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Aston Villa (h) Premier League
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Date: Friday 12th March 2021, 8.00pm. Live on BT Sport Venue: St. James' Park
Conditions: Untidy |
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Newcastle |
Aston Villa |
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1 - 1 |
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| Half time: | 0 - 0 | |
| Score Sheet: | ||
 (90+4)
Lascelles
|
og (Clark) (86)
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Teams |
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Dubravka |
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Martinez El Mohamady Konsa Mings Targett McGinn Douglas Luiz Ramsey Traore Watkins Trezeguet |
| Substitutes: | ||
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(79) Murphy for Fraser (83) Manquillo for Krafth (88) Carroll for Hayden |
El Ghazi for Traore
(21) Sanson for Ramsey (59) Barkley for Trezeguet (68) |
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| Subs not used: | ||
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Darlow Ritchie Lewis Fernandez Hendrick S.Longstaff |
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Heaton Cash Taylor Nakamba Engels Davis |
| Bookings: | ||
Lascelles
Krafth |
Mings
McGinn Sanson |
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| Dismissals: | ||
| None | None | |
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Referee:
Paul Tierney - a third posting of the season for the
Lancastrian whistler, following the 0-0 home draw with Liverpool and 1-3
loss at Old Trafford. |
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Attendance: Behind closed doors.
As this was the first home game
following his passing at the age of 65, a tribute was paid to Glenn
Roeder before kick-off, both sides lining up around the centre
circle for a minute's applause. |
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Goals |
Half time: Magpies 0 Villa 0
86 mins Matt Targett and Morgan Sanson exchanged passes down the Villa left and when Targett swung the ball over, a flicked header from Ollie Watkins hit Ciaran Clark's leg and flew into the top corner with Dubravka helpless. 0-1
90+4 mins
Substitute
Andy Carroll's fine sliding tackle hooked the ball back into our
possession as Villa looked to break. Jonjo Shelvey then swung a ball
across the box from the right side
that eluded everyone but Jacob Murphy.
He collected it, steadied himself and
then crossed superbly to the near post for Jamaal Lascelles to bullet a header into the top
corner of the Gallowgate End. Delight and relief in equal measure.
1-1
Full time: Magpies 1 Villa 1
We Said |
Steve Bruce said:
"There wasn't much in the game.
"Arguably we had the best chances but the goal they scored was a bit of a
fluke. Then you have to show desire to get back into it and we did that. We
at least deserved that.
"There are still 10 games to go. We've got to show the same attitude and
hopefully big players are back around the corner -
that will certainly help. We’ve been a bit
hampered. To miss one is cruel enough, to miss three…
"There's still a long way to go yet. The tickly bit hasn't come
upon us just yet. We've got a huge game next week - there's still a lot to
play for.
"There’s still ten games. We’re
unbeaten in our last couple (it's 3, Steve) – we’d have loved to have
won one of them, that helps – we’ve got to still show the same attitude.
"In this division you don't get chance after chance. It's difficult. At the
top end of the pitch, you're only as good as your strikers.
"The one thing I'm really pleased about is our desire. I thought we were
marginally the better side and it would have been cruel if we hadn't got
something from the match.
On Joelinton:
"He’s come in for a lot of criticism, Joe, but he’s contributed to the team and his performance. Of course he needs to score the goal and be the hero but that hasn’t quite happened for him yet.
"He’s performing as well as he can do
and I’m sure there’s a goal around the corner. His all-round performance, we’re
pleased with him.”
On the deployment of Gayle:
"We've played a certain way now for the past six, seven weeks.
"I spoke briefly on it last week, of not trying to change the shape of us, the way we've gone about how we're trying to play.
“I'll be a bit more technical and say we're playing with split strikers if you like, but that's the way we've gone about our work and I changed him and Ryan just after half-time.
"That's the way we've set up and that's the way we're going to
continue.
"Of course you want them (the forwards) to score, but you know in
this division you don't get chance after chance after chance. Look every
team has got good players, every team is well-drilled, well-organised.
"It's difficult and the top end of the pitch, as I've always said, you're only ever as good as your strikers and unfortunately at the minute, we've got two or three who are missing for us and we have got people who are absolutely trying their utmost.
"I can't ask for any more effort and endeavour, and of course you'd love to take one of those chances which unfortunately we missed tonight."
They Said |
Dean Smith commented:
"When you’re a goal up with four minutes to go, you’re
disappointed, naturally. We didn’t deserve to win the game over the 94
minutes.
"It wasn’t a game for the purists, it was a bit of an ugly game with not
many completed passes and not many clear-cut chances.
"They probably had the better chances, but when you score a goal like we did in the 90th minute you should go and see it out.
