Newcastle 3-0 Southampton: Kenedy’s class comes to the fore as NUFC earn a precious 3 points

What a massive day in our battle to beat the drop, with Benitez and the boys putting in another big effort at St James’ Park to see off Southampton in today’s relegation six-pointer at the bottom.

Not only did results go our way elsewhere, but today’s win puts us up to 13th and 5 points clear of the drop zone (with a far superior goal difference to most around us too).

Before I chat about the game itself in a bit more depth, here’s a few quick thoughts:
 
  • Kenedy showed his class, taking his first goal excellently and scoring the all important second too.
  • Lejeune was excellent and looks a proper player next to Lascelles (who was a rock once again).
  • Dummett’s defensive work was outstanding once again – very few players successfully take him on!
  • Gayle could and should’ve scored but his assist for our all important second showed brilliant composure.
  • Another goal for Ritchie was great to see – two in two for him at home after failing to score all season prior to Man Utd
  • Diame set the tempo once again in the middle with some non-stop pressing – he looks so much fitter and stronger
  • Shelvey didn’t have assist to his name all season before this one – now he has two, setting up our 1st and 3rd goal today!
  • Dubravka commanding from crosses – that’s two clean sheets in two games at St James’ for him!

So often this season we’ve failed to take our chances, letting ‘beatable’ sides get away with it at St James’ Park, but today was different. Kenedy’s early goal was crucial – a brilliant show of quality which gave us all a huge lift in a game that promised to be tight and tense before kick off.

For a few moments after our opener I worried that we were about to sit off Southampton and take our foot off the gas, and although we did retreat at times, we didn’t really have to get out of second gear to beat a woeful looking Saints side today.

They rarely threatened, however we know how fragile our home form has been this season, so Kenedy’s second goal felt massive. Quite incredibly, it was only the second time this season we’ve lead by more than one goal at St James’ Park this season (the first time since August’s 3-0 win over West Ham!).

From then on it was plain sailing. A combination of our hard work, discipline and desire mixed in with their total lack of intensity meant an all important three points always looked safe – and that was made certain when Matt Ritchie’s sweeping low shot found the bottom corner. There are few sights in football better than Matt Ritchie sprinting towards the Gallowgate in celebration ready to give the corner flag an absolute leathering, and it was great to see that once again today!

Not only have we pulled off a huge win ourselves today, putting us on 32 points with 8 games to go, but results elsewhere couldn’t have went much better.

We’ve gained two on Huddersfield and Swansea (who drew 0-0), we’ve leapfrogged West Ham (who got stuffed 0-3 at home to Burnley amongst some ugly scenes), Palace are 2-0 down at Chelsea as I type, Pardew’s bottom of the league West Brom got stuffed at home to Leicester and Brighton lost at Everton. Our 3-0 win also does wonders for our strong-looking goal difference too.

Aside from all this though, this win puts us 4 points clear of Southampton in 17th – a team who stunk of a side going down if you ask me. They lacked fight, looked a soft touch at the back and offered as little going forward as any side has this season at St James’.

A great day for NUFC ahead of our 3-week break. Bring on Huddersfield on in 21 day’s time!

Here’s Rafa’s reactions followed by the updated Premier League table..

(Fancy writing for us? Send any articles/ideas over to us at [email protected] & we’ll get back to you!)

About Olly Hawkins

As a Junior Magpie since birth and season ticket holder, I eat, sleep and breathe all things NUFC! Here at the blog, I aim to bring you news, views, match reports and transfer exclusives as and when I get them.

100 thoughts on “Newcastle 3-0 Southampton: Kenedy’s class comes to the fore as NUFC earn a precious 3 points

  1. The guy said 2-1 to him a couple of times about a Football match! Carriage did not even play in that match. It was the sort of stick every pro and ex pro will get up and down the Country week in, week out. He should be well accustomed to it and should know how to check his temper by now. He is not a teenager.

    And he chose to SPIT in the face of a 14-y-o girl, knowing she was in the car.

    He is a total tool.

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  2. His reaction was way over the top no matter what the provocation, I said earlier that he could of chosen other ways to deal with it. He’s spat because he couldn’t control himself, had it been in a bar it would of been a punch no doubt.
    Sky have suspended him but what happens if he covers a game in the future where a player spits ? Sky are not thinking this through are they.
    As for the driver, it’s idiots like him who cause serious car accidents . The pair of them need driver awareness courses imo.

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  3. Sham, it is not just a football match. It is the game between MU and Liverpool. It would be just like the game between NU and Sunderland in old times. I used to be a kop so I understand Carriage’s emotion. By no means I agree with his behavior but I also think the MU fan should not have started this, especially in front of his daughter, knowing all the history of MU and Liverpool.

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  4. funrafa:
    Sham, it is not just a football match. It is the game between MU and Liverpool. It would be just like the game between NU and Sunderland in old times. I used to be a kop so I understand Carriage’s emotion. By no means I agree with his behavior but I also think the MU fan should not have started this, especially in front of his daughter, knowing all the history of MU and Liverpool.

    Nah mate. Its only football. People need to get a grip if they get that volatile about it.

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  5. Shamrock: Nah mate. Its only football. People need to get a grip if they get that volatile about it.

