With 60 seconds of injury time to play, I was bracing myself for another huge win as Newcastle protected the ball in the corner of the Gallowgate end. What happened in the minute that remained, however, left myself and the entire Geordie faithful utterly deflated.
Newcastle allowed Leeds one last attack and in the 95th minute, an unmarked Chris Wood poked home his 25th goal of the season, seeing the Magpies lose their lead in devastating fashion.
To leave with a share of the spoils was hard to take. We played Leeds off the park. The boys were quicker to every ball, had 22 shots to Leeds’ 4 and had an incredible 19 corners to their 0. It was an outstanding effort from the lads in what I believe to be our best display at St. James’ this year.
It must be said that whilst the late equaliser was a bitter blow, leaving an overriding feeling of disappointment amongst fans, the teams performance and efforts throughout must not go unnoticed.
All 11 players put in a real shift, deserving praise for their efforts, but it was Mitrovic, Mbemba, Hayden and Anita who were the pick of a very good bunch last night:
Player ratings
Karl Darlow – 6 – Made a smart save as Roofe tried to head home Leeds’ rebounded effort that struck the bar. Didn’t have a save to make following that and could do little about Wood’s late equaliser.
Vurnon Anita – 8 – Defended superbly in an assured display from the Dutchman. Doesn’t offer the attacking threat Yedlin provides, but was alive and alert to any danger.
Jamaal Lascelles – 6 – Bundled home to give Newcastle the breakthrough but was caught ball watching for the equaliser. An improvement on Saturday but a costly lapse.
Chancel Mbemba – 8 – Read the play superbly and confidently carried the ball out from the back on several occasions. Vastly improved from Saturday.
Paul Dummett – 7 – Kept Leeds’ Kemar Roofe quiet. Offered little going forward but did his job, as ever, defensively.
Isaac Hayden – 8 – Made a huge difference on his return to the NUFC midfield. Slick in possession, quick into the tackle and strong in the air. Helped the side in all areas of the field.
Jonjo Shelvey – 7 – Looked to make things happen and dictated the play well. Looked far more comfortable alongside Hayden in a duo that have the makings of a very capable midfield partnership.
Matt Ritchie – 7.5 – Worked his socks off as usual and offered a creative spark going forward. Non stop work in both halves of the pitch.
Yoan Gouffran – 7 – Put himself about and worked for every ball. Was unlucky not to score in the first half as his low shot struck the inside of the post.
Ayoze Perez – 6 – Tireless running and tried to make things happen. Often a little too cheap in possession and lacking final product.
Aleksandar Mitrovic – 8.5 – Outstanding effort. He won his battles against two giant Leeds centre halves, linked the play superbly and set up the opener for Lascelles with a towering header across goal. His all round game was much improved and he showed the sort of sharpness that he’s often lacked this season. Great to see!
On another day we score two or three and make easy work of it, but that’s just not Newcastle United’s style this season it appears.
After Brighton and Huddersfield won yesterday, the draw sees our title hopes suffer a real blow, with our push for a automatic promotion also halted.
It’s a tough one to take and another setback, but in 48 hours time, a trip to mid-table Ipswich Town offers us the ideal opportunity to bounce back immediately.
Time for calm heads and a positive outlook. Play with that sort of intensity, desire and intent in our four remaining games and we will be playing Premier League football once again come August.
thanks Olly, from last thread
kimtoon
April 15, 2017 at 10:23
Stand out players last night Hayden, Ritchie, Mitro ( I know he didn’t score but got the assist and his link up play was very good, plus he was yet again targeted all game long ) Anita and got forward really well I thought oh and Rob Green for leeds had a blinder.
We have to stay switched on for the duration of games, to leave so much space in our pen box so late in the game is unforgivable, it really is. I think Colback coming on was a mistake but I appreciate Hayden was out on his feet as was Ritchie so Rafa had little choice, but within minutes he’d got a yellow and frankly the guy now looks a liability. He will be only too aware how many fans feel about him and it could well effect his confidence even more which in itself is another worry.
Always Knew this league would be hellish to get out of, it’s a different animal to the last time we were in it. Teams are stronger with good managers and badly let down by poor officiating most games. Yesterday Huddersfield got a very dubious penalty late on and we were denied a stone waller in our game yet again. We need to win well on Monday because I am **** sure Huddersfield will beat Derby who’s season is effectively over now there is no play off place likely. Brighton face a poor Wigan and know the win sends them up, a chance too good to pass up in front of their home fans.
