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Season 1999-2000 Arsenal (h) Premiership |
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6 mins: Alan
Shearer easily won a header in the penalty area and was able to
control the ball and hook it over his head for Gary Speed to side-foot
firmly past goalkeeper Alex Manninger in the Leazes End goal. 1-0 23 mins:
Postage stamp stuff from Alan Shearer, who executed a free kick
from outside the box with perfection. It may have gone through a
slightly suspect wall, but the ball was still rising as it bulged the top
corner of the net. David Beckham may be without equal when it comes to swerving and bending
a ball, but he'll never hit a ball as hard and truer than this one from Al.
2-1 53 mins:
A bit of a disappointment for Warren Barton,
who let Stefan Malz steal
half a yard on him when there seemed minimal danger from Kanu's pass. Just as Barton was
about to challenge, the midfielder placed a low shot beyond Given. 2-2
Sir Bobby said: Alan Shearer added: "I'm a very proud man tonight - when I set out on that road to Southampton at 15, I never dreamt that I'd score 300."
Arsene
Wenger:
It was party time at a relaxed and sunny SJP,
as Arsenal warmed up for their UEFA Cup Final and Alan Shearer found the net
for his 300th career goal and 30th in black and white this season. Gary Speed started the ball rolling with a
smart finish after Shearer had won a free header and played it back over his
head into the path of our second top scorer; Speed side-footing in smartly. And then came the equaliser barely a minute
later. The giraffe-like Kanu ambled through looking well offside and lobbed
Given expertly. What followed was top-drawer. Al lashed the
ball straight into the top corner, with Alex Manninger a mere spectator. All
but a tiny corner of St. James' were celebrating before it bulged the net, the
moment it left his boot it only had one resting place. Shearer celebrated
accordingly and would doubtless tell you a penalty or six-inch toe-poke would
have been just as good - but he'd be lying. Kieron Dyer buzzed around like the proverbial
blue-arsed fly. However, for me he chose and timed his runs badly, although the
crazed Temuri Ketsbaia must be a nightmare to play behind. Warren Barton had another cracking game on the
unfamiliar left side of defence, so it was a shame that he allowed Malz a yard
that he never recovered as a low drive was dispatched past Given. On the other side was a welcome first start
for Andy Griffin. The absence of Aaron Hughes gave Griffin his chance but he
grabbed it pretty well (more later). Dyer made a half-hearted attempt to
restore our lead, pulling out when he seemed favourite to get a strike on goal.
Speed gave him a lesson from the corner, muscling through to plant a header
into the turf and up and over. Given then attempted to make the game safe
with a Pat Jennings impression that caught Manninger unawares. The Arsenal
keeper just tipped the ball wide as history books were about to be rewritten. Griffin gave Dyer a fine example of an
incisive run and as he looked up for someone to square to the absence of a
black and white shirt forced him to shoot. He finished superbly with a flick
around the advancing keeper to put the game beyond doubt. At 2-2, the scattering of visiting Gooners had
reminded us that we were "only playing reserves" and the UEFA Cup
Final lineup will probably confirm that. However, beating a team with messrs
Kanu, Suker, Parlour, Keown and Winterburn is still worthy of note. Shearer then appeared to get his 200th league
goal when he got a boot onto a ball scrambled forward. Manninger stumbled
backwards clutching the ball and the crouching linesman seemed to be the only
one at the Gallowgate end of the ground not to see the whole ball cross the
line. As goals three and four sealed our three
points the misguided also celebrated the Wearsiders slipping to defeat at White
Hart Lane. Personally, a top half finish and the extra £200k was worth more to
me than another mackem defeat. Also, the added bonus of any points for the
mackems was that they finished even closer to that unattainable UEFA place.... Bobby orchestrated the lap of thanks around
the pitch and the boys donned Newcastle Brown T-shirts for the last time as the
S&N sponsorship came to an end. That was contrived, but the return of
anthem "Local Hero" before and after the game was welcomed by many. So what happens over the summer? Bobby's
leading of the applause for Ketsbaia suggests that he could be on his way but
he did the same for Lee who had just signed a new contract. |
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