West Ham (h) Premiership
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Date: Sat 27th April 2002, 3.00pm Venue: St. James' Park Conditions:
Warm and sunny |
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| Newcastle United | 3 - 1 | West Ham United |
| Half time: | 1 - 1 | |
 |
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| Score Sheet: | ||
(41)
Shearer
(53)
LuaLua
(66) Robert
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Defoe (20)
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| Teams | ||
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Given Hughes Bernard Dabizas O'Brien Solano Speed Robert Dyer Shearer LuaLua |
James Repka Dailly Pearce Labant Sinclair Carrick Lomas Cole Kanoute Defoe | |
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| Substitutes: | ||
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(46) Distin for O'Brien (83) Jenas for Dyer (83) Cort for LuaLua |
Winterburn for Sinclair (71) Garcia for Labant (82) | |
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| Subs not used: | ||
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Kerr Harper |
Hislop Potts Iriekpen |
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| Bookings: | ||
 Distin (66)
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Pearce (47)
Kanoute (89)
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| Sendings off: | ||
| None | None | |
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| Referee:
Paul Durkin (Dorset) - another low-key performance with few disputable
decisions. |
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| Attendance:
52,127 - Three short
of the season's best. |
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Goals |
20 mins West Ham inevitably converted one of their many chances when Jermain Defoe got on the end of a Kanoute flick to thump an angled drive past Shay Given in the Gallowgate goal from about eight yards. 0-1
41 mins Laurent Robert split the Hammers defence with the perfect through ball for Alan Shearer, on the shoulder of the last man and onside despite the vague waving from defenders. He dispatched past David James with relative ease. 1-1
Half time: Newcastle 1 West Ham 1
53
mins David James showed why he should never get anywhere near the
England World Cup squad with a typical mental aberration; heading Repka's backpass clear from well
inside his own area when there was no reason why he couldn't have picked
up the ball.
The clearance fell to Robert who hit a great swerving effort that the
'keeper
saved well, only for Lomana LuaLua to tuck in the rebound from close range. Just
the one somersault, although there was a hint of some strange moonstomp
after he returned to terra firma....2-1
66
mins Nolberto Solano played a fabulous through ball
from the right for Laurent Robert to come surging in from the left flank and lift the ball over the
keeper.
The shot came back off the post but Robert was able to prod in the
rebound in an empty net from inches out - using his left foot despite
tumbling to his knees as he did so. He stood up to take the applause of
the crowd, with a familiar wave, kiss of his ring and clenched fist
gesture. 3-1
Full time: Newcastle 3 West Ham 1
|
We Said |
Bobby Robson
said:
"I said to Kieron Dyer, 'It's as simple as
this Kieron Dyer: who wants to go to the World Cup, you or (Michael)
Carrick' ?
Prove to me who's going to be the better player today in the second half
and multiply that by five. Is it going to be Carrick going to the World
Cup or is it going to be you?'
"And Laurent was the same. Laurent, in my opinion, was poorish in the first-half, scintillating in the second half.
"He's been involved in everything, all the three goals. He actually got the ball and he ran at the defender - we told him to in French, in Latin, in everything, just to get involved, just to go at the full-back and get behind him, not just get the ball and pass it.
"I said 'I can do that, just get it and pass it. Get the ball down and have a go at the full-back and get behind the full-back'.
"He's different class when he's like that. There's nothing better in the country than him when he's like that. When he's not like that, he's like me."
"I'm quite pleased. It's Jimmy Greaves' adage, it was certainly a game of two halves. It was their half and we were lucky to be in the game at half-time.
"Alan Shearer got us back in it. He took his goal very well, but it was our only contribution. We could have been dead and buried at half-time - we could have been three or four-one down.
"But second-half, it was the other way. We got two goals to win a match and Dyer could have scored twice and Gary Speed could have scored, and the boot was on the other foot.
"We played quite excellently in the second half.
We gave a vintage Newcastle performance.
"We could have been dead and buried at half-time. Second half it
went the other way and the boot was on the other foot.
We've sent the public home happy. It's been a great finale to a great
season."
More on the mercurial Laurent Robert:
"Robert's ability is not in doubt.
We've had him here for a year now and we've got to know the interior as well as the exterior. We know that in Laurent Robert we have a really exciting and talented player and we are getting to know what makes him tick.
"He'll score goals for us and if you can boast a winger who can also score goals then that's a real asset.
"He's like John Barnes was for me when he was at his peak. He can put in some great crosses but he can also finish.
"Laurent has scored some vital goals for us all season. When he plays properly there's no better player in his position in the league.
"Laurent can be a real plus
but he can also be frustrating. He
was poorish first half, but scintillating in the second half.
"We told him what to do in French, Latin - everything! Not just get
the ball - I can do that. Get the ball behind the full back. When he's
like that he's the best in the country.
"As a manager Laurent is my greatest challenge since Romario but we will make him a better player and people will see that next season."
|
They Said |
Glenn Roeder said:
"It was the most chances we've created away from home this year in the first 45 minutes.
"Bobby said right on the final whistle 'You certainly let us off the hook there', and I think he's right, we did let them off the hook.
