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Match Report

Blues Gain Psychological
Advantage

                      Newcastle United                   0
 

                                            Chelsea                                1......1
                                                  Poyet '22
 
 

                                                   Gustavo Poyet gave Chelsea the psychological advantage
                                                   over FA Cup semi-final opponents Newcastle as he
                                                   condemned Bobby Robson to his first home defeat. The
                                                   Uruguayan's 22nd-minute header was enough to win a drab
                                                   contest in which United never came anywhere near their best
                                                   in the face of a hugely professional display by the
                                                   Londoners. Newcastle battered away at Gianluca Vialli's side
                                                   as they fought to preserve their 14-match run at St James'
                                                   Park, but they lacked a cutting edge and rarely looked like
                                                   snatching a point.

                                                   Chelsea keeper Ed De Goey only needed to make two good
                                                   saves from Alan Shearer and Kieron Dyer as he broke Peter
                                                   Bonetti's 25-year-old club record by keeping his 22nd clean
                                                   sheet of the season.

                                                   Newcastle were forced to change their shape after starting
                                                   with a five-man defence which left them unbalanced, but
                                                   although they were a little more compact when they returned
                                                   to a 4-4-2 line-up, the die had been cast.

                                                   Vialli made no fewer than five changes to the side which lost
                                                   1-0 in Marseille in midweek, with Emerson Thome replacing
                                                   Marcel Desailly in central defence and Celestine Babayaro
                                                   coming in at left-back for Jon Harley. Roberto Di Matteo and
                                                   Jody Morris were preferred to Didier Deschamps and Dan
                                                   Petrescu in midfield, and Chris Sutton took over from Tore
                                                   Andre Flo up front.

                                                   Newcastle made two changes to the side which won 2-0 at
                                                   Sheffield Wednesday last week as Steve Howey replaced the
                                                   injured Helder in his first start since April 11 last year and
                                                   Didier Domi came in for Kevin Gallacher. Robson's
                                                   experiment with a five-man defence, pushing Aaron Hughes
                                                   into a central three, failed to pay off. Rob Lee and Gary
                                                   Speed found themselves isolated in central midfield as
                                                   Dennis Wise and Jody Morris ran the show, and with the
                                                   Gianfranco Zola lively up front, the home defence never
                                                   really looked comfortable.

                                                   For all that, it was United who created the first chance with
                                                   just three minutes gone as De Goey kept out Shearer's
                                                   well-struck free-kick. However, Zola's craft down the right
                                                   proved too much for Domi and Hughes at times and the pair
                                                   had a let-off when Sutton shot over on eight minutes after
                                                   the Italian left them in his wake with a neat turn.

                                                   Chelsea took a grip of the game as they settled the better
                                                   and they deservedly went in front with 22 minutes gone. Lee
                                                   gave the ball away to Di Matteo, who found Morris down the
                                                   left, and he picked out Poyet's run to allow the Uruguayan
                                                   to power a header past Shay Given.

                                                   It was only a matter of time before Robson changed the
                                                   shape of his team, with Domi pushing into midfield and
                                                   Hughes dropping in at left-back, and while they scarcely
                                                   looked more dangerous they were at least able to compete
                                                   more effectively.

                                                   They should have been back on terms nine minutes before
                                                   half-time when Lee crossed for the unmarked Speed, but he
                                                   directed his header straight at De Goey. Duncan Ferguson
                                                   saw a looping header drop just over and Dyer had a great
                                                   chance to equalise in injury time from his side's best move
                                                   of the half. Shearer headed down Warren Barton's cross to
                                                   Ferguson, and when he found Dyer, the England midfielder
                                                   shot towards the top corner only for De Goey to pull off a
                                                   fine save.

                                                   Robson ended Nolberto Solano's exile at the break as he
                                                   replaced Domi with the Peruvian, but although his side
                                                   looked a little more threatening, they failed to carve out
                                                   many meaningful opportunities. Instead, they were reduced
                                                   to heaving a series of long balls into the box for Shearer
                                                   and Ferguson to attack, but they found Frank Leboeuf and
                                                   Thome in determined mood, and even when they did come
                                                   out on top, it was a blue shirt more often than not which got
                                                   to the breakdown first.

                                                   Ferguson was just inches away from reaching Hughes' cross
                                                   at the near post, and Shearer could not get any power into
                                                   his header from another ball in by the Irishman on 58
                                                   minutes. And as United threw men forward in the search for
                                                   an equaliser, Zola and Sutton were able to exploit the space
                                                   they left at the back and make life difficult for Howey in
                                                   particular.

                                                   The central defender provided the ammunition for Ferguson
                                                   on 68 minutes with a long ball forward, but although the
                                                   Scot picked out Dyer with his header, he shot well wide.
                                                   And as time ran down, the chances of the home side forcing
                                                   a draw seemed to recede in the face of a determined
                                                   performance from the Chelsea defence.

                                                   Defender Nicos Dabizas was agonisingly close to getting a
                                                   foot to Shearer's 87th-minute knock-down, but De Goey was
                                                   able to breathe again as the ball ran wide of his left post.
                                                   Given kept it at 1-0 in the final minute as he blocked Zola's
                                                   shot, but that proved little consolation to his side.