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LAST NEWCASTLE UNITED FIXTURE:-

Saturday 08th March 2008  
Liverpool  v  Newcastle 15.00
 
Monday 17th March 2008  
Birmingham  v  Newcastle 20.00
 
Saturday 22nd March 2008  
Newcastle  v  Fulham 15.00
 
Sunday 30th March 2008  
Tottenham  v  Newcastle 15.00
 
Saturday 05th April 2008  
Newcastle  v  Reading 15.00
 
Saturday 12th April 2008  
Portsmouth  v  Newcastle 15.00
 
Saturday 19th April 2008  
Newcastle  v  Sunderland 15.00
 
Saturday 26th April 2008  
West Ham  v  Newcastle 15.00
 
Saturday 03rd May 2008  
Newcastle  v  Chelsea 15.00
 
Sunday 11th May 2008  
Everton  v  Newcastle 15.00

NEWCASTLE UTD 0 BLACKBURN ROVERS 1

NEWCASTLE: Harper, Beye, Taylor, Faye, Jose Enrique, Milner,Barton, Butt (Martins 67), Duff (N'Zogbia 78), Owen, Smith.

Subs Not Used: Forster, Cacapa, Carroll.

BLACKBURN: Friedel, Ooijer, Samba, Khizanishvili, Warnock,Emerton (Derbyshire 61), Bentley, Reid, Pedersen, Santa Cruz,McCarthy (Roberts 60).

Subs Not Used: Brown, Kerimoglu, Mokoena.

Att: 50,796

Blackburn substitute Matt Derbyshire plunged Newcastle deep into relegation trouble with a last-minute winner at St James' Park.

The striker fired past goalkeeper Steve Harper with just seconds of remaining as the Magpies were made to pay for missed opportunities.

On another day, England striker Michael Owen might have claimed a hat-trick, but having missed the target after rounding Rovers keeper Brad Friedel 10 minutes before the break, he was twice denied by the American in the second half.

Manager Kevin Keegan has now gone seven matches without a victory and his side have won none of their last 11 Premier League fixtures.

There were both boos and applause on the final whistle as the home fans among a crowd of 50,796 acknowledged the efforts of the players, but bemoaned their inability to make the pressure tell with the fight for survival now firmly on.

Confidence has been the watchword on Tyneside all week in the wake of last Saturday's 5-1 humiliation by champions Manchester United at St James' Park.

Both Keegan and skipper Owen had spoken of the lack of that vital commodity within the dressing room, but both were convinced one good performance would bring it flooding back.

For half an hour or so, the Magpies looked to have shaken off the traumatic effects of what happened seven days ago, and with a little more fortune could have found themselves enjoying a rare lead at the break.

In the event, some nervous finishing and a sizeable portion of brave defending sent the two sides in at the break level, although Owen for one will have left the pitch wondering just how that was the case.

The England striker endured a quiet start to the game as Damien Duff saw a third-minute shot deflected inches wide by Rovers skipper Andre Ooijer and Alan Smith powered a header just over in the ninth minute.

But he burst into life in the 21st minute, cutting inside from the right wing to find Duff, who took longer than he might have to set himself and allowed Morten Gamst Pedersen to get in a block.

However, Owen's big moment arrived 10 minutes before half-time when he ran on to Joey Barton's pass to go around Friedel, only to shoot wide of the far post as the cover got back.

Rovers, for whom Ooijer had earlier shot wide on the turn, took that as their cue to step up the hunt for the opening goal, and they might have got it twice within seconds as the half drew to a close.

First Zurab Khizanishvili glanced a David Bentley corner across the face of goal, but it was Ooijer who perhaps should have made the breakthrough in injury time.

It was Newcastle's good fortune that Roque Santa Cruz's neat knock-down fell to the defender in acres of space inside the box, but there was no element of luck about Harper's charge from his line to block.

The home side were careless in possession as the second half got under way, although it was Steven Reid who was caught on the ball by Nicky Butt in the 50th minute to allow Duff to force Khizanishvili into a hurried clearance.

However, hearts were in mouths at the other end of the pitch seconds later when Steven Taylor's error handed Santa Cruz a golden opportunity, although the Paraguayan could only blast his shot high over the top.

Smith might have broken the deadlock in the 53rd minute but dragged his shot wide of the far post, and it took a fine reaction save from Friedel to keep out Owen's bullet-header three minutes later.

The American distinguished himself once again with 61 minutes gone when he managed to get a foot to Owen's shot after the striker had run on to another Barton pass.

