Newcastle United 0-0 Everton – Premiership Live Blog – 22 February 2009

Relegation threatened Newcastle United host an Everton side which still harbours ambitions of breaking into the top four. Last season’s fixture between the pair was a cracker – finishing 3-2 in favour of the Magpies. How Joe Kinnear’s strugglers need all three points today and Daily Soccer Blog will be here to report on all the goings on from St James’ Park.

Match Preview

Newcastle are a side still looking over their shoulder at the bottom three and they do not go into this match in good form. The Magpies have won just once in seven Premiership matches – a 3-2 victory against a truly woeful West Bromwich Albion side on 7 February.

Everton FC are in good nick, winning their last three in all competitions and have lost just once in 13 league and cup matches. They have avoided defeat in eight of their last nine Premiership fixtures but David Moyes’ side have found Newcastle a difficult place to visit. Since beating them on Tyneside in October 2000, Everton have lost five and drawn twice in their seven subsequent visits.

Newcastle are boosted by the return of Argentine winger Jonas Gutierrez, while striker Obafemi Martins is also set to feature at some point after recovering from a hernia problem which has kept him out since December.

Everton are able to recall Jo after he was cup-tied for their FA Cup win against Aston Villa, but Marouane Fellaini, Leon Osman and Steven Pienaar are all out injured while Tim Cahill and Tony Hibbert are suspended.

Line Ups

Newcastle: Harper, Steven Taylor, Bassong, Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Ryan Taylor, Butt, Nolan, Duff, Ameobi, Lovenkrands.
Subs: Krul, Cacapa, Martins, Smith, Gutierrez, Geremi, Viduka.

Everton: Howard, Jagielka, Yobo, Lescott, Baines, Gosling, Neville, Arteta, Rodwell, Anichebe, Jo.
Subs: Nash, Van der Meyde, Castillo, Saha, Jacobsen, Fellaini, Wallace.

Live Blog

90+1′ Wait, this is the last chance. Rodwell fires a 25-yarder which Harper appears to touch behind for a corner but a goal kick is awarded. Come on ref, enough is enough now!

89′ A dire free kick from Jagielka, who clobbers high, wide and not very handsome. Surely that’s the last chance we have of a goal this afternoon?

88′ Fellaini interupts the dullness with a booking to liven up the last couple of minutes. I am not sure why he was booked, it may have been something to do with Nicky Butt. I don’t care any more, I’m losing the will to live.

85′ This looks like it’s going to end on a whimper. Neither side look capable of generating a late, great winner and both appear content to play this out to a stalemate. It will surely be two points dropped for Europe-chasing Everton while Newcastle will glady take a point under the circumstances.

82′ The 10-men of Newcastle look set to implode when Steven Taylor plays a dreadful backpass to Harper, who is forced to race off his line and hack the ball into the stands before a blue shirt can get to it.

80′ Anxious moments for Newcastle as Nicky Butt goes down injured. All three substitutes have been used and the Magpies are in danger of finishing with just nine men.

77′ Everton vaguely threaten the Newcastle goal when Jo heads a Rodwell cross straight at Harper.

76′ Alan Smith, one of the few players to make Saha’s fitness record look good, comes on to replace Lovenkrands. Hughton is bound to get at least five minutes out of him etc. etc.

73′ The ever willing Gosling is replaced by Louis Saha. Moyes is bound to get at least five minutes out of him before he gets injured for another six months or so.

72′ Fellaini wins two successive balls into the box, but his knockdowns are met by Newcastle defenders who are happy to hack them away. No blue shirts appear willing to take a gamble in the box. What is wrong with these players?

70′ Steven Taylor gets his knees into the back of young Gosling when both players challenge for the ball. Not much wrong with it and he gets away with a talking too from Lee Mason.

68′ Both sets of players need to buck their ideas up as literally nothing is going on. Everton should be taking the game to 10-man Newcastle, despite their own injury problems. The Magpies, it appears, seem to be content with a goalless draw. Bring back Kevin Keegan, all is forgiven. Again.

63′ The camera pans to the legendary, yet permanently open-mouthed Peter Beardsley in the stands. He looks almost as bored as I do, but at least I am not out in the cold.

