Season 2007-2008

NEWCASTLE UNITED

1 v 0

WIGAN ATHLETIC

Post Match Comment:

Big Sam said:
"We completely dominated the game, but found a little bit of hard luck. A couple of good saves from the keeper and some poor finishing meant we were frustrated at half-time that we were not one or two goals up."

Chris Hutchings  said:
"The sending-off within 30 seconds of the second half made a major impact on the game and what we had to do,"

It was looking to be another one of them frustrating afternoons for the Toon Army.

It started with the new credit card ticket system. The queue for the home fans who had bought the tickets not taken by the away fans was stretching down to Barrack road, but foolishly I thought that it was just because they'd got the paper tickets. It wasn't.  I got to my gate and found a queue a couple of hundred strong (all looking anxiously at their watches) also stretching back down towards the away fans entrance. I looked at me watch.  2:50. The queue continued to grow as no one seemed to be going through the turnstile and people in front where spotting “mates” and inviting them to stand with them. RS_The_ConFUsed_GoAT, who had got in the ground a good half hour ago, was sending me texts regarding the lass with the nice legs who had had turned up, she was wearing a pair of shorts that where more like a belt and he wouldn't send me any moral boosting pics to keep me going.  THE BASTICH!!!! Some people started to vent their frustration by shouting at the stewards, “is the ref holding the start up?”. They just got shrugged shoulders in return.  I got through the gate and had just put me foot on the first step of the long(-ish) climb up to the back of the middle tier when I heard a roar from above.  The match was under way and there was still easily a thousand fans stuck outside.  It was still a good 15 mins before everyone was at their seats.

Big Sam's comment about completely dominating the game has to be understatement of the year. Harper only had one save to make the first half. It was canny spectacular so he earned his crust. The rest of the game was all Toon. We could have been 3 or 4 up by the end of the half with their keeper having to pull off couple of saves from Owen, Viduka and Smith. It was also down to some dodgy finishing (Nicky Butt is getting a England Rugby call up if Johnny Wilkinson is unfit for the World cup), a crappy linesman who flagged for Owen being offside when he wasn't and we had a good penalty shout when Bramble handled the ball. Whey it was more like hit the ball off his arm, but you get the jist.

The second half started with a bit of controversy with Kilbane being sent off to a tackle on Smith, it looked fairly innocuous. From the replays it showed to be a simple clash of the noggins. Sibs was subbed off, to a standing ovation, a couple of minutes later. From then on we should have stuffed them but our passing started letting us down, to the point where it was making Wigan look good, and the Wigan players started rolling round like they'd been shot every time one of our lot went near them.

Taylor had a strange turn late on when he just seemed to flop down. We knew it was something serious when the ref rushed over and started to administer some first aid and the rest of his team mates frantically beckoned the Toon medical staff onto the pitch. The ref got out the way, clearly shaken, and he got a pat on the back from Harper. Taylor remained motionless on the deck for a good 3 or 4 mins. After all the recent incidents in the papers regarding footballers dying during games, people where starting to get a bit anxious. Thankfully no soon had the turn started than Taylor was back on his feet and walking gingerly to the side lines. A couple of mins later he was running round like nothing had happened. Harper was the next Toon player to need medical attention when half way through injury time (I knew there was a reason why it was given that name). Marcus Bent rushed into the box to meet a corner, tho he made no actual attempt to get to the ball, and barrelled straight through Harper.  Harper went down like a sack of spuds onto his left shoulder.  The magic sponge came out once again and, after a short, while he was up.  Tho he was nursing his shoulder he managed to play till the end.

The goal that gave us the points came, in the 87^th minute, from the expected Bramble f*** up. He make a pigs ear of clearing the ball out straight to Geremi, who passed to Martins who, in turn, crossed the ball from the by line to Owen, who was waiting at the near post.

By Rogue Pieman

AUSSIE MAGS