I’m still fuming about that stupid lapse in concentration yesterday tbh and we were 20 seconds away from all three points and keeping the pressure on Huddersfield .
kimtoon(Quote)
I agree it was probably the best I have seen from us this season, especially at home, we deserved to win and shouldve had a penalty in my opinion, the team worked hard and played as a unit, mitro for me was immense, I just feel we tried to kill the game with trying to run the clock down rather than attack keep the ball and go for a second goal. but e must put this behind us now and get the next result against ipswich, howay the lads
jim(Quote)
For all our excellent play yesterday and it was mostly good, we look toothless up front, missing Gayles presence around the box. His instinct would of gotten us a couple yesterday had he been fit. Going forward we need to bring in a couple of good forwards, I suspect Gayle will become a sicknote as the hamstrings seem to be an on going problem and they were at Palace too.
kimtoon(Quote)
Olly very much agree with your assessments. Personally think Hayden was the standout player, winning headers and driving forward. The assessments of the Mag are laughable and are surely based on preformed opinions rather than the match itself. The marks given to Dummett in the Mag make me think the assessments were done by his dad. Have you ever watched Dummett’s throw ins? Straight to the opposition nearly every time. Your mark for Gouffran was spot on. He had quite a good game – hitting the post and starting the move which led to our goal, as well as winning possession many times. The Mag also gives Perez a very low score. I would agree he has been poor of late but last night put in a reasonable performance. In fact they all played well but I just wish Lascelles would stop going to sleep at the end of a game. Last night he was marking an empty space when Leeds scored. Ball watching?
Groucho(Quote)
What is it now then? 7 pts and we’re up. Personally I can’t see Huddersfield winning all their games. Fulham and Derby? Don’t think so. In fact they were really lucky yesterday with a 96th minute pen. Maybe they can get 10 points but again I don’t think so. Beat Ipswich and we’re probably up. HTL.
Mitro and Mbemba were really good last night but Lascelles is a poor defender.
georgio(Quote)
we’ve already won as many as the two teams who were promoted last season. Our GD is already better too. both went up on 93 and 89. Incidentally Brighton also had 89 points at seasons end but two less in GD so had to face play offs which ofcourse they lost. They must really be enjoying the state Boro are in given how last season ended.
kimtoon(Quote)
Hope it’s only quiet on here due to Easter. Where’s Ice and Shamrock and Stem ?
kimtoon(Quote)
And Sharpy
Groucho(Quote)
Unlucky yesterday 3-1 would have been a fair result. How we didnt get a pen for the foul on mbemba is beyond me. Come on lads, win the next 4 and go up in style.
Delusional Jawdee(Quote)
kimtoon
I think we were relegated with 37 points last season. Hull just need to basically keep above Swansea (currently on 28 points) to survive this year. Nothing ever goes for us does it? I bet Hull won’t need 38/39 points. 😉
DJG(Quote)
Gutted with yesterday’s result. Had a full day to think on it, and still gutted… the referees are just so bad but seem worse against us. Even when we do get a penalty, the buggers take it off us…
I hope Steven Taylor plays for Ipswich. Odds on he will give us a penalty… as long as the ref allows it. ???
Dubai Toon(Quote)
I actually woke up yesterday to the memory of chris woods outstretched leg!!
still p**ed off. what a throw away!. Still a bit angry with Lascelles tbh.. why was he so far away from his man…
I agree with Mitro. one of our best performances all season. really took the game to Leeds )
Apparently the 5 mins came from the Leeds pitch invader which wasnt shown at all in any streams
Gashley(Quote)
Gash – it still really bothers me too. Lascelles was miles away from their top scorer in the last 20 secs. Effin mindless! Captain? Defender? The kid does my head in he’s so poor.
About the 5 mins – TV showed Darlow playing around with the ball. I knew there was something they didn’t want us to see. Bloody commentators might have mentioned it.
