Newcastle United 1-0 Tottenham HotspursJack Colback 46
Nacer Chadli 30
Christian Eriksen 53
Harry Kane 90 +0:17
Newcastle United suffered a sixth straight defeat, Tottenham Hotspur climbed to sixth place in the Premier League, Harry Kane rediscovered his scoring touch and the official attendance was given as 47,427.
Sometimes though the stats do not really tell the entire story. Granted John Carver’s Newcastle were outclassed by Spurs but, in the context of their current injury crisis and slenderness of squad, they actually played reasonably well on a day when Kane failed to really wake up until well into the second half.
As for the crowd, the gaps in the seats as supporters responded to pleas for a boycott in protest against Mike Ashley’s stewardship of the club suggested a figure nearer the 40,000 might have been expected but it is extremely difficult to gauge these things.
Before kick off around 500 had gathered to demonstrate against Ashley’s regime in nearby Leazes Park and further protests were planned for outside the main stand after the final whistle.
Those gathered inside St James’ Park were treated to a fly past from a plane bearing a message from some near, and not so dear, neighbours. Flying arguably lower than is acceptable over a congested public area it trailed a banner declaring: “5 in a row Sunderland.”
It was a reference to the Wearsiders’s quintet of successive north-east derby wins against Newcastle but Sunderland are not really in a position to crow about anything at the moment and a stunt presumably intended to exacerbate Geordie disgruntlement produced zero crowd reaction on what was proving a somewhat surreal afternoon.
Back on the pitch, Spurs started strongly but allowed Newcastle to grow into the game. So much so that Ayoze Pérez, Carver’s lone forward in an initial 4-1-4-1 formation featuring Ryan Taylor in a holding role and Vurnon Anita at left back, should probably have done better than sidefoot straight at Michel Vorm following Yoan Gouffran’s right wing cross.
Nacer Chadli was soon to show off a much more ruthless streak. Benefiting from Gouffran’s concession of possession he advanced with menace, and un-challenged, before confounding Tim Krul courtesy of a crisp shot unleashed from at least 20 yards.
Newcastle’s goalkeeper had got a hand on the ball but could not quite keep it out and something similar could be said about Newcastle’s tentative grip on a contest in which they sporadically threatened Spurs without ever really damaging Pochettino’s team.
With his team gently booed off at the interval Carver knew something had to change. He switched to 4-4-2 with Sammy Ameobi and Gabriel Obertan replacing Gouffran and Mehdi Abeid and, within seconds of the restart such alterations paid off.
Ameobi helped initiate move which featured a clever exchange between Pérez and Daryl Janmaat before Daryl Janmaat’s shot was blocked. No matter the rebound fell kindly for Jack Colback to shoot beyond Vorm from around 10 yards.
Within minutes though Colback’s foul on Christian Eriksen had handed Spurs a free-kick in a dangerous position. Forward stepped Eriksen to curl a wonderful dead ball over the heads of Carver’s defence. A trio of visiting players, including the disappointingly peripheral Kane, attacked it but it eluded everyone including Krul, unsighted until very late and who again, seemed to briefly touch the ball as it passed him en route to the far corner.
Eriksen’s goal only served to emphasise the success Pochettino’s players were now having identifying gaps in Newcastle’s reconfigured midfield and when Chadli crossed invitingly Nabil Bentaleb should have increased their lead. Instead he headed fractionally over the bar.
When Kane came, momentarily, to life and directed a seemingly unstoppable volley at Krul another goal seemed inevitable but instead the suddenly rubber limbed Holland keeper made a fantastic save that appeared to defy several laws of physics to somehow prevent the ball from crossing the line.
Krul would soon be called to arms once more, this time doing well to repel Erik Lamela’s shot but Vorm must have been relieved to be left with a routine save after Colback – well set up by Janmaat’s latest advance from right back – got the ball tangled in his feet before taking weak aim when well placed.
Kane made no such mistake in the 90th minute. With Newcastle throwing everyone forward, Spurs counter-attacked thanks to a Lamela dribble. He eventually passed to Kane who charged beyond all comers before drawing Krul and side-footing his 20th Premier League goal of the season into the bottom corner.
Guardian