"We conceded two ridiculously poor goals and I counted six clear-cut chances plus the goal, and apart from one of the chances that fell to Defoe before he scored where (Shay) Given made a save, the keeper didn't have to make a save with the other chances.
"We missed the target. That's not bad luck, it's poor finishing. But for a team that's had an outstanding season and it's been a fortress up here this year, to have opened them up as easily as that on a number of occasions, I must admit it was a surprise.
"But you have to take your
chances."
|
Match Stats |
The attendances for the season broke
through the two million mark. Total home and away is 2,017,173.
Alan Shearer's goal put him in joint fifth position on the Newcastle
all-time scorers list, level with Peter Beardsley.
|
Waffle |
Further evidence was produced in this final
home game of the season, that under Bobby Robson's command we have created something
which is rather closer to Kevin Keegan's blueprint that many of us ever
imagined possible.
Were the history of Newcastle United to be re-written in the style of a dictator
restyling school texts, Keegan would have stuck around long enough to take us
into the Champions League before magically being replaced by a smiling pensioner
from county Durham.
The contributions of the Scotsman and the Dutchman can be
viewed from differing perspectives, but in terms of the entertainment value,
their names would be erased from the roll of honour.
If this victory over West Ham was reminiscent of anything though, it was an
earlier incarnation of Keegan - his farewell as a player. On a similarly
pleasant day in May 1984, Brighton were the visitors to a smaller but no less
exuberant St. James' Park, and had the temerity to be hold us at 1-1 at the
interval.
However, there seemed no doubt
that the black and whites would raise their game to claim the win, and second
half efforts from Waddle and Beardsley at the Gallowgate end saw the happy
ending that was forecast.
For 1984 read 2002, and this time it was LuaLua and Robert taking the applause.
The final whistle then saw a lap of honour in which a capacity crowd greeted
their heroes suitably, and if there was one major difference, then the trend of
scarf chucking has died out in the intervening 20 years.
Oh - one more similarity...neither team had a trophy to wave, and it didn't seem
to matter. The over-riding impression on both occasions was of a team en route
to somewhere, having knocked the dust of under-achievement from their collective
heels.
For many years now myself (and surely other similarly-afflicted fans) have
played a game of "spot the farewell" when these parades go on.
Back in '84 it was Terry Mac and John Trewick who took their final bow, but this
time (avoiding the obvious duo of non-combatants Marcelino and Karelse), it was
difficult to see any evidence of boat-burning going on - perhaps Dabizas may
be sacrificed, while Harper is too good to languish on the bench forever.
For the rest though it seems as if they're in for the long haul, and by and
large it has to be said I'm pretty happy with that. At least two of them are
short odds to return from the World Cup with significantly enhanced reputations,
but for messrs Given and Dyer their current public seems to frame them nicely -
their body language and public statements giving rise to an expectation
that both will be lining up when our bid to join the Champs League proper begins
in just over 15 weeks.
As in the case of Keegan, for Bobby transfer money doesn't appear to be a
problem and for that credit is due to Shepherd & co. Such has been the
renaissance of Shearer, the impact of Bellamy and LuaLua and the contributions
of Solano and Robert this season that it's further back in the side that
reinforcements look to be needed.
Aside from the formidable Given, question marks remain about concentration and
consistency in our backline, with good individual performances from the central
defenders but collective lapses at crucial points.
With an extended deal for
O'Brien and efforts to sign Distin it looks as if Dabizas is the odd man out,
determination and effort unable to compensate for other shortcomings as the pace
of games becomes ever more rapid.
We may have made the comeback our speciality this season, but in more rarified
company we simply won't be afforded the same opportunities that the likes of
Derby obliged with.
It's increasingly fashionable to have a go at Elliott, and we're as guilty as
anyone else in this respect. However in our defence we should point out that we
were questioning his ability as early as the Troyes away game. If only for the
positive effect it seems to have on Robert, Bernard looks a likely lad at left
back, but he'd probably concede that the strongest part of his game is not
defence.
On the other flank, Hughes has made the right back slot his own with some
understated but steady displays, and also seems to have gelled with Solano in
front of him, the Peruvian's willingness to lend a hand at the back being a
major plus.
That leaves the midfield, which by popular opinion requires a world-class
operator as a fulcrum for the team. Speed's true worth to the side is often seen
when he's not there, and little holes appear, but it's unreasonable to expect
him to play in every game and only Acuna has the same doggedness. Precisely
where Jenas and Dyer fit in is also a moot point - perhaps we may gain some
clues from where Sven uses the latter in Japan and Korea.
So, we have a wealth of talented players, a successful and attractive pattern of
play and a great mass of expectation. What happens next is to a certain extent
out of our hands, as other teams regroup and acquire players, and the twin
enemies of form and fitness lie in wait to frustrate fans and manager alike.
We are of course well versed in the arts of premature celebration and
self-inflicted wounding, but at this stage we do seem to be heading in the right
direction and optimism for the new season seems well-placed. Put it another way
- whatever's going to go wrong isn't obvious, yet.
We now kick heels and twiddle thumbs respectively for a fortnight, until the
business of the FA Cup is concluded and then the final set of fixtures are
played.
The supporters may face a marathon trip to Hampshire, but in terms of
our on-field progress this season, we've come an awful long way. Let's hope it's
not a one-off.
Biffa