Fulham 3 (2) - 1 (0) Newcastle
And so it goes on. For the 27th consecutive occasion, Newcastle failed to
win a game in London. Nor did they deserve to, though if Craig Bellamy had
put away his chance midway through the first half, if Fulham had not so
swiftly countered with a goal of their own, if Alan Shearer had not missed
a second-half penalty, or been awarded another, perhaps it might have been
different.
Undeservedly so, however. Overall, Fulham were far the livelier, more penetrative,
a more inventive team, and Shay Given, a hero of the Republic of Ireland’s
performance in Tehran last Thursday, found himself once again busily involved.
When Newcastle did get back into the game after 65 minutes, as Gary Speed
headed in Aaron Hughes’s right-wing cross, making the score 2-1,
it was substantially more than they deserved. Fulham, in the first 10
minutes of that second half, just as for much of the preceding 45 minutes,
had dictated the game, and made abundant chances, taking two of them.
The match turned on two early incidents. When Bellamy turned comfortably
past his fellow Welshman, Andy Melville, a Newcastle goal looked certain.
But out came Fulham’s big keeper, Edwin van der Sar, to block Bellamy’s
shot.
Down almost immediately to the other end went Fulham. A long ball into
the box from John Collins was inadequately headed out by Newcastle’s
Rob Elliott. It fell to Sylvain Legwinski, who neatly found Louis Saha,
who curled a left-footed shot high into the top left-hand corner of the
Newcastle goal.
It was hardly Newcastle’s day when it came to defensive headers.
The third Fulham goal, which properly put the game beyond Newcastle’s
reach, on 70 minutes, arrived when Steed Malbranque’s left-wing corner
skidded off the head of Andy O’Brien and was headed in by Barry Hayles.
It was a bitter-sweet afternoon for Newcastle manager Bobby Robson. He
was applauded when he took up his position by a Fulham crowd which clearly
remembered him both as manager and player at Craven Cottage. Indeed, Johnny
Haynes, for so long his impressive partner at inside-forward here, lapped
the ground to similar applause at half-time.
Any chance that Newcastle had of saving the match vanished when Shearer
missed a penalty 11 minutes from the end. The referee decided that Alain
Goma’s challenge on Laurent Robert was culpable, only for Van der
Sar to turn Shearer’s kick gallantly on to a post. Goma then felled
Shearer which looked worthier of a penalty, but no award was forthcoming.
Fulham, after taking the lead, became dominant, and their second goal
on 28 minutes exposed the deficiencies of Newcastle’s defence. A
simple but telling pass inside the full-back by Malbranque released Legwinski,
who roared in from the right to drive past Given.
Given subsequently blocked a shot by Malbranque on the ground, and reached
up resourcefully to push the ball to safety when Hayles followed up and
shot again. Four minutes later, when Legwinski drove the ball past him,
Nolberto Solano was there to clear from the goalmouth.
Meanwhile, one wonders whether Fulham, in all this exuberance, will be
successful in overcoming objections from local residents to the enlargement
of their ground. Years ago Craven Cottage frequently had crowds of 40,000
and more with no objection to be heard: but that, of course, was well
before the area was gentrified.
For all their elan, Fulham’s French manager, Jean Tigana, says his
dream is “to arrive between eighth and 12th”. Indeed, in the
opening 10 minutes of the second half, they were steadily threatening.
Saha was clean through, but Given, rushing desperately out of his goal,
made a good save. Subsequently, he had less trouble dealing with a header
from the same player.
It was Newcastle, however, who struck when they reduced the lead through
Speed’s header and, as Robson said, there was then every hope his
team might save the game. But on 70 minutes came Hayles’s header,
and justice was finally done.
Fulham:
Van der Sar, Finnan, Melville, Goma, Brevett, Davis, Malbranque (Goldbaek
88), Legwinski, Collins (Clark 67), Hayles, Saha.
Subs Not Used: Taylor, Ouaddou, Stolcers.
Scorers:
Saha 19, Legwinski 28, Hayles 70
Newcastle:
Given, Hughes, Dabizas (Distin 75), O'Brien, Elliott, Solano (Lua-Lua 77),
Lee (Ameobi 90), Speed, Robert,
Shearer, Bellamy.
Subs Not Used: Acuna, Harper.
Booked: Elliott, Dabizas, Robert, O'Brien, Lee, Shearer.
Scorers:
Speed 64
Att: 21,159 Ref: E Wolstenholme (Blackburn).
Source Sunday Times by Brian Glanville