Benny and Ba grab the points! Bolton 0-2 Newcastle

Benny celebrates the opener
A rather dire Boxing Day affair was won courtesy of two goals in two minutes as Newcastle took all three points away from the Reebok this afternoon.

Hatem Ben Arfa scored his first goal in 14 months followed by yet another goal from Demba Ba who notched his 14th goal in Newcastle colours.

As expected, Mike Williamson returned to the side at the expense of James Perch. Not to be too down on Perch, but you could tell the defence was more settled with an actual centre-back alongside Coloccini. Williamson, despite his critics, played well considering he’s been out of action since the start of September. Yohan Cabaye was also reintroduced to the starting line up after missing the match against West Brom due to suspension.

The away side started off the brighter of the two but neither was able to find the final killer ball in what was a rather dismal first half devoid of much quality. The best two chances came from free kicks which Tim Krul and Jussi Jääskeläinen dealt with.

In reality it was a poor half. Gabriel Obertan frustrated as did Leon Best as Newcastle struggled to create much. On the other hand Bolton showed why they’ve been rooted in the relegation places for most of the season and offered little going forward themselves.

The second half started off in much the same way as the first although Leon Best improved, slightly, and Obertan looked much more lively. It wasn’t until the introduction of Hatem Ben Arfa on the hour mark though that Newcastle took the game by the scruff of the neck.

As soon as Ben Arfa arrived on the field we looked more threatening going forward. We had that link between midfield and attack that had been lacking and we kept hold of possession a bit longer. The best bit though come on 69 minutes when Ryan Taylor crossed low into the box for Hatem Ben Arfa to smash home unmarked from 12 yards. It was a cracking finish that left the Bolton ‘keeper with no chance.

It got better still just two minutes later when Gabriel Obertan skinned the Bolton full-back and delivered another low cross into the box which Demba Ba prodded home. At 2-0 up it looked as though Newcastle had done enough to secure the points and give Alan Pardew a first win in six attempts.

And so it proved. Bolton rarely threatened to get back into the match and on the evidence of this match they may well face a struggle for the rest of the season. Newcastle had chances to hit the home side on the counter-attack but a combination of poor decision making and poor delivery combined to ensure that the score wasn’t increased further.

The win gives us 30 points after 18 games which is a total that I’d have snapped your hands off for at the start of the campaign. Next up it’s Liverpool in a 6th v 7th tussle on Friday evening. A win in that game and suddenly the battle for a European place is back on.

Howay the lads!

Bolton: Jussi Jaaskelainen, Paul Robinson, Dedryck Boyata, Zat Knight, Gary Cahill, Mark Davies, Fabrice Muamba, Nigel Reo-Coker, Martin Petrov, Ivan Klasnic, David N’Gog

Subs: Adam Bogdan, Chris Eagles, Tuncay Sanli, Kevin Davies, Sam Ricketts, Darren Pratley, David Wheater

Newcastle: Tim Krul, Danny Simpson, Mike Williamson, Fabricio Coloccini, Ryan Taylor, Gabriel Obertan, Yohan Cabaye, Cheik Tiote, Jonas Gutierrez, Demba Ba, Leon Best

Subs: Rob Elliot, James Perch, Shane Ferguson, Hatem Ben Arfa, Haris Vuckic, Sammy Ameobi, Shola Ameobi

Attendance: 26,080

About toonsy

A lifelong Newcastle fan and current webmaster of this very 'blog who has the sole aim of creating a place by Newcastle United fans, for Newcastle United fans.

56 thoughts on “Benny and Ba grab the points! Bolton 0-2 Newcastle

  1. A very nice win. Proud of the lads, Williamson solid and I for one am glad to see Ben Arfa score and hope Pardew sticks with him for a while.

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  2. Anybody reading the comments from the twerps on the BBC thread? discussing whether any of the ‘Top 6’ sides will come in for Ba in January, rather disrespectful to the Toon in my opinion. On thread, a great 3pts today!

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  3. Quality stuff.

    Back on the up.

    Just need to pull one over on the TWOCers now, on Friday, and we’re back where we belong!!!!

    TOON TOON!
    😛 😛 😛

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  4. HALFTIMEBOVRIL, all our top players will always be linked to the bigger clubs and yea even the top 6, regardless of us flaunting around that place.

    Unfortunately the north east is looked on as lower class to most from the far south folk and journalists e.t.c so they believe that they can spew their drivel and mention any player they choose as a target for the big guns and it’s a done deal.

