Ashley's Promise [A Newcastle United MM Diary]

[Baddar]

N'GUESSAN BRACE BAGS LEICESTER VICTORY
Leicester 2-1 Newcastle

Dany N'Guessan handed Newcastle their first defeat of the season with a first half double at the Walkers Stadium. This came minutes after Marlon Harewood had given the visiting side the lead on the half hour.

Harewood had gone down injured, but as play continued, it eventually dropped to the Englishman, who'd picked himself up off the ground to smash past the 'keeper. There was little celebration though, as he was still feeling the effects of an injury to his left ankle.

Just two minutes after restarting, Leicester were level. A blocked shot from Fabricio Coloccini landed at the feet of Paul Gallagher, who lifted the ball back into the box and onto the head of N'Guessan to equalise.

Soon after, N'Guessan struck again. This time, a mistake from Coloccini at centre back allowed the midfielder to take control of the ball and lift it over a despairing Steve Harper.

The second half saw Coloccini make up for his first half mistake, acrobatically preventing Matt Oakley's shot from crossing the line.

Newcastle fought hard to square the match late on. Alan Smith, on for Ivan Ergic, ran almost the length of the pitch but saw his left foot shot tipped wonderfully around the post.

The defeat came on the day that Shearer found out his men would face Mark Hughes' Manchester City in the 3rd Round of the Carling Cup, with the match being played at St James' Park.

Match Facts

Leicester 2-1 Newcastle

Shots - 10-11
Shots on target - 5-7
Possession - 45%-55%

Newcastle - Harper, R. Taylor, S. Taylor, Coloccini, Enrique, Gutierrez, Nolan, Ergic (Smith 75), Lovenkrands, Marquez, Harewood.

Selected Championship Results

Coventry 0-4 Reading
Doncaster 2-1 Swansea
Middlesbrough 2-3 Peterborough
West Brom 3-2 Plymouth

Should have the next update up later.

 

[Baddar]

LOWLY COVENTRY STAY FIRM IN STALEMATE
Newcastle 0-0 Coventry

Newcastle dropped more points at St James' Park today, this time courtesy of a nil-nil draw against Championship strugglers Coventry.

The home team did have the better of the match, but were never really threatening enough to warrant a goal.

Peter Lovenkrands played arguably his worst match in a Newcastle shirt, mis-placing passes and losing possession in vital parts of the wet pitch. Shearer said he substituted him in the hope of getting a winner, but new signing Jose Maria Cardenas couldn't do much either.

As soon as the clock reached 80 minutes, Coventry were content to hold on to a point, playing down time as much as possible. This frustrated the home crowd, but they were up for one last time in the 92nd minute when Alan Smith, starting his first league game of the season, burst into the area but hit a left foot shot wide of the post.

Andy Carroll also started, in place of Marcos Marquez. He might've given Newcastle a 21st minute lead when he was in on goal, but tamely struck his shot straight at the goalkeeper.

Newcastle now travel to The Riverside in a mouth-watering clash with Middlesbrough, ahead of the Carling Cup tie with Man City.

Match Facts

Newcastle 0-0 Coventry

Shots - 9-7
Shots on target - 4-5
Possession - 54%-46%

Newcastle - Harper, R. Taylor, S. Taylor, Coloccini, Enrique, Gutierrez, Nolan (Guthrie 84), Smith, Lovenkrands (Cardenas 57), Harewood, Carroll (Marquez 84)

Selected Championship Results

Bristol City 3-1 Scunthorpe
Cardiff 1-1 Derby
Reading 0-0 Middlesbrough
Watford 2-1 Crystal Palace

Another update to come tomorrow or Wednesday.

 

[Baddar]

JONES THE DIFFERENCE IN DERBY
Middlesbrough 2-0 Newcastle

Brad Jones proved the difference in today's tyne-tees derby, keeping out Newcastle on numerous occasions on the way to his side's victory.

He twice kept out Marlon Harewood from close range, and scrambled at the feet of Marcos Marquez to tip the Spaniard's shot around the post as he tried to go around him. The resulting corner was headed towards goal by Steven Taylor, but once again, the Australian was equal to it.

The Boro goals came within twenty minutes of each other in the second half. On 52 minutes, Adam Johnson lost his marker in the box to put the home side 1-0 up, and it was followed on 68 minutes by a Gary O'Neil goal, after Mo Shawky's shot was parried at his feet.

Newcastle now face fellow promotion chasers West Brom, before taking on Man City in the Carling Cup. Shearer has made it clear that the league game with West Brom is most definitely the priority, as his team search for their first win in four games.

Middlesbrough, on the other hand, go top of the Championship with this victory.

Match Facts

Middlesbrough 2-0 Newcastle

Shots - 9-11
Shots on target - 5-6
Possession - 49%-51%

Newcastle - Harper, R. Taylor, S. Taylor, Coloccini, Enrique, Gutierrez, Nolan, Ergic (Smith 73), Lovenkrands, Harewood, Marquez.

Selected Championship Results

Derby 0-1 Bristol City
Doncaster 0-0 Sheff Utd
Leicester 2-2 Blackpool
West Brom 0-0 Reading

The Championship Top 6 - End of September (10 games played)

1st. Middlesbrough 25pts
2nd. Reading 22pts
3rd. Watford 20pts
4th. Preston 20pts
5th. Leicester 19pts
6th. Newcastle18pts

The table isn't looking as pretty as it was at the end of the last in-game month.

I plan on playing the WBA game when I get back this afternoon. Here's hoping I can bounce back with a win. I need it, I know that much.

 

[Baddar]

MOORE TROUBLE FOR SHEARER
Newcastle 0-1 West Brom

West Brom forward Luke Moore heaped more pressure on manager Alan Shearer when he scored the only goal of the game at St James' Park to defeat a poor Newcastle United.

Newcastle lacked bite up-front and it was on show yet again today, as they failed to impress in front of an expecting home crowd. The defeat now means they're without a win in five league games.

Marlon Harewood might have scored an opener after 28 minutes, but his shot went way over the bar. That was also the case at 0-1, in the very last minute of the game, when Peter Lovenkrands appeared just outside the box, but like Harewood, failed to test Carson.

The only goal of the match came 2 minutes after the break. Robert Koren's pass was inch perfect, albeit assisted by the rain, to the feet of Luke Moore, who surprisingly muscled his way past Steven Taylor and slotted straight through Steve Harper to silence an already relatively quiet St James' Park.

Newcastle travel to Portman Road next in the league, but face Man City next in the 3rd Round of the Carling Cup.

Match Facts

Newcastle 0-1 West Brom

Shots - 7-6
Shots on target - 3-2
Possession - 52%-48%

Newcastle - Harper, R. Taylor, S. Taylor, Coloccini, Enrique, Gutierrez, Nolan, Smith, Lovenkrands, Marquez (Cardenas 80), Harewood.

Selected Championship Results

Cardiff 1-2 Swansea
Doncaster 2-2 Nottingham Forest
Sheff Wed 0-4 Middlesbrough
Watford 1-0 Derby

Gah. If I don't get a positive result in the next league game (Ipswich away) I could be sacked.

 

[PESFan92]

Really good mate, keep it up.

 

[Baddar]

I would've if it wasn't for EA's patch which fixed a couple of MM problems, and forced everyone to start their games again. :/