61′ It’s all gone a bit flat. Baines whips in a free kick but it’s easily cleared by Bassong.

57′ Baines sends in a corner from the right, but it’s hoofed clear. Ameobi is replaced by Martins, much to the home crowd’s approval.

55′ It’s very scrappy and hurried, with neither side carving out any clear cut opportunities. Newcastle are on top slightly, despite being a man short.

51′ Ryan Taylor fizzes in a free kick from the left but it’s punched clear by Howard. Seconds later Lescott incurs the wrath of the home fans when he deflects a cross from Jose Enrique into Howard’s grasp. The Toon Army want a free kick but referee Mason is having none of it.

48′ Newcastle fail to deal with a corner and Everton play it out to the right hand side via Lescott. Yobo finds himself in a bit of space and has time to line up a rasping shot which goes just over the bar.

47′ It seems Anichebe has got away with nothing more than a bruised shin. It could have been so much worse. Arteta, however, is not as fortunate. He’s been packed off to a Warrington hospital for a scan to determine the level of damage to his ligament.

46′ It has been reported Nolan has apolgised to Anichebe for his truly sickening tackle but maintained he did not set out to hurt his opponent. Yeah, not much. Gutierrez starts the second half for Newcastle in place of the wholly ineffective Duff.

Half Time. St James’ Park resembles a war zone, rather than a football theatre. Arteta and Anichebe have both had to go off injured for Everton, while Newcastle’s Nolan was sent off for a sickening, career ending tackle on the latter. Goodness knows what the second half is going to be like. Both sides could have scored, with Lovenkrands missing a sitter for the homeside and Everton going close off a couple of corners.

45+7′ Anichebe limps off the field and is replaced by the big-haired Fellaini. The Toon fans boo him off.

45+6′ Lovenkrands pings a wicked cross in from the right. There is nobody in the box apart from Ameobi, who looks like he is being held back by Yobo.

45′ Anichebe hobbles back onto the field amid a chorus of boos from the home fans. They will soon change their minds when they watch Match of the Day tonight. Not surprisingly, seven added minutes have been decided upon by the fourth official. There have been some shocking injuries and tackles during this first half. Surely the mood can only improve in the second?

44′ Red Card! Referee Lee Mason shows a straight red to Kevin Nolan for a shocking challenge on the advancing Anichebe. The replays make for grim viewing showing Nolan going over the top of the ball and planting both feet into the shin of his opponent. How Anichebe’s leg wasn’t snapped in two is a miracle.

41′ A free kick from Ryan Taylor is not dealt with properly by Jagielka and Ameobi manages to bundle it over the line with the back of his head. However, in doing so he was impeding keeper Howard and a free kick to Everton was awarded.

38′ Ameobi and Yobo challenge in the air following a free kick from the left. Ameobi gets his head to it, but so does Yobo who does just enough to deflect the ball behind for a corner.

36′ Ryan Taylor curls a beautiful free kick from just outside the D. Howard in the Everton goal just watches it sail wide of the left hand post. It was well wide in the end, but had it been on target the keeper would have had no chance.

31′ Lovenkrands misses a sitter. Ameobi and Butt play sharp, one touch passes on the edge of the Newcastle box and slip Lovenkrands into the danger area. With just Howard to beat, he just needs to pick his spot but he tries to curl an effort into the left hand corner only to see it go wide. Dismal.

29′ Everton cause their opponents problems with another corner. This time it’s Rodwell who goes close with an unchallenged volley from six yards out. He hits the post and Steven Taylor manages to clear the danger.

26′ Newcastle try to attack, with a cross from the right to far ahead of Duff to do any damage with. The Irish winger responds in kind, pinging in a deep cross from the left to nobody in particular.

25′ The cameras pan to a thoroughly bored looking Martins and Smith on the bench. Sky show off their new panoramic lense as they broadcast Viduka “warming up” down the touchline, while chewing, naturally.

23′ Nolan sends a 60 yard ball down the left hand side for Ameobi to chase. Who is he trying to kid? The ball rolls out harmlessly for an Everton thrown with Ameobi nowhere near it.