    They forget that some players will take heart in wanting to help a club like Newcastle achieve something because if they are part of it, it will be looked on by them as a REAL achievement, unlike some that simply move away just to make up the numbers of a top club and have a trophy or medal handed to them on a plate.

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  5. 30 pts already and another 20 games left!! Surely we can get another 6-7 wins from the last 20 which will take us into the 50’s and that will defo give us a good chance of hitting around the 7th , 8th place!! Striker and center half in next week please !!! Tbh i cant see us winning again until we play in the fa cup against blackburn but all in all its been a brilliant first half on the season !! I really think we need to improve on our home form then we would defo have a great chance of 7th , 8th spot !! Lets hope villa beat stoke tonight !!

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  6. How much is Ba worth? – if we’d paid £20 million for him I doubt there would be many complaining – well done Pardew and Carr

    Demba Ba has 21 goals in 25 premier League starts. He’s statistically the most prolific striker in the history of the Premier League.

    £110m worth of “talent” Andy Carroll, Fernando Torres and Luis Suarez have 21 goals in 2011, £0m Demba Ba has 20 goals.

    Waits for the “we will sell him in January or the summer” quotes – if we do he is going to cost £35 million plus 😆

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  7. Did not expect us to win today, thought the back four played very well in particular Raylor/Williamson and Colo.
    Cabaye and Tiote ran their socks off.
    Obertan had a poor 1st half but came out for the 2nd half with guns blazing.
    Best was absolute dog ***** 👿
    Ba was outstanding 😛
    HBA was a revelation.
    Great day, merry crimbo 😆

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  8. 3hooas, spot on mate. To be honest, I’m absolutely fkn gobsmacked he’s doing as well as he is.

    I think I can safely say, after watching him 18 games in, this ain’t no fluke. The lad is class. I just hope he can stay fit.

    Full credit due to Carr, Pardew and Charnley.

    (**** owl-heed)

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  9. Nice one Terny.

    Your brief analysis seems to fit well with my pre-match expectations.

    ….nice little Xtra Xmas prezzie for us all. About fkn time!

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  10. aye 3 great points best was v poor (again) just doesnt seem to w ork with ba imo hes looking overawed by him think his heed is down

    see judas got nowt off samba today 😀

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  11. Demba Ba, superstar, how many goal’s have you scored so far ❓

    Sung to the tune of “Jesus Christ Superstar” 😆

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  12. Very good win-great to see Willo back in the side, people slag him off and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to see a quality centre back in in January but he’s still premiership standard. Finally we can deal with some high balls. He looked knackered though and reckon he should have been subbed off slightly earlier rather than Cabaye 😕 First 90 minutes in 3 months or so? Longer if you go back to 90 minutes of competitive football.

    Great stuff from Demba and Hatem, hopefully they’ll start more matches nowadays!

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  13. what an excellent result, (2-0 which i predicted 😉 )was at a family function so missed the stream 🙁

    was funny reading the Game On article with loads of ppl still giving Obertan loads of stick just like some did with Jonas / Raylor in previous weeks.. well those three guys set-up the goals today so I think we need to chill out on the harsh comments (me included) lets just let AP pick his team and we can see how they do.

    This is still a new team and theyre still learning, lets enjoy the progression 😀

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  14. PremUp “Was unable to see the game today Seems like was the lucky one”

    I thought we won 2-0 at a tough ground that many thought we’d lose, this after having a poor run ourselves 🙄

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  15. Ice,
    I think Pardew will play HBA at the Twocers as they try to play football and don’t have a particularly good midfield enforcer i.e. Souness/McMahon etc 😉

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  16. TGS ive just heard him on talk sport more or less saying hes is doing just a subs role at the mo as hes still not up to speed yet 😕

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  17. halftimebovril says:
    December 26, 2011 at 18:29
    Anybody reading the comments from the twerps on the BBC thread? discussing whether any of the ‘Top 6′ sides will come in for Ba in January, rather disrespectful to the Toon in my opinion. On thread, a great 3pts today!

    Just a pity we weren’t sitting sixth or higher otherwise we could’ve bid for him too!!