Hard to believe stat coming up – Ipswich have lost less home games than us.
georgio(Quote)
georgio
A fat Leeds fan ran on from the Strawberry corner and ran up to Rob Green, then he went to one of their defenders who was clearly angry with him. It took three stewards to push him off the pitch and the ref added an extra 2 mins. Without that the game would have been different as the players had a two minute stoppage to catch breath etc. They scored in the last 30 seconds. So really it was like 7 minutes added on. I think the head injury was in the first half and they only added 1 minute for it, as the player received treatment and the game carried on. Total joke adding 7 minutes just because of substitutions. It’s part of the 90 minutes to allow 6 substitutions and not something that should be added on extra IMO. If we were time wasting then it’s up to the referee to caution and book the players, not for the fourth official to add time for it.
DJG(Quote)
DJG – I agree with that but think the rule is to add 30 secs for every sub made. So really it does add up to 5 mins. The problem was Diame not blocking the centre and Lascelles not marking Woods. Criminal.
georgio(Quote)
I thought he had a good game apart from his lapse of concentration. needs to make a few improvements to be ready for the Prem. Mbemba played well. he made some good runs forward
Gashley(Quote)
Thought the fat fan ran on during extra time. Agree with you on the subs and time is added I think for goals scored. I still believe it should have been no more than 4 minutes added on. I agree with RAFA that there is a lack of consistency.
Groucho(Quote)
Happy with the performance but the result and the manner of it was a real blow! Especially after Huddersfield had scored in the 96th minute too.
It really is important we get a win tomorrow just to settle the nerves. If we play like we did against Leeds we will win.
Stuart79(Quote)
Hudders got a dodgy pen, missed and scored the follow up, We were denied a stone waller, on such decisions seasons are often made or broken for teams. That a man in black can wield such power with no technological back up is frightening .
kimtoon(Quote)
Agree with everything you said Stewie.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Kimtoon: Our Ref was totally shocking – again – it was almost like comedy 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
A relegation and a failure to win the Championship whilst managing the toon are two blips on Rafas CV. I reckon he’ll stay on for another season at least to try and put it right.
Delusional Jawdee(Quote)
The ref got one call wrong yesterday, the penalty on Mbemba. Everything else was down to the toons incompetency and inabikity to see the game out. The toon defending for the leeds goal was pathetic throughout the whole team, no wonder rafa gets peeved, it happens all the time.
Delusional Jawdee(Quote)
DJ: How about adding on 5 minutes for no reason? That was another bad call. Refs get a bad time I know, but sometimes they deserve it. 2 rescinded red cards against Forest and Stroud who didn’t even know a simple rule that we all know. I have seen at least 5 re-takes of a penalty for encroachment and know the rule without having to take a single Ref class.
The whole Stroud crew have been suspended so don’t you get on your high horse about Refs ALWAYS being hard done to.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Huddersfield have two tough games next up and we have two winnable games. Win today and I think were there but it’s a big game. In fact I think if we win our remaining 4 games we will have a good chance of winning the league.
People complain about us not running away with the league but Brighton have been building their squad for 3 years and have spent a lot of money too. If you honk about it Rafa has done a pretty amazing job considering he’s completely changed the face of the squad and we’re still likely to go up.
Stuart79(Quote)
Eric, wind your neck in and don’t put words in my mouth, you used the word always. Against Leeds, and I am only talking about one game, the linesman and ref missed the Mbemba penalty. Go pick on someone else.
I really wonder if some refs are being “approached” because some of the decisions being made this season are ridiculous.
If anyone has a tv shot, I would love to see the replay of the Huddersfield off the ball incident which got them the 95th minute pen las week. The linesman deserves a medal after spotting that one. Once I see the evidence and am convinced the penalty was deserved, then it won’t be “controversial” anymore.
Delusional Jawdee(Quote)
Stuart, if you honk about it I agree with you. Predictive text is just brilliant !!
I reckon Rafa is staying at the toon next season, but the toon will be promoted as runners up.
Delusional Jawdee(Quote)
Fair play to Hoots and Brighton I say, after the way he was treated by Ashley he deserves all the plaudits he will get after today, cause they will surely be up end of play.
kimtoon(Quote)
New thread ladies and gents!
https://www.nufcblog.co.uk/2017/04/17/ipswich-town-vs-newcastle-united-pre-match-thoughts-team-news-predicted-line-ups/
Another big game today. Here’s everything you need to know..
Olly Hawkins(Quote)