|
Match
Report
Newcastle
United 3 (Cort
'4, Cordone '46, Glass '54)
Derby
County 2
(Strupar '45, Johnson '83)
NEWCASTLE got their home campaign off to a winning start in
front of 51,327 fans at the new-look St James' Park - but only
just.
New boys Carl Cort and Daniel Cordone marked their home
debuts with their first goals for the club - the former after just
four minutes. And although Branko Strupar pulled one back
for the visitors, substitute Stephen Glass looked to have
sealed the victory with a stunning 54th-minute strike.
However, Warren Barton's dismissal 12 minutes from time for
dragging back Deon Barton gave the Rams fresh hope and a
belief which grew five minutes later when Seth Johnson made
it 3-2.
The problems which hampered the Magpies at Manchester
United in their opening game were largely still there in an
ordinary first-half display, but they were much better after the
break, at least until they were reduced to ten men. But the
injury nightmare which has blighted Bobby Robson time on
Tyneside shows little sign of abating, and Cort and defender
Nikos Dabizas both joined the casualty list before half-time.
Midfielder Kieron Dyer was handed a return to the starting
line-up on the day he promised the club that his future lies at
St James' amid talk that Arsenal are about to table an £8.5m
bid for him. ''I love it here and I want to go on to become one
of the Newcastle United legends I keep reading and hearing
about,'' he said.
''I've heard nothing at all about Arsenal, but I'm not
interested in going to Arsenal or anywhere else for that
matter. I'm very happy at Newcastle United. I've signed a
four-year contract at the club and I look forward to the day
when I sign another one.''
Dyer replaced the injured Rob Lee in a side which featured two
more changes, Didier Domi and Nolberto Solano starting in
place of Marcelino and Alain Goma. Derby made two changes
to the side which drew 2-2 against Southampton at the
weekend, Burton and Steve Elliott coming in for Lee Morris and
Rory Delap.
Fittingly, it was Dyer who sparked the decisive move with just
four minutes gone when he linked with Solano down the left
and delivered the perfect cross for Cort to hold off Otto
Bragstad and head just inside Mart Poom's left post. The start
could hardly have been any more perfect, but if the black and
white hordes were expecting an avalanche, they were to be
sadly disappointed.
Cort whipped a snapshot in at Poom and Gary Speed sent a
speculative effort high over, but much of United's play was
disjointed, and it was the visitors who produced the more
compact football.
Bragstad got a header in on Shay Given's goal and Stefano
Eranio chipped a shot just too high after evading Nikos
Dabizas' crude lunge on the edge of the box. Newcastle's
problems increased when first Cort and then Dabizas, who had
both earlier received extensive treatment for knocks, had to
be replaced.
To rub salt into the wound, Strupar finally capitalised on his
side's enterprise on the stroke of half-time when he collected
Danny Higginbotham's pass in his stride, wrong-footed the
home defence and slotted past the helpless Given.
Robson's inspirational qualities are one of English football's
best-known weapons, and they were put to devastating use at
the break. The half was only 36 seconds old when, after
substitute Glass had broken down the left, Cordone picked up
a half-clearance by Bragstad, switched it to his right foot
before guiding it expertly past Poom.
It was just what the home side needed, and although Given
had to sprint from his line to keep out Burton after Aaron
Hughes misjudged a long ball from Con Blatsis, the goal
proved the catalyst for a much-improved second-half display.
The third goal arrived just eight minutes later after Derby
failed to clear a Cordone corner, and when the ball was worked
back to Glass, he curled an unstoppable left-foot shot into the
top corner.
Shearer was being well marshalled by Elliott and the big
defender twice thwarted the former England skipper in quick
succession, getting in a superb last-ditch tackle and then
taking the ball off his head as he prepared to open his
season's account.
Derby looked a beaten side, but they were given a glimmer of
hope 12 minutes from time when Barton conceded possession
to Burton and then dragged him back, and in the current
climate, referee Dermot Gallagher had little choice but to
produce the red card.
Robson immediately replaced Solano with French defender
Laurent Charvet, but the alarm bells were ringing seven
minutes from time when Simo Valakari crossed for Johnson to
reduce the deficit from close range. Substitute Dean Sturridge
saw an injury-time effort fly just inches over, but United's first
points of the season were safe.
TEAMS
Newcastle: Given, Barton, Domi, Dyer, Shearer, Speed,
Solano, Cort, Cordone, Hughes, Dabizas. Subs: Goma,
Harper, Glass, Kerr, Charvet.
Derby: Poom, Powell, Johnson, Burton, Higginbotham, Elliott,
Eranio, Bragstad, Strupar, Blatsis, Valakari. Subs: Schnoor,
Sturridge, Morris, Oakes, Murray.
Referee: D Gallagher (Banbury)
|