    🙄

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  18. You better not cry
    you better not frown
    There’s a Mackem Looney
    coming to town

    Yes
    Clatermole is coming to Town
    He knows where youll be parking
    He knows what car you drive
    He will dance upon your car
    and its mirrors he will rive

    Yes Clattermole is coming to Town

    Alledgedly

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  19. If we couldn’t beat them then we were in trouble. Best was again hopeless and showing his true self after a pretendy good start. Benny came on and showed a touch of class and composure that alluded Best all day. Ba and either Benny or Vuckic for me. I was in the ‘rest area’ unfortuntely taking a leak when the second went in, although I didn’t complain. Another goal, if somewhat fortunately in of the frame, for Ba. After that the confidence picked up to pre slump levels and we started to finally play a bit football. Bolton are shocking this season mind; take nothing away from that, and Cahill is not worth 7M either. 😉

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  20. Terny Green@16, alreet, yeah sound mate cheers, just flitting aboot between fiends and family at he mermint; as ye dee like. So apologies if it seems like I’m blanking ye, or anyone else, am not.

    …@15, now that’s a fkn quality chant. I WELL hope the faithful sang that today!!! 😆

    Catch yers later, ye fkn dorty slappaz! 😛

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  21. Lionel’s love-child, Leon Best, was ***** on Boxing Day.

    (sung in a Berny M stylee)

    reet, teatime, laters…..

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  22. If I don;t see you all before, have a happy new year and may 2012 be a fine year for all you , until 21st December like, when the world ends.

    Anyway, all have a good time and don’t get too drunk on new year and let’s hope we start the new year with a nice win over the Mancs after defeating Liverpool as well.

    Anyway I’ll be on tomorrow like , so really it’s pointless me actually writing this. 😀

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  23. Vic

    Clatermole is from Gosforth in Newcastle and is a Toon fan.

    That’s why he can never ref a match involving NUFC.

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  24. Vic I think you mean Catermole (the Sunderland shitbag). Sidekick, you mean Clattenberg as in Mark the referee.

    It’s amazing the difference having 2 CBs playing makes.
    Ba awesome again and please to see HBA come on and score, hopefully that will do his confidence the world of good.

    Another draw for Liverpool again today against a team they should be beating so today has been a good one to win before we face them on Friday night. (Carroll missed a couple of sitters)

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  25. I hope we can do better than 8th this year after all we are doing better than last year and if we had won the final game against west brom we would of been 8th then.

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  26. Great win for the toon today, though it wasn’t pretty by all accounts. WBA took a point from the great Man City, it only goes to show how well we COULD do with a bit more consistency and a some squad strengthening.

    Howay the lads, ower the moon with the three points today !

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  27. Agreed sharpy17 dnt see any reason we can’t get something at liverpool ithought r taylor colo willo cabaye benny were good 2day .

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  28. Liverpool next. If we can avoid defeat that would be a great result, and I hope that Pardew approaches the game in the right frame of mind, with the right tactics too. We don’t need to take the game to Liverpool ffs….

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  29. Areet lads, just back in from the game. Best away day ever for me that!

    What topped it off is we seen David Guest!! 😆

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  30. We need to stop showing them so much respect at Anfield, that would be a good start. Blackburn got a point there today and they’ve drawn six at home. Stop being scared of them!

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  31. Troysa,
    You said “Do you not think Demba Ba is too greedy?”

    I ask – What do mean? financially or possession ❓

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  32. Agree with DJG. We could really take the game to Liverpool, hopefully with Ben Arfa starting!

    When does the Suarez ban go into effect??

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  33. Love the win, but why do we seem to resort to the hoofball to the big strikers so often, especially when Pardew says that our strength is in technical ability, — PASSING?!

    Would love to see HBA start, to encourage a strong passing game. That would give our wingers a different option that they honestly seem to feel more comfortable with.

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  34. Think a lot of the long ball thing is confidence. A few lost games and rather than keep the ball players just want to get rid so they don’t make the **** up etc

    Plus we’ve had a makeshift defence for weeks.

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  35. Did not get to see the match was visiting family , but i am pleased we got not only a win but a clean sheet as well . Seems other results have gone our way as well in terms of closing the gap on 6th and keeping the chasing pack at bay .

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  36. Anyone saw the Everton pen awarded against the makems?
    Wait for it, it’s monumental, you’ll laugh your tits off

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  37. Fine win. I don’t care who the opponents are. We’ll take comfort in the fact that these are the kind of games we should win by at least 2-3 goals.

    Ba has once again shown his prolific scoring touch and Benny makes yet another point to Pards for more Premier League starts. 14 months since his last goal? ****** off De Jong, you ******.

    Plus after watching him during that one club-changing season in the Championship, I’m glad to see Williamson back. I always thought he got the job done, not spectacularly, but he doesn’t make an **** of himself either.

    @51: Totally agree on that.Loads of draws means that level on games, we’re only a point behind the ‘Pool. I’m really looking forward to the next game.

    HWTL!

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