We should have won at a canter - 2-0 up at half-time and coasting - but even though the second-half was hard work, Joe Kinnear will at least be able to reflect on a crucial win over the Baggies just when his side needed it most.
NEWCASTLE UTD 2 WEST BROM 1
Three Points For Toon - And Joe Gets It Right This Time!
By Nu Mad
Updated Wednesday, 29th October 2008
NEWCASTLE: Given, Beye, Taylor, Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Duff, Guthrie, Barton, Gutierrez (Geremi 70), Martins (Xisco 77), Ameobi (Carroll 90).
Subs Not Used: Harper, Bassong, N'Zogbia, Edgar.
WEST BROM: Carson, Zuiverloon, Donk, Olsson, Robinson, Koren,Morrison, Brunt (Miller 54), Borja Valero, Greening,Bednar (Moore 67).
Subs Not Used: Kiely, Hoefkens, Cech, MacDonald, Pele.
Att: 45,801
We (Newcastle Utd Mad) felt Kinnear blew the chance of victory against Man City by pulling everyone back behind the ball and inviting City to try pop-luck at Shay Given.
The Irish keeper is a legend on Tyneside, but like Viking king Canute, there is only so much you can do to stem the tide!
City scored - and every person around me in the Leazes End predicted it five minutes before it happened.
This time, Kinnear vowed to go for the jugular for 90 minutes ... and to his credit ... we came away with three points even though Albion raised their game.
His decision to hand controversial midfielder Joey Barton his first start for the club since he was released from jail paid off, and as we saw against the Mackems in the short time Barton was on the field, he is no shrinking violet.
He converted a ninth-minute penalty to give us the lead, and he looked "up for it" the entire match.
Although James Morrison forced an excellent 35th-minute save from Shay Given during a period when Albion held the ball well, Newcastle looked comfortable.
United refused to be pushed back and intimidated, and they held their ground well in midfield with Damien Duff covering every blade of grass and Danny Guthrie just as tenacious in the tackle as Barton.
When Obafemi Martins headed home Habib Beye's 42nd-minute cross, the victory seemed secure ... as long as Kinnear told his players to keep the foot on the pedal.
I know many fans who though the players were subdued in a poor second-half display and encouraged the Baggies to step up a gear.
Substitute Ishmael Miller took only 11 minutes to make his mark, running on to Robert Koren's defence-splitting pass to round Given and fire into the empty net.
Had the Irishman not been at his alert best 17 minutes from time, he could have made it 2-2.
But to Kinnear's credit, his players continued to push for that third goal rather than sit back and soak up the pressure.
We managed to hang on in a tense conclusion to make life difficult for the former Wombles manager, but I felt that more down to Albion's half-time team talk than anything Kinnear did wrong.
No side is going to lie down and die in the Premiership this season, as Albion showed. They fought back, and all credit to them ... but we took the points ... and over 90 minutes I feel we deserved them.
The Magpies boss said: "We didn't want to dwell on the Sunderland disappointment, so I am really pleased that we got this game under our belts and we got a victory doing it."
NEWCASTLE'S SEASON SO FAR:
NEWCASTLE UTD 2 WEST BROM 1 (Barton pen, Martins)
Given, Beye, Taylor, Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Duff,Guthrie, Barton, Gutierrez (Geremi 70), Martins (Xisco 77),Ameobi (Carroll 90).
Subs Not Used: Harper, Bassong, N'Zogbia, Edgar.
SUNDERLAND 2 NEWCASTLE UTD 1 (Ameobi)
Given, Beye, Taylor, Coloccini, Bassong (Jose Enrique 84), Geremi (Gutierrez 73), Guthrie, Butt (Barton 85), Duff, Ameobi, Martins.
Subs Not Used: Harper, Cacapa, N'Zogbia, Xisco.
NEWCASTLE UTD 2 MAN CITY 2 (Ameobi, Dunn og)
Given, Beye, Taylor, Coloccini, Bassong, Geremi, Guthrie, Butt, Duff, Martins (N'Zogbia 72), Ameobi (Carroll 79).Subs Not Used: Harper, Cacapa, Jose Enrique, Xisco, Edgar.
EVERTON 2 NEWCASTLE UTD 2 (Taylor, Duff)
Given, Taylor, Coloccini, Cacapa,Jose Enrique (Bassong 39), Geremi (Ameobi 75), Butt, Guthrie,N'Zogbia, Owen, Duff.
Subs Not Used: Harper, Xisco, Edgar, Doninger, Donaldson.
NEWCASTLE UTD 1 BLACKBURN R 2 (Owen pen)
Given, Bassong, Taylor, Coloccini, Cacapa, Geremi (Ameobi 71), Butt, Duff, N'Zogbia (Edgar 82), Xisco, Owen.
Subs Not Used: Harper, Tozer, Doninger, Donaldson, Ranger.
(Carling Cup)NEWCASTLE UTD 1 TOTTENHAM HOT 2 (Owen)
Given, Geremi, Taylor, Coloccini, Bassong,Cacapa (Edgar 72), Butt, N'Zogbia, Owen, Duff (Xisco 72),Martins.
Subs Not Used: Harper, Ameobi, Tozer, Doninger, Donaldson.
WEST HAM UTD 3 NEWCASTLE UTD 1 (Owen)
Given, Edgar (Bassong 59), Taylor, Coloccini,N'Zogbia, Geremi, Cacapa (Gonzalez 81), Butt, Duff, Owen, Xisco.
Subs Not Used: Harper, Ameobi, Tozer, Doninger, Donaldson.
NEWCASTLE UTD 1 HULL CITY 2 (Xisco)
Given, Edgar (Bassong 68), Taylor, Coloccini,N'Zogbia, Geremi, Butt, Guthrie, Xisco, Owen,Ameobi (Gonzalez 61).
Subs Not Used: Harper, Cacapa, Danquah, Doninger, Donaldson.
ARSENAL 3 NEWCASTLE UTD 0
Given, Coloccini, Jose Enrique (Bassong 44), Taylor,Gutierrez (Barton 89), Guthrie, Butt, Beye (Edgar 89),N'Zogbia, Owen, Ameobi.
Subs Not Used: Harper, Tozer, Donaldson, Ranger.
(Carling Cup) COVENTRY CITY 2 NEWCASTLE UTD 3 AET (Dann og, Milner, Owen)
Given, Beye, Coloccini, Bassong, Jose Enrique,Milner, Geremi (Owen 75), Butt, Guthrie, N'Zogbia, Gutierrez.
Subs Not Used: Harper, Taylor, Edgar, Tozer, Donaldson, Ranger.
NEWCASTLE UTD 1 BOLTON WANDERERS 0 (Owen)
Given, Beye, Taylor, Coloccini, N'Zogbia, Milner,Butt, Guthrie, Gutierrez, Martins (Owen 53), Duff (Geremi 46).
Subs Not Used: Harper, Jose Enrique, Bassong, Smith, Edgar.
MANCHESTER UNITED 1 NEWCASTLE UTD 1 (Martins)
Given, Beye, Taylor, Coloccini, N'Zogbia, Milner, Butt, Guthrie, Gutierrez, Duff, Martins.
Subs Not Used: Harper, Jose Enrique, Bassong, Smith, Geremi, Edgar, Donaldson.
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