"To be fair to the boys, I can't be too hard on them because they have
done for most of the season.
"It’s always a concern when you’re not creating chances. There haven’t been
too many games where we haven’t created big chances.
"Tonight was just a very scrappy game. There weren’t many big chances all game. We played Sheffield United a couple of games ago and got beat having created the big chances in the game.
"We’ve got good enough players to go and score goals. We’ve got a few
at the moment who are a bit short of confidence with no rhythm. That seems
to be across the league at the moment.
"It's two (points) dropped from scoring in the 89th minute or whatever it was.
"We got a great opportunity to get a three or four v one and go and finish
the game off to make it 2-0 and we messed that up, and then we messed a few
clearances up and they end up scoring with 10 seconds to go, so we're
disappointed."
Stats |
|
The Newcastle Captain now has eight to his name in the Premier League, taking him level with current Magpies Miguel Almiron and Ciaran Clark plus old boys Philippe Albert, Lee Clark, Duncan Ferguson and Temuri Ketsbaia. His goal was the latest scored at SJP since Isaac Hayden popped up for the winner against Chelsea in January 2020 - also coming in the 94th minute. Newcastle came from behind to avoid defeat for the first time since Callum Wilson's penalty conversion ensured that it ended 1-1 against Fulham at SJP in December 2020. Ciaran Clark became the third Magpie to register an OG this season, after Federico Fernandez (Chelsea home) and Matt Ritchie (Fulham home). United again failed to keep a clean sheet at home in the Premier League - they've now conceded at least once in 13 of their 14 home games, with the 0-0 draw against Liverpool the only exception. Villans @ SJP - PL era: 2020/21 Drew 1-1 Lascelles |
Waffle |
What their Manager may have referred to as another accumulation of
point -
their third in as many games - saw Newcastle maintain their glacial progress
on Friday night towards avoiding relegation.
That looked anything but likely though when Ciaran Clark's inadvertent touch on an 86th
minute effort from Ollie Watkins was enough to register an own goal in favour of his
former club.
Villa's goal came moments after newly-arrived substitute Jacob Murphy had
pinged an effort off the Gallowgate crossbar - United's most dangerous
moment of the game up until that point.
But in the fourth minute of added time, Andy Carroll's crucial intervention
regained possession and ended with Murphy swinging over a cross
that Jamaal Lascelles headed in for a second goal in
as many home games.
Earlier, the current owner of the number 9 shirt had undermined an otherwise
industrious performance by working himself into dangerous positions four
times, but failing to either complete a pass or get a shot away on every
occasion.
That latest bout of goalphobia came in front of a gaggle of players who had
no such issues: Callum Wilson up in the stand, Alan Shearer and Rob Lee on
opposite sides of the ground and Les Ferdinand on studio pundit duty.
The late burst of
activity was in stark contrast to much of what went before; both sides
untidy and the SJP ball boys far busier than either goalkeeper.
Once again without Jack Grealish, the opening hour or so saw Villa no more
threatening in front of goal than West Bromwich Albion had been on Sunday -
and forced to replacement Anwar El Ghazi early on after he collided with an
advertising board behind the Gallowgate goal.
The home side belatedly began to push forward in the final quarter of the
game, Joe Willock leading the charge as his side belatedly became more
aggressive. Why the hell it takes us so long remains an unanswered question.
Recalled for Jeff Hendrick and in a front three with Ryan Fraser and
Joelinton, Dwight Gayle was busy never had sight of goal until very late on,
when his back heel in the six yard box was blocked.
His earlier lack of involvement stemmed partly from playing wide with Fraser
going central - although they swapped after the break - Bruce's comments
about sticking to the shape regardless of personnel implying that coach
Graeme Jones was getting the praise or the blame for how we set up.
Then came the goals at either end and while Lascelles was lauded for again
doing what our front players cannot, the platform for a point came from
Martin Dubravka, whose vital save from Watkins in the 93rd minute denied
Villa what would have been a clinching second goal.
If last week's stalemate at the Hawthorns had the stench of a defeat, then
tonight's draw felt more like a victory - or at least a relief, albeit in
the knowledge that we have one less chance of winning a game.
With no sign of any of our sidelined players returning at Brighton,
hopefully this late show will inspire those on the field in an absolutely
pivotal 90 minutes. Sadly though we don't for one second believe that we
possess the collective wit or guidance to go and win there and do anything
other than hope it turns out alright. Hardly inspiring with £100m+ at stake.
And quite why his number 6 is a far better prospect than his number 9 for
propelling that round thing towards the net is one for our
vastly-experienced boss to mull over on his days off....