    Being you two are cops is there other charges that could be thrown at them ?? there

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  6. Shamrock: Nah mate. Its only football. People need to get a grip if they get that volatile about it.

    If it is just football, why NUFC under Ashley can cause fans so much frustration? It is not just football. Emotion is definitely involved in this sport for fans.

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  7. funrafa: If it is just football, why NUFC under Ashley can cause fans so much frustration? It is not just football. Emotion is definitely involved in this sport for fans.

    Yeah there is emotion but to let something that trivial get you so angry and do something that violent and disgusting to a Child is absolutely disgraceful. Yes people invest emotion in football but to that degree? If so they are sad and need to get a firm grip on their priorities in life. It is pathetic.

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  8. Icedog: Being you two are cops is there other charges that could be thrown at them ?? there

    For Carragher – Battery on the child, careless driving and public order.

    For the other bloke – careless driving, using a hand held device whilst driving and being a total *** in front of his daughter. Having to live with his actions resulting in his daughter getting assaulted. Idiot.

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  9. Shamrock: For Carragher – Battery on the child, careless driving and public order.

    For the other bloke – careless driving, using a hand held device whilst driving and being a total *** in front of his daughter. Having to live with his actions resulting in his daughter getting assaulted. Idiot.

    Sham, I absolutely agree on your order. I don’t understand why we were arguing 😆

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  10. Sham, what’s your gut feeling re police charges, do you think either will be charged with driving offences ?

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  11. kimtoon:
    Sham, what’s your gut feeling re police charges, do you think either will be charged with driving offences ?

    Possibly the other guy for using phone whilst driving.

    Carragher for battery (only if victim supports prosecution).

    Cant see much else going through.

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  12. So Southampton sack Pellegrino. Wonder who they’ll get and whether they’ll get a new manager bounce…

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  13. Stuart79:
    So Southampton sack Pellegrino. Wonder who they’ll get and whether they’ll get a new manager bounce…

    Pleased if was after we played them

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  14. Stuart79:
    So Southampton sack Pellegrino. Wonder who they’ll get and whether they’ll get a new manager bounce…

    Similar timing to Benitez arriving to us altho they’re in a better position. If they do bounce and take points off our rivals good news.

    Must noteworthy is the best **** take nickname I’ve seen for a while as his replacement even tho he’s in a job .. Fat Sham Avaslice .. brilliant

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  15. The 11 player on the field for toon 61 mil,S/ham on the field cost 108 mil what could Rafa do with those??

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  16. Lucky it wasn’t over here as one of them would probably have had a gun.

    Vinny Jones sticks his neb in and said the father should have followed Carragher and rammed his car, got him out of it and beat him senseless. I think Vinny is having problems distinguishing reality from the characters he has played in the movies. But, I do seem to remember that in the past he had problems with neighbours, threatening them etc.

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  17. They are all closing ranks around Carragher except the ones who have transgressed in the past who are being very precious about it. Vinny Jones who has 2 criminal assault convictions and Joey Barton are being their usual hyperbolic selves, but are not defending him. The others are like he is a good lad really and has been contrite so give him this one chance. Not sure if a regular Sky employee, say a cameraman, would get that even though Carragher was not working at the time.

    I did read one article that agrees with me saying there are so many of these pundits now that they have to say something controversial to get noticed, to get clicks. If they don’t, their employers will just move on to someone who will garner them clicks like Collymore and Savage. These 2 must have the worst short-term memories in history because not only do they contradict themselves from show to show and column to column, but sometimes in the same column.

    One example this journalist used to support his argument of this plague of click trawling is the Man City/ Basel game on BT. He said that they got 80,000 viewers but what Jermaine Jenas said on the show about his time at NUFC got 1.25 million clicks as it went semi-viral.

    I don’t know what to do about it as it seems that there is so much money in this now and so many pigs ready to sell themselves out to feed at the Sky etc teet.

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  18. It is sort of a double edged sword this 21 day break. Otherwise we would have had Spurs on Friday. It is unlikely that we would have got anything out of that game so having Huddersfield at home next up gives us more chance to keep the momentum going.

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  19. Reports are saying Pards is not being sacked because there is a release clause in his contract at the end of the season that severely limits his comp. This also explains Arrogant Alan’s remarks at the weekend where he was almost asking to be sacked – he wants the money and knows he is not fit for the job.

    With 8 games to go it is not impossible for WBA to stay up. Leicester and West Ham have done it. Their fans should be furious.

    Icedog: Pardew has won 7 of his last 54 . What was Carver’s win % as Manager of NUFC? Who the hell thought it was a good idea to appoint these 2 at WBA? You have to think that when Pards was interviewed they would have asked about his coaching team and he would have told them Ugly John would be head coach.

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  20. georgio:
    WBA with or without Pardew are already gone. They won’t win 6 games out of 8.

    You are right.

    So, West Brom, Stoke, Southampton.

    I think West Ham have the easiest schedule and will survive by the skin of our teeth.

    We have a pretty difficult schedule but if we beat Huddersfield we will be OK. Don’t and there will be some nervous moments.

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  21. So Southampton are to appoint Mark Hughes according to the Mirror… Interesting appointment if true.

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  22. Also see that Chelsea have said they want £15m for Kenedy. I can’t believe that’s right. I’d pay £20m for him no problem.

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