Newcastle 2-3 Swansea
Ayoze Perez 20
Siem De Jong 87Miguel Nelson Oliveira 45 +1:54
Gylfi Sigurdsson 49
Jack Cork 71
John Carver had dubbed Swansea’s visit a “World Cup final” but it ended in by now familiarly crushing disappointment for Newcastle United’s head coach as his side sunk to a seventh straight defeat.
The afternoon’s preamble featured both Sting and Jimmy Nail lending their backing to supporter rebellions against Mike Ashley’s ownership of Newcastle while, at lunchtime, around 30 fans staged a protest outside a city centre branch of Ashley’s Sports Direct.
In front of a crowd of just under 47,000 Newcastle started quite well. Despite enjoying a couple of lucky escapes when Ashley Williams directed a free header over the bar from a Gylfi Sigurdsson corner and Mike Williamson made a mess of a routine defensive clearance, for once Carver had cause for cautious optimism.
Sure enough he was soon watching Ayoze Pérez tap the ball into an unguarded net from three yards after Jordi Amat’s slapdash clearance following Emmaneul Rivière’s run and left-wing cross had left his team pulled horribly out of shape.
Bolstered by a crowd suddenly finding its voice, Newcastle assumed increasing control of an impressive tempo, pressing with an intensity unseen in recent weeks.
As promised the 34th minute saw virtually the entire stadium getting to their feet and variously chanting “If you hate Ashley stand up” and “We want Ashley out of our club.” The timing was a reference to the £34m lying in Newcastle’s bank account for “cashflow purposes” in a season which has left Carver’s side horribly short-staffed.
No matter, designed in 4-3-3 formation his latest ersatz ensemble were playing some nice stuff featuring pleasing width and neat passing interchanges. Rivière, finally having a good game in the front three, forced Lukasz Fabianski into a fine save after cleverly playing Vurnon Anita in before meeting the left-back’s cross.
Admittedly Swansea had a few half chances but they rarely looked like scoring until their equaliser on the stroke of half-time. Carver has dubbed his side’s vulnerability at set-pieces as their “achilles heel” and the point was emphasised as Sigurddson whipped in another corner and Nélson Oliveira was left un-marked to head beyond Tim Krul from 10 yards.
It was not only the Benfica loanee’s first goal in English football but marked a turning point for Swansea. Garry Monk’s players emerged from the second half in rejuventated mood and Sigurdsson swiftly provided them with the lead.
His crisply clever finish came at the end of a slick, incisive, move. In a game of shocking clearances it began with a sub-standard kick from Krul. That error prompted Jefferson Montero’s advance from the left and Oliveira’s cute dummy and was polished off by Sigurdsson’s first time, 10-yard shot.
Suddenly Newcastle’s earlier confidence vanished. At a time when Swansea’s passing game was finally clicking into a compelling groove, Carver could have done without Daryl Janmaat limping off. The Holland right-back has been Newcastle’s player of the season and the team looks infinitely weaker without him.
Sure enough within minutes of Janmaat’s disappearance down the tunnel Jack Cork tapped Swansea’s third goal home. Prefaced by a sharp counter-attack, it saw Oliveira show off an enviable change of pace as he accelerated down the right channel before picking out Cork, the ball passing through Williamson’s legs en route.
“We’re shit and we know we’re shit” chorused St James’ Park as stewards prevented a couple of fans from reaching the home dug-out and presumably offering Carver a little advice.
Next came a hint of what might have been when Siem de Jong stepped off the bench and scored with virtually his first touch. A £6m playmaking signing from Ajax last season De Jong has spent the season sidelined by first a thigh injury and then a collapsed lung. Here he cushioned Jack Colback’s lofted cross before volleying beyond Fabianski’s grasp.
Guardian
