In a very entertaining and fast paced game Newcastle and West Ham were all level at the half time whistle with Michael Owen scoring a good goal for Newcastle, and Craig Bellamy (ouch!) scoring for West Ham, after being beautifully put through by our other former Newcastle player, Scotty Parker (another ouch!).
The game started at a fast pace with West Ham having most of the play initially, and it was obvious they had come for a win, and were playing some enterprising football.
At the beginning the defense looked a little shaky, and they seemed to be playing a high line, and were catching Craig Bellamy offside, – but one slip in the defensive coordination and Bellamy could be straight through.
After 13 minutes captain Michael Owen almost scored as he took the ball in the penalty area and in one movement left Collins for dead, and hit the ball beautifully across goal, beat goalkeepr Green, but the ball struck the upright and bounced clear – a wonderful effort from the skipper.
Then after just 19 minutes Owen again got the ball 10 yards outside the box and moved forward to hit a 25 yard shot that went in off Green, who will be unhappy he was unable to block the shot, but it looked like the sheer speed of the shot beat him – a great goal by Michael Owen.
The game was being played in an attacking way by both teams and there were lots of chances, and after 26 minutes, a high cross from the right found Carroll free on the edge of the six yard box, but Andy headed wide, when a header across goal may have been the better option. It was a good chance missed by the 20 year-old.
Then a terrific goal was scored by West Ham, thanks to our former players Parker and Bellamy. Parker had the ball but he lost it just outside the Newcastle penalty area. But then Parker took the ball off Basssong and slotted a great through ball through to Bellamy, who rammed the ball home with great aplomb, giving Given no chance at all. A very good equalizing goal by the Hammers.
The game was end to end, and Newcastle were caught wide open after 43 minutes, when Mark Noble found himself clean through on Shay Given, but Shay made a great save as he blocked the midfielder’s shot – a let off for Newcastle another great save by the Irishman. West Ham should have done better.
In the second half Newcastle will need to tighten up on defense, and again we have failed to keep a clean sheet at home, which will hardly please manager Joe Kinnear.
The Newcastle defenders need to watch out for the Hammer’s danger man – Craig Bellamy – who is in good form right now. Scott Parker is also playing very well in the center of midfield – unfortunately for Newcastle.
At the half it is anybody’s game, but we must go all out for the 3 points.
TEAMS:
Newcastle United: Shay Given, Steven Taylor, Jose Enrique, Sebastien Bassong, Fabricio Coloccini, Danny Guthrie, Geremi, Damien Duff, Jonas Gutierrez, Michael Owen (c), Andy Carroll
Subs: Steve Harper, Charles N’Zogbia, David Edgar, Tamas Kadar, Ryan Donaldson, Xisco, Kazenga LuaLua
West Ham: Robert Green, Lucas Neill (c), Herita Ilunga, Scott Parker, Craig Bellamy, Carlton Cole, Matthew Upson, Mark Noble, James Collins, Valon Behrami, Jack Collison
Subs: Luis Boa Morte, Hayden Mullins, Julien Faubert, Diego Tristan, James Tomkins, David Di Michele, Marek Stech
Referee: Alan Wiley
Attendance: tbc
180 comments so far
O'Hurley
Jan 10, 2009 at 4:44 PM
Comment #41Way to go Andy C! First goal in the first team?? Hell yeah!
GraemeR
Jan 10, 2009 at 4:44 PM
Comment #42WE should be walking matches like this – instead we get a goal and then sit back. Why cant we push on from a winning position?? What mentality has jokeinhere instilled??
Ross
Jan 10, 2009 at 4:45 PM
Comment #43An excellent challenge from Bassong on Cole there apparently. He’s picked up an injury, he’s hobbling in the penalty area-oh no.
GraemeR
Jan 10, 2009 at 4:45 PM
Comment #44Zogs injured – with todays reports of ExEMO ‘signing’ for Man City I can only hope for a serious leg break for the mercenary
toonoholic
Jan 10, 2009 at 4:46 PM
Comment #45why not get ranger on?
