Newcastle United (1) v West Bromwich Albion (2)

By Stuart Kidson
October 30 2003

A long journey North for the Baggies to St. James's Park for the 3rd Round Carling Cup game. But would it be Gary megson smiling at the end of the night or one of the Baggies favourite old boys Sir Bobby Robson smiling ?

Newcastle United (1) v West Bromwich Albion (2) Carling Cup 3rd Round
St. James's Park, Wednesday 29th October 2003

West Brom travelled North for the fixture against Sir Bobby Robson's Toon in the 3rd Round of the Carling Cup. Many expected the game to be a hard fought affair especially as Sir Bobby was quoted in the national press as saying that he held the competition in enormous respect unlike other Premier League managers. If the Baggies could defeat the mighty Toon it would be the first time in 14 years that they had progressed to the 4th of the competition.

Gary Megson left Jason Koumas out of the side and bought in Macedonian skipper Artim Sakiri with Scott Dobie again preferred to Lee Hughes to start up front.

Albion were under pressure from the start and Russell Hoult did well to parry a ferocious 25 yard strike from Robert within the first 90 seconds of the game. Albion however, with the 2500 strong Barmy Army behind them, soon replied in kind when former Sunderland player Bernt Haas, took the ball from Steven Caldwell inside the Baggies half. Haas set off on a run that took him to he edge of the Toon area where he attempted a distance shot. Unfortunately for Haas the ball sailed high over Steve Harper's crossbar much to the delight of the home fans who gave him loud cheers.

Newcastle then attacked the Baggies goal, this time with Lomana Lualua, but the Baggies keeper was equal to the shot and dealt with it with ease. Moments later the same player was again testing Hoult when he collected a loose ball following a half clearance by Thomas Gaardsoe. Robert had sent over a cross which the former Ipswich defender failed to connect with cleanly the ball fell kindly for Lualua to strike a curling shot from 20 yards, but fortunately for the Baggies it went wide of the mark.

Albion were under a constant barrage from the home side and although Haas had enjoyed a certain amount of success on the right it was all Newcastle. Neil Clement was forced to make a last ditch tackle after Shola Ameobi picked up a Lualua cross. The Newcastle player only needed to tap in but Clement was on hand to save the day.

Lualua then almost broke the deadlock when he hit the bar with a close range header after the ball had been flicked on by Caldwell from a Robert corner. Newcastle were unrelenting in their pursuit of the opening goal and just moments after Lualua had hit the bar Ameobi wasted the golden opportunity. Hugo Viana had sent the England Under 21 International clear with a wonderful through ball. Ameobi cut inside Phil Gilchrist and had Hoult going the wrong way when he unleashed a shot from 10 yards out only to see it go wide.

Clement almost helped Newcastle to the first goal when he under hit a back pass to Hoult, but the keeper had his wits about him and rushed off his line to slide tackle Ameobi before Andy Johnson cleared the ball from danger. Albion were weathering the storm well and looking for the chance to counter attack all the time. Dobie was played clear but lost his footing at the vital moment after beating Titus Bramble and Oliver Bernard on his way to goal.

Newcastle claimed a penalty after Jermaine Jenas had been allegedly tripped by Johnson but the referee disagreed and the Baggies charged up field with the ball. Sakiri this time tried his luck from 20 yards but the shot was always going wide. However, Sakiri was instrumental in the opening goal which came against the run of play. A Sakiri corner was flicked on by Rob Hulse at the near post and the ball struck the inside of Ameobi's thigh and ricochet into the Toon goal.

Newcastle were soon on the attack after the restart and again they set up shop around the Baggies area and kept pounding away at Hoult. Viana tried his luck with a low shot which Hoult did well to get down to let alone hold onto. Ameobi then wasted another good chance when he headed wide following Lualua's inch perfect cross from inside the 6 yard box.

Another corner bought another chance for the home side but this time it was Jenas who could only head straight into the arms of Hoult. The final attack of the half saw Hoult again on form as he dealt with Nolberto Solano's well struck shot from all of 25 yards.

The home side made changes at the interval when they replaced Viana with Welsh international Gary Speed and Newcastle soon picked up where they had left off in the first half. Lualua tried an acrobatic scissor kick after Solano had crossed the ball but it was always rising and sailed over the bar. Newcastle were then awarded a free kick some 40 yards out but Robert still fancied his chances. Hoult could only beat the ball away before Gaardsoe made a timely clearance.

Despite the constant pressure the Albion still looked likely to break. Dobie came close but thanks to well measured challenge by Caldwell the Toon were saved from going 2 - 0 down after the former Carlisle striker latched onto a Haas centre inside the area.

Megson bought on Ronnie Wallwork for Sakiri and the former Manchester United midfielder was soon in the thick of the action as he cleared off the line after Robert's corner looked to be going in. Hoult again came to the rescue when Speed fired a powerful header goal bound from yet another Robert corner.

Albion were well and truly penned inside their own half as the Toon went looking for an equaliser and with so much pressure being exerted on the Baggies back line it was merely a matter of time. Robert cut a path through the Baggies defence before exchanging passes with Ameobi in a neat one - two movement. The temperamental Frenchman shot from 12 yards past Hoult to draw the score level.