22′ Harper is on hand yet again to deny an Everton side growing in confidence. Jo is played into the box but Harper races off his line to narrow the angle and forces the striker to stab a weak effort straight into his chest.

20′ Yobo gets the slightest of touches to an inswing corner which forces a great, one handed save from Harper and the ball is thumped clear off the line by Bassong. Seconds later, an excellent cross from Gosling to the far post is met by Jagielka on the volley, but he sidefoots it wide.

16′ It’s not good news for Arteta, who has a reported ligament problem. Man in the Know Geoff Shreeves states he was been taken to hospital and the midfielder’s knee has already swollen. That’s probably the end to his season, which is both a shame and a major blow to Everton’s European aspirations.

15′ Newcomer Castillo has a shot in anger when he a poor headed clearance from Jose Enrique drops at his feet. Harper didn’t move in the Newcastle goal but the effort was well wide.

13′ Ryan Taylor pings a free kick towards the far post but Everton are there to defend in numbers. Young Rodwell mops up the danger not once, but twice as neither side can get hold of the ball properly.

11′ Anichebe doesn’t get any change out of Jose Enrique, who turns him several times before escaping down the left with the ball. Newcastle are passing the ball around well but are yet to create anything which resembles a chance on goal.

8′ Rodwell gets in on the act of laying down injured, following a clash with Ryan Taylor. The replay shows Taylor went over the top of the ball and both players clashed knees. Rodwell gets up, much to the relief of his manager Moyes.

7′ That’s it for Arteta, who’s stretchered off to polite applause. He’s replaced by Segundo Castillo. There’s going to be a lot of added time at the end of this half.

5′ There are some ridiculous haircuts on show this afternoon. With Coloccini’s curly perm leading the way for Newcastle and Jo’s dreadful hairbanded effort for the Toffees. Neither can beat that of Everton substitute Fellaini, who’s huge afro has been allowed to grow wild over the last few weeks. Amazing. Big. Hair.

3′ It’s not looking good for Arteta who went down awkwardly when stretching for a ball with Lovenkrands. The camera pans to the permanently injured Michael Owen, watching in the stands. He may actually play some games before the season is out, in return for his colossal £100,000-a-week wages.

1′ Everton kick off an the returning Yobo manages to play a stray pass out for a thrown in within a matter of seconds. However, Everton recover and the youthful Gosling rampages through a flaky looking Magpies defence before sending a shot wide from the edge of the box.

0′ Injuries and suspensions have forced David Moyes into a change of tactics. He fields an ambitious 4-3-3 formation this afternoon, with a three-pronged attack comprising on-loan Jo, youngster Gosling and Anichebe, who now finds himself back in favour. It’s an unchanged side for Newcastle, who field the same 11 which beat West Brom during their last match.

0′ Nicky Butt makes it a century of starts for Newcastle United this afternoon and also makes his 400th career league appearance. Midfield genius Mikel Arteta makes the 150th start of his Everton career.

Reaction

The early loss of Mikel Arteta meant Everton were never going to win this match. Without the Spaniard, the Toffees were no more than ordinary and offered no cutting edge up front. If Cahill was involved, they may have been able to nick a goal, but without either of them, David Moyes’ side are very, very average. Credit to Newcastle who battled to the end with 10 men following the first half dismissal of Nolan for an horrific challenge on Anichebe.  What we got from both sides was no cutting edge and no goals. A draw was a fair result for two sides that looked like they’d rather be somewhere else.

Man of the Match

It is hard to pick a stand-out performer in a match which offered so little quality. Gutierrez did more in the first 10 minutes of the second half than the man he replaced, Duff, managed in the first 45, but he faded as the match wore on. None of Everton’s back line can be faulted for their performances, but that’s because they had so little to do throughout the match. Sky gave their MoM award to Nicky Butt, who made his 400th career appearance this afternoon. I can’t really argue with that. He was a consistent performer for the Magpies throughout the game and attempted to drive his largely uninterested team mates forward. The former Manchester United midfielder is going to be a key player for the remainder of the season as the Magpies look to avoid relegation.