Ross
Jan 10, 2009 at 4:47 PM
Comment #46Hopefully Bassongs injury was just a knock he’ll run off. they havent mentioned it since so im hoping its nowt.
GraemeR
Jan 10, 2009 at 4:49 PM
Comment #47Is owen still playing???
GraemeR
Jan 10, 2009 at 4:50 PM
Comment #48After the goal I have not heard his name
Steve_48
Jan 10, 2009 at 4:50 PM
Comment #49We must start Caroll from now on – this lad has battled all afternoon, he deserves a starting place
wigaz
Jan 10, 2009 at 4:51 PM
Comment #50Lets hope now you said that graeme he pops up with the winner!
GraemeR
Jan 10, 2009 at 4:51 PM
Comment #51there he is – diving in hte box
wigaz
Jan 10, 2009 at 4:52 PM
Comment #52I second that steve lets get a bit of geordie pride back in our side. Him & owen could end of working very well together.
GraemeR
Jan 10, 2009 at 4:53 PM
Comment #532-2 final score – not good enough
Ross
Jan 10, 2009 at 4:53 PM
Comment #54Owen has been incredibly quiet in the second half, that is true. As has Jonas. Charlie seems to have been heavily involved since coming on, shame he doesnt actually want to be there.
Jonas has apparently just forced an ‘unbeleivable’ block having shot in the box after playing a nice little one two.
toonoholic
Jan 10, 2009 at 4:54 PM
Comment #55so close
toonoholic
Jan 10, 2009 at 4:55 PM
Comment #56i dont know how jonas missed. i cldnt see the tackle coming
Toon_Ksk
Jan 10, 2009 at 4:55 PM
Comment #57Can’t doubt their commitment. 2-2 is probably job well done except for the ball watching that resulted in WH 2nd goal.
Ally
Jan 10, 2009 at 4:55 PM
Comment #58Jonas nearly got us the three points
toonderry
Jan 10, 2009 at 4:55 PM
Comment #59jonas had my heart in my mouth there
normski1930z
Jan 10, 2009 at 4:55 PM
Comment #60simply not good enough ….have to win home games like this….get ya hand in ya pocket ye fat horrible c**t….
sirjasontoon™ - Let's Riot
Jan 10, 2009 at 4:55 PM
Comment #61Not good enough.
Ross
Jan 10, 2009 at 4:56 PM
Comment #62toonoholic-was it a chance he should have scored? or was it just a case of him doing everything he could and the defending being excellent?
obamagic
Jan 10, 2009 at 4:56 PM
Comment #63wow….jonas could have killed that off… wonder why lua lua didnt get a run out.
ToonKing
Jan 10, 2009 at 4:56 PM
Comment #64i really don’t understand why we just fall apart sometimes.
There are periods in the games when we are great but then there are times when we just fall apart…..
I like JK but we need a better manager….but let’s stay up first.
sirjasontoon™ - Let's Riot
Jan 10, 2009 at 4:57 PM
Comment #65How many draws we had under JK..losing count.
Danish_Magpie
Jan 10, 2009 at 4:57 PM
Comment #66West Ham are in form, and 2-2 is not a terrible result. Obviously a win would’ve been great, but good effort from the boys. Scary how terrible the defense looks when they turned off for 35 mins in the second half..
toonoholic
Jan 10, 2009 at 4:58 PM
Comment #67ross he did brilliant. and was just 5 yards out. she shld have just clipped it . ref gave a corner but i dint see who tackled him. shld have won us the game . but il ltake a draw
toonoholic
Jan 10, 2009 at 4:58 PM
Comment #68ross he did brilliant. and was just 5 yards out. he shld have just clipped it . ref gave a corner but i dint see who tackled him. shld have won us the game . but il ltake a draw
wigaz
Jan 10, 2009 at 4:59 PM
Comment #69Well could of been worse we could have lost. Now lets add to the squad & push on from here. I would like to see us go for bent especially if Owen has agreed to go man city but it was a great goal by him today. I think him & Andy Caroll could be a good partnership.
toonoholic
Jan 10, 2009 at 4:59 PM
Comment #70eh sorry about that
Ross
Jan 10, 2009 at 4:59 PM
Comment #71We need new everything i think. But we’re not going to get it, fact is Kinnear will stay our manager, Ashley cant sell and transfer news is looking pretty bleak as we’re linked with players like Ferguson, Mido and Lovenkrands. A typical period in the soap opera that is newcastle united.
JonnyNUFC
Jan 10, 2009 at 5:00 PM
Comment #72sick and fcking tired of this team
i dont give a sht who says that 2-2 was acceptable
start of 2nd half was NOT ACCEPTABLE
we looked like a fcking blue square premier team the way they carved us apart
and then in the last fcking seconds we pile foward to win it
we USED to do that the entire fcking time not in the last second
the MOMENT we equalized we should have been breaking fowards everytime we went up…but they werent
fck them
micepie
Jan 10, 2009 at 5:01 PM
Comment #73Both my West Ham supporting friend and myself predicted 2-2 in an e-mail a couple of days ago. So many teams on 23 points now!
Never been too harsh a critic on Geremi, but I had to leave the live televised game to scream at the blog that Zog should replace him IMMEDIATELY, only for it to happen 30 seconds later. Geremi was appalling and Zog is around 127 times freaking better!
A relief anyway…pleased for Carroll too.
Ross
Jan 10, 2009 at 5:02 PM
Comment #74toonoholic-cheers mate, i’ll take a look at it on MOTD tonight. 5 Live said it was unbeleivable and the bbc text thing calls it a brilliant last ditched tackle from upson.
JonnyNUFC
Jan 10, 2009 at 5:02 PM
Comment #75everytime they do this
Duff should have got us an equalizer in the wigan game he had 2 chances
this time guti & last minute chances again hull
WTF DONT THEY DO THIS THE ENTIRE HALF
its fcking pathetic that they only get a will to win in the dying seconds.
Marty-TOON RISING
Jan 10, 2009 at 5:02 PM
Comment #76Good ball from DUFFER TO GET US THE WIN FROM BIG ANDY
StevieA
Jan 10, 2009 at 5:02 PM
Comment #77Well I wouldn’t say Andy Carroll has proved me wrong but I am pleased he got a goal for us. Is that his first official senior goal? I know he scored preseason but can’t recall a league goal.
Maybe has is stepping his game up? Maybe he can be a good target man for us?
We shall see but I can’t deny he has potential. It’s just his potential goals a season at this level that worries me, scored today through.
Good draw but I agree we should be winning these games, then again West Ham are good away from home.
Marty-TOON RISING
Jan 10, 2009 at 5:02 PM
Comment #78Good ball from DUFFER TO GET US THE dRAW FROM BIG ANDY
Ian
Jan 10, 2009 at 5:03 PM
Comment #79That was a good result considering Martins was missing, we had no other real options.
If Carroll doesnt get big headed again and keeps working hard and looking after himself at last we may have striking options once we have Martins, Owen and Carroll all available, we could play Carroll for half the match with Owen then bring on Martins with his pace and bury the game, we need some sort of rest and rotation system at the front to finish the opposition and make it harder for them to plan against us.
The Entertainers
Jan 10, 2009 at 5:03 PM
Comment #80Pleased with the point, but cant help but think its 2 points dropped. I’m not saying we should have won that game, because the hammers were worthy of a point.
But West Ham at home is winable!
We are now in a rut again.
Wigan, comfortabley beaten.
Liverpool, i’ll move on
Hull Reserves, lucky to get a draw.
West Ham, we deserved no more than a point.
I dont know where to start anymore.
I’m statrting to think is a lenghthy cup run the best thing for us ? Cant believe i’m saying this, but losing to Hull’s reserves wouldnt be the worst thing in the world when we play them again. The PL is the priority and due to our situation we have to right off my favourite cup competion!
I hate this season.
Bad planning, bad spending, bad decisions !