NEWCASTLE UNITED v BLACKBURN ROVERS, 0-2 Sat 5 May
2007
Blackburn Rovers kept their UEFA Cup dreams alive as they made
light of Michael Owen's presence to condemn Newcastle United to
another home defeat.
Benni McCarthys 22nd goal of the season and Jason Roberts
73rd-minute strike were more than enough to claim the points as the
Magpies imploded in their final home game of the campaign with Owen
passing up both the chances which came his way.
The Magpies, who have won just one of their last 10 Barclays
Premiership games and scored only three goals, can no longer reach
the Intertoto Cup and now must take stock of a largely
disappointing campaign.
By contrast, Rovers head into the final week of the season dreaming
of Europe after a deserved victory on Tyneside.
Owens return - he last played at St James on December 10, 2005 -
had given the black-and-white faithful hope of a positive finish,
but it was the same old story for Roeders tired troops.
Where Tugays creativity and the movement of McCarthy and strike
partner Roberts caused the home side problems at regular intervals,
the Magpies were disjointed in the middle of the park and, despite
the presence of their £17million man, ineffective in attack.
With Titus Bramble wasteful in possession at the back and he and
partner Oguchi Onyewu, a replacement for the injured Steven Taylor,
struggling in their battle with Rovers front two, it was a
frustrating opening 45 minutes for the Toon Army.
It might have been very different had Kieron Dyers fifth-minute
header from a Stephen Carr cross not been turned around the post by
Brad Friedel, or had any of the flurry of chances which came their
way in the closing stages of the half been converted.
Ryan Nelsen got in a vital challenge to prevent Owen from firing
home from Scott Parkers flick-on after 40 minutes, but the
Newcastle captain should have done better seconds later when the
striker returned the favour only for him to scuff his effort
straight at Brad Friedel.
The American then turned away James Milners curling free-kick, but
he should have been beaten on the stroke of half-time when, after
he could only punch Nolberto Solanos driven cross to Owen, the
England international drilled his shot high over.
But in the meantime, the visitors had taken the lead when McCarthy
got the benefit of a marginal offside decision to thump Stephen
Warnocks 14th-minute cross past Steve Harper.
Shay Givens deputy kept his side in it with a fine save from
Morten Gamst Pedersen 11 minutes before the break after Bentley had
skipped past Carr and Milner to cross from the right, and Rovers
had a goal correctly ruled out for offside seconds later with
Roeders men in disarray at the back.
Newcastle returned in determined mood and Parker found himself in
the thick of the action during the opening minutes of the half,
first just failing to reach Owens flick-on and then seeing
Milners driven cross cannon off him and drop wide of the
target.
As they pushed for the equaliser, the home side left gaps at the
back and they were fortunate to escape on 53 minutes when McCarthy
and Bentley combined to play Roberts in, only for an offside flag
to halt his progress.
Having seen too little of the ball previously, Owen turned
provider, outstripping Nelsen on the left before lifting his cross
high over the arriving support.
Rovers should have taken advantage after 59 minutes when the
unmarked Pedersen dragged his left-footed shot across the face of
goal, but with Milner making an impact once again, the Magpies were
establishing a momentum.
They might have levelled after 69 minutes when Owen, who had
seconds earlier had claims for a penalty for a trip by Samba waved
away, rounded Friedel, but saw his shot from a tight angle headed
off the line by the Congo international.
Roeder introduced Shola Ameobi and Peter Ramage for Dyer and
Bramble on 70 minutes, but the game was over when Roberts was
handed the simplest of tasks by Bentley to head past Harper.
The life went out of Newcastle and although Martins fired across
the face of goal five minutes from time, the game - like their
season - was all but over.