Keegan made his move when he replaced Butt with striker Obafemi Martins, handing him a first appearance for his club since January 2, but it was Milner who forced another save from Friedel 13 minutes from time.

Rovers almost snatched victory three minutes from the end when Harper had to block Santa Cruz's effort, but the reprieve was only temporary for the home side.

As Newcastle committed men to the search for a winner, Bentley played Derbyshire into acres of space and the substitute finished with ease to pile on the misery for Keegan.

NEWCASTLE UTD 1 MAN UTD 5

NEWCASTLE: Given (Harper 46), Beye, Taylor, Faye, N'Zogbia, Milner (Geremi 84), Butt, Barton (Carroll 61), Duff, Smith,Owen.

 Subs Not Used: Cacapa, Ameobi.

 Booked: N'Zogbia, Faye, Owen, Butt.

 Goals: Faye 79.

 


MAN UTD: Van der Sar, Brown, Vidic (Scholes 74), Ferdinand, Evra (O'Shea 46), Ronaldo (Saha 67), Carrick, Fletcher, Nani,Rooney, Tevez.

Subs Not Used: Kuszczak, Anderson.

Goals: Rooney 25, Ronaldo 45, 56, Rooney 80, Saha 90.

Att: 52,291
 

Cristiano Ronaldo turned in another superb display as Manchester United made the most of Newcastle's woes to close the gap on Premier League leaders Arsenal to three points.

The Portugal international claimed a double either side of half-time to take his tally for the season to 29, with Wayne Rooney, who had opened the scoring on 25 minutes, adding a brace and substitute Louis Saha scoring against his former club after Abdoulaye Faye had pulled one back.

It was just what manager Sir Alex Ferguson had ordered after the Gunners had conceded a late equaliser at Birmingham earlier in the day to pass up the chance of establishing an eight-point lead.

United were simply irresistible on a day when their pace and movement were just too much for an angst-ridden Newcastle side, who have now not won in 10 league games and taken only three points from the last 30 on offer.

But in truth, the Red Devils would have beaten better sides than the beleaguered Magpies on this form and Arsenal can be in little doubt that the men from Old Trafford are in hot pursuit.

Sir Bobby Robson, who celebrated his 75th birthday on Monday, was presented on the pitch before kick-off after the club he once managed had earlier unveiled a bust in his honour at St James' Park.

When a team has not won in nine Premier League games, perhaps the last thing they need is to face an outfit scenting blood in the title race and with its two most dangerous players in clinical form.

That record was effectively stretched into double figures by half-time as a home defence which battled manfully throughout, twice capitulated in the face of extreme pressure and were punished on both occasions.

Kevin Keegan might have thought his players had ridden out the early storm - indeed, they had gone close to the opening goal with just four minutes gone when skipper Michael Owen flicked a near-post shot wide from Charles N'Zogbia's cross.

However, with 25 minutes gone and Ronaldo having swapped wings with the tricky Nani, the older man curled an inch-perfect cross to the far post for Rooney to side-foot home amid a conspicuous lack of black and white shirts.

The fact that the goal came just seconds after Owen had seen penalty appeals for an untidy challenge on him by international team-mate Rio Ferdinand waved away by referee Chris Foy simply rubbed salt into the wound.

To their credit, the home side did their best to mount a fightback, Damien Duff and James Milner both going close.

Former Manchester City midfielder Joey Barton gave the ball away in the middle of the park and United once again tore their hosts open with lightning pace and bewildering movement.

Ronaldo's scorching run gave the Newcastle defence no chance, but it was Michael Carrick's incisive pass which handed him the chance to slide a shot past the helpless Shay Given.

The Magpies lost 6-0 at Old Trafford on January 12 and on that day, they went in at the break level, and that cannot have made for an easy team-talk as Keegan looked for fresh inspiration.

Given's involvement ended at half-time when he was replaced by Steve Harper with his groin injury still causing him problems before the break.

Newcastle set about their task with a certain determination and went close twice in quick succession, Duff forcing a solid save from Edwin van der Sar at his near post and then Nicky Butt fired a long-range effort wide.

United were content to try and hit the home side on the break, and they did that to stunning effect on 56 minutes when, after spurning an earlier opportunity, Ronaldo made the most of Steven Taylor's slip to round Harper and fire home the third goal.

Duff and N'Zogbia both went close as the Magpies gamely fought on, but it was defender Faye who claimed a little consolation 12 minutes from time with a close-range finish.

But United had to have the last word, and they did when Rooney curled home a superb right-foot shot two minutes later with Saha setting the seal on a comfortable win in injury time.

 



 


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