November 22 2004

Selhurst Park

Lacklustre, below par, not wanting it enough. These words you would not have found in any match report of ours in the last few weeks, writes Simon Pophale.

Quite simply, the boys have been playing out of thier skin and have reaped the rewards. But if we were due a poor performance, then we certainly got it on a freezing and most unpleasent afternoon at Selhurst Park.

There was much in the build up for us to celebrate. No Alan Shearer, the return and AJ and Onesize and add to that Aki also being fit, I am sure that I was not the only one believing that we could get a result against the Toon Army, whose supporters came in thier droves, making a lot of noise, showing that, other than ourselves, they have surely the best away support in the country.

Which brings me to the first half. At least, 40 minutes of it. Arriving at 2:50, having to queue halfway down the Holmesdale Road trying to get in for 15 minutes (in the interests of security). Settling into my seat at 3:05 it was clear that I had not missed much.

Indeed the first half did not bring much of note at all. Gabor Kiraly did not have much to do but it was going to be Joonas Kolkka to provide the first moment of the half. A good bild up from Popovic, Routledge and Watson saw Kolkka get free on the left and his curling shot beat Shay Given and also the far post. An enterprising start.

Newcastle responded with Craig Bellamy and Patrick Kluivert shooting over before Kiraly made a mistake. Being far too casual in defense a poor Kiraly clearance landed at the Laurent Robert and despite nothing coming from it, one minute later Kiraly was at it again, this time Robert was hauled down by Routledge and from the free kick, we managed to scramble it away.

We were uncharacteristally nervous. Passes from Ben Watson were going to every Black and White shirt and while Hughes and Aki were trying to stem the tide in midfield, we were creating nothing in the way of chances.

Twenty minutes had gone by and Newcastle had not managed to profit from any of the presents that we had offered them in the pre Christmas giveaway from our defence and midield. AJ was totally isolated, with Ronny Johnsen doing a superb job on him. There was nothing to warm us with half time approaching.

But them we managed to start showing some of the form which has brought us points and plaudits from the cognoscenti in the papers and pundits on the Television.

Emmerson Boyce galloped down the right flank for about 30 yards before unleashing a perfect cross onto AJs boot. Given made a save high and pushed the ball over from a corner. 2 minutes later and Ben Watson sent given diving fast to his left as his 20 yard effort just fizzed wide. The signs were there.

The 2nd half however, did not live up to our expectations and the thought of getting one point never mind all three was ebbing away with every passing moment. Newcastle were dominating possession without making Kiraly work too hard. However with all thier possession and set peices, could not make the breakthrough.

A point would have been welcome after the mugging we recieved at Anfield but the gap between the haves and the have nots in the Premiership was going to become starkly apparent. We dont have the money to fund a signing like Patrick Kluivert.

He is on about £50K a week at Newcastle (or some amount not too far removed from that) and his contribution was to flick a Craig Bellamy cross with the back of his heel across the face of the goal from an acute angle with Kiraly given no chance. 0-1 and that is what that kind of money buys you. We were floored.

Dowie clearly did not have too much of an idea how to restore parity although the usual substitutions of Freedman and Lakis failed to produce anything in the way of an attacking threat, Newcastle were going to give us a reminder of that gulf once again.

Laurent Robert, who cost £9.5m ran 25 yards and crossed for £6m Craig Bellamy who with his first touch undid Popovic and his second was to crash the ball home to send all 3 points back to the North East. We just did not compete.

The final whistle came soon after and the near 23,000 crowd dispersed, 3,000 of them happy after weeks of turmoil. While the Geordies did give 100% to thier cause in the away end, we were left to rue another chance to pick up a point missed.

It seemed clear that the International games took its toll on a number of our players and we looked jaded and a shadow of the team which did so well at Anfield the previous week.

With Southampton on the horizon, next weeks game will be key. We cannot afford to put in a below par performance like this again as the next 3 games are all winnable. Southampton, Charlton and Blackburn can all be put the sword and then with another 9 points, we can breathe easier again. Only 1 point between us and the relegation places now, we must start winning again. Starting at St Marys on Saturday.