Newcastle United 0 Arsenal 0: Goal famine continues at the Toon

Last updated : 09 April 2007 By Brian Dawes

Rosicky was strangely missing, strangely in my eyes that is, while Freddie and Hleb were our nominal wide men. Tired as Cesc might be he managed once more to cover a lot of ground while Gilberto was there to plug the gaps again.

It's a long way to Newcastle and a very long way from the turnstiles to the upper (third) tier. But at least at this height there is an option should you find the football boring, because the views of the City from up there are pretty good. It has to be said I did indeed view some of the Toon today while the game was in progress.

Overall I thought we were the better team but that's not really saying very much. We never really sparkled but were also never really threatened. We had a few chances, which we didn't make the most of and which is just the way things are going right now. Hleb cut in and had a left-footed shot well saved. Hleb won a free kick, which was set up for Kolo but deflected for a corner. Lehmann made a great save from a deflected free-kick by Emre. Freddie had a crap shot, and all this was before someone, who shall remain nameless arrived in the ground some twenty minutes late despite arriving in Newcastle at about one and three-quarter hours before kick off.

A brilliant turn by Diaby and a series of one-twos but the move broke down, just as many others did. Dunn hit a cross past the far post with no one to get on the end of it. There were some nearly but not quite balls to our lone striker before their keeper Shay Given went off injured when no one appeared to be near him. He was replaced by Steve Harper whom Adebayor should have tested when his header from a Fabregas corner went over the bar. A great Fabregas free kick saw both Diaby and Adebayor go close to getting on the end of it, but both failed.

Freddie was taken out quite crudely but Webb the referee could do no better than to book Freddie for his justified protest at the total lack of a free kick. Eboue was also taken out following a cross and required treatment. Two chances for Duff,f the first he fired over and the second he missed from about six yards. In between these two Gilberto closed down a shot but this late pressure was all the Toon had to offer in a rather insipid first half.

A shot-come-cross from Milner hit the bar in the opening minute of the second half with Lehmann well beaten. Dyer limped off to be replaced by N'Zogia. Adebayor should have done better with a fine ball from Cesc. A great move by Arsenal ended badly with a naff cross form Clichy. Cesc should have shot in another move but didn't and in the next move his shot was blocked. Hleb put Eboue in with a chance but he shot wide whilst aiming at the near post rather than the far post. Baptista replaced Hleb and none of the away fans got too excited. This was a very tired looking game with Martins looking totally ineffective for Newcastle and little or no support for Adebayor from us.

Chant of the day 'You're just a small team in Scotland'. Aliadiere came on for a tiring Adebayor and made not a shred of difference to our lack of fire-power. Webb then decided to support the Toon as both Eboue and Diaby were fouled without recourse. He did however book Gallas and Taylor after a minor ruck following a perceived assault on Lehmann. Lehmann showed Webb his war wounds but Webb couldn't care less. Dunn then hacked Eboue down but wasn't carded. Martins won a free kick after a foul on Gilberto went unseen. Webb was getting on my tits but then again so were the team as they were doing little or nothing to take three points from a Newcastle side who were there for the taking. Time was of course when a point at St James's Park would have been a big deal, but not today. A point each was probably more than either side deserved.

A mad scramble in front of the Geordie goal was as close as we got when Solano appeared to block two shots from close range, one of which was from Gilberto, the other I have no idea. It's a big stadium but offers no screens or even so much as a clock. Newcastle had a deflected shot to end the game and we had a long trek home.