After Newcastle had threatened to win this game substitute Matt Derbyshire broke Newcastle hearts when he scored the only goal of the game on 90 minutes to send Newcastle tumbling to yet another defeat and into the relegation quagmire.
But Newcastle had many chances to score in this game and they can blame their own missed chances for not getting more out of this game. The main culprit today, of all people, was captain Michael Owen, who had three great chances to score but didn’t take any of his gilt edged chances.
The first chance came after 35 minutes when Michael rounded Brad Fridel but could only shoot wide from a narrow angle. Then Friedel denied Owen again when he turned the striker’s close range header over the bar 10 minutes into the second half. Then just 5 minutes later and Owen was through on goal but Friedel diverted his low effort around the post.
When you don’t take chances like that you don’t win games, and Newcastle are now well and truly in a fight for their survival in England’s top division.
It looked ominous for Newcastle when after 88 minutes Santa Cruz had a wonderful chance for Blackburn but Harper made a fantastic save. But it looks as if Newcastle didn’t heed that warning and finally Matt Derbyshire secured all 3 points for the Rovers.
Unfortunately teams below Newcastle won their games as Birmingham thrashed Tottenham at home by 4-1 and Reading beat Middlesbrough at the Riverside with a goal in injury time by James Harper.
Sunderland also gained on Newcastle be securing a 0-0 draw at Derby, so Newcastle are really in the relegation wars now after this terrible defeat. With this defeat we’ve gone from 6 points above the drop zone to just 3 points above 3rd bottom side, Reading.
Here is the latest league table with Middlebrough also in a fight for their survival.
Pos Team Games Won Drawn Lost GF GA GD Pts 12 Middlesbrough 28 7 8 13 25 42 -17 29 13 Newcastle 28 7 7 14 30 53 -23 28 14 Sunderland 28 7 6 15 26 46 -20 27 15 Birmingham 28 6 8 14 31 41 -10 26 16 Wigan 27 7 5 15 26 42 -16 26 17 Bolton 27 6 7 14 27 39 -12 25 18 Reading 28 7 4 17 32 55 -23 25 19 Fulham 28 3 10 15 25 48 -23 19 20 Derby 28 1 7 20 13 57 -44 10
The next game is Liverpool at Anfield, and the Newcastle hierarchy must now be getting very nervous about the status of the club in the Premier league for next season.
Who would have thought we’d be in this position last August?
In our last 11 league games we’ve lost 8 and drawn just 3, the worst run we’ve ever had in the Premier league.
If we can’t get out of this freefall we’ll be relegated, and the management will not have to at least plan for that event, because it’s getting more and more real with every successive defeat we have.
Comments welcome.
46 comments so far
TooooooN
Mar 2, 2008 at 7:31 AM
Comment #41i almost forget how it felt to win a match…or maybe score a single goal. if i am an opposition player i would consider st james park as a must win match! even if i m derby
hanzemre
Mar 2, 2008 at 8:56 AM
Comment #42let’s play more like that for Liverpool game as we must be underdogs & expected to lose anyway.maybe with good performance & luck we’ll win the game 4-3. just too good too be true atm. but again who knows?
Sandy McNair
Mar 2, 2008 at 9:19 AM
Comment #43If newcastle play like they did today they will stay up without a doubt. Most of the people here are looking at the result and not the game.
I hope to god OBAFAN that we never ever defend a 0-0 at home with 5 mins to go, unless its the chelsea in the second last game of the season. Get your season ticket for Bolton next year.
The stikers we not poor and own never missed the goal. All good saves by Friedal. There was still a lot wrong and I could pick a lot of holes in individual displays.
Duff will come back to be an excellent player next year, but right now Zog should be played as I think its the best way to get points (dressing room moral noted). Duffs shot was wayyyyy off target and slow to line it up.
Barton showed good skill in (unfortunately) small patches. Great communication with Own when he got his head up and looked at what he was doing.
Oba did well and should have been on sooner (I think he plays fine with Owen, but I dont think he plays with Zog good)
I think Butt is doing just fine he has to work hard but he does it. Smith – Please leave the building (Now).
Defence had great commitment and work rate all game,could but there can be no excuses for such stupidity for the blackburn break/goal. KK should have made sure that they did not defend so high (unless he urged them forward)?
Keep it up (4 wins coming soon)
Matt
Mar 2, 2008 at 9:25 AM
Comment #44FFS stop whingeing. We played Blackburn off the park today, and got stopped by a man possessed in Friedel.
If we play like that for the rest of the season we will get results and stay up comfortably.
If you watched the other teams around us and their performances they aren’t anywhere near Blackburn. We will beat Reading, Fulham, Sunderland.
There is every chance we will beat Birmingham and West Ham.
Birmingham only beat Tottenham because Spurs were hungover (literally) and had no central defenders.
OK Liverpool would be a surprise.
If we play football like that and improve, get some signings in the summer then next year could be extremely exciting.
jeff
Mar 2, 2008 at 10:05 AM
Comment #45I couldnt get to the match yesterday for work commitments but had to settle for radio then match of the day…..I just hope the players are going to be able to take something from that game…they seemed to be all over Blackburn…Ok we can go on about bad finishing which is fair enough.People have been going on about Owens missed chances although the headed chance he had was a brilliant save from Friedel..And the chance when he went round the keeper there was a player covering on the line,I think what made that look bad was cos he didnt hit the target..And the other chance he shouldve dinked it over the keeper..but when I heard they we gilt edge chances I thought he had an open goal each time.I definately think he should have scored the last of his chances though..But after watching Match of the day I have to say Alan Smiths Headed chance was a more easier chance..He had a free header,when are we going to realise smith hasnt got it in front of goal.Its alright saying he gives 100% but we need strikers who know where the goal is..We need goals and quick..This season is a disaster and I was totally gutted with the result after hearing how we were playing..But I have to say the defence again need to be put to blame for the way they scored…A point at that part of the game was much better than the defeat obviously so why leave only one player back?And that player (Enrique) being out of position (on the right) at that part of the game we should have took the point and built on that performance for the next game…
Sandy McNair
Mar 2, 2008 at 1:07 PM
Comment #46I think KK ordered the players up for the dead ball and got caught. There such a thing as chasing a win and throwing it away! We threw it away.