or wherever Geordies across the World now reside.
As this was the first game for some of them several of us took the kids up to the ground early so they could watch the player’s pre match routine while the other adults took advantage with a few more rounds. There’s so much Football on TV these days you would think kids would not be overawed by seeing the players actually on the pitch doing warm ups and stuff. That was not the case yesterday as shouts of real joy were heard involving Ben Arfa, Sameobi, Cabaye, Colo, Krul and many others.
Having attended the Manure game in mid-week it became obvious this Cup fixture was not going to have a huge crowd, as all of the upper tiers were not being used. That said most who were coming to the game appeared to want to get too their seats well before kick off. Although quite a few looked as if they were having difficulty in finding them and one gent in passing said to me he hadn’t been to a game in years and didn’t realise just how big our stadium actually is!
With most people settled bar a few late arrivals, the game kicked off with The Toon attacking the Leazes End. Manager Alan Pardew choosing to select a decent side with a great deal of flair and very French flavour too it with Obertan returning on the right, Ben Arfa alongside Best up front plus Cabaye and youngster Abeid in midfield. The keeper and back four remaining as they were against The Champions. That also meant Jonas and Santon would be continuing their developing partnership down the left flank. I was really looking forward to seeing Hatem play and the team set up appeared to give him plenty of scope to strut his stuff.
The opening fifteen to twenty minutes was all Newcastle and they easily could have been three up. Leon Best testing Bunn in the first few minutes after brushing off his defender Grant Hanley and only a fine save from the Blackburn stopper preventing the opening goal. This got the crowd going and more was to come. Surprisingly it came from a long range effort from Mike Williamson who saw his shot just drift over the bar. Next up came, a typical strong run from Jonas breaking in from the left that again Bunn did well to deflect the shot wide of his goal. All through this first quarter Cabaye and Ben Arfa were pulling the strings with neat and tidy passing. Newcastle ran Rovers ragged and it just appeared to be a matter of time before the opener arrived. With the away side looking decidedly uneasy it was Cabaye who had the next effort on goal. However, his shot once again failed to hit the target and screamed over the bar much to the relief of Bunn.
Blackburn up to this point had not shown much of anything other than some desperate backs to the wall defending. The next ten minutes things became much more even with the away side producing more threat on the counter.
Rochina testing Krul with a curling effort and Pederson trying hard to create some space in which to thread balls through to Goodwillie. In fact Pederson had one of the better opportunities to produce a goal following a poor challenge from I think Williamson. The resulting free kick however, was placed high, wide and mighty into the Gallowgate much to the delight of the home support.
The kids were all asking when would The Toon score? However it was Blackburn that did eventually open the scoring on thirty-five minutes with a pretty soft goal in my opinion. The defence just never dealt with what should have been a routine corner kick. Allowing Hanley to plant a firm header goal-wards which somehow Krul parried. Only for the ball to fall at the feet of Goodwillie who bundled the ball into the back of the net to make it one nil.
The remainder of the first half The Toon huffed and puffed without making much progress. One of the major hurdles being that Best was practically acting as a lone front man with Ben Arfa not close enough to him to create any penetration. The Frenchman is brilliant at running with the ball however I have said it time and time again he will not hurt any team forty yards from goal. Opponents just either steer him away or crowd him out with sheer numbers. Another issue to resolve is the big gap between Hatem and Cabaye or Abeid that means support is often slow to arrive or never gets there once he runs into trouble. This is immensely frustrating for both player and supporters who clearly love the guy and want him to do well. During this period Jonas also gradually became starved of the ball spending as much time defending as attacking his full back. Obertan meanwhile reverted back to type with a succession of mazy runs ending up going nowhere or simply failing to get the ball into the goal area. It was almost a relief when the referee blew for half-time.
The second half with The Toon now attacking The Gallowgate End started much the way the first had ended. Blackburn proving a difficult obstacle to breakdown. Kean had them well organised with two lines of four protecting their half as they conceded ground to the home side. With ten minutes gone on the clock APee had clearly had enough and so made the first of his changes with Shola on for Obertan. This meant Hatem was sent out wide right clearly to provide the ammunition for the two big fellows up front. The thing is Ben Arfa is just not that kind of player. This lad goes past players like they are not there. Yet somehow the final ball is not always delivered. He is however, like Jonas a real handful when fired up. As the second half continued you could sense he was getting fired up. The left full back and other defenders were simply left in his wake time and time again. Each run creating havoc as Rovers either couldn’t touch him or didn’t dare. Newcastle had exchange Raylor for Simpson and began pushing forward much more effectively down both flanks. Had it not been for some dire finishing from Shola the tie could have all be over, never mind The Toon finding an equaliser.
During seventy minutes of this game we had seen the good and bad aspects of Hatem Ben Arfa. In less than twenty seconds he showed everyone his brilliance. Picking up the ball much closer to the Rovers defence than on other occasions he again ran at them. The ball somehow attached to his feet as if by magic he went past defender after defender as if they didn’t exist. On reaching the goal area it still appeared to me he had possibly blown the chance to create a goal. How little I knew as somehow he again left three defenders close to Bunn for dead before smashing the ball into the top of the net for a wonder goal. St James just erupted it was that good! The kids were going mental along with the rest of us screaming did you see that, Oh! my God amazing!
It changed the entire game and Blackburn knew it! Newcastle continued to push forward for the winner with the crowd also now well involved cheering them on. Williamson had a headed effort hit the bar followed by a Cabaye half volley and another Williamson attempt that Bunn managed to stop. With barely minutes to go APee brought on Danny Gosling for Abeid. The young lad having had a solid if not outstanding game playing as the defensive midfielder. He is one to look out for and in my opinion can only improve. He certainly didn’t let himself or his manager down with a gutsy performance against much more experienced professionals.
By now the game appeared to be heading for a replay although the momentum was still with The Toon. Colo was everywhere encouraging his men forward by example. As the fourth official got his board ready there was what I believed to be at least three minutes of play taken up with an injured Blackburn player in the goal so I was very surprised to see only four minutes come up. Newcastle continued to press however the draw was definitely looking the most likely outcome.
It’s then that Football takes on a different dimension from that of many other sports, games, hobbies or anything else you care to mention. Enter The Magpies very own self proclaimed super hero, Spiderman himself, Jonas Gutierrez. The Argentinian wingman whose legs look to be all over the place at times striding towards the Blackburn goal seeking glory. The crowd are on its feet, a quick one two with Best followed by a delicate little chip and the second goal has arrived right at the death. Out comes the mask and the dance with his team mates commences. The kids, adults and anyone following the Magpies inside the ground go crazy with delight. If Wednesday night against Manure was breathtaking because the result was unexpected this was similar for perhaps another. Simply the spirit the team shows when at other times it has been far easier to just not to bother.
All in all a great day and one I, along with the other 30,000 inside the ground shall probably recall forever just for that Ben Arfa goal. Certainly the two small boys with the big smiles all the way home will be telling everyone they meet about it for days if not weeks to come.
Now all we need is a decent draw in the next round to do it all again………….
CWL
1-2
I've seen Newcastle United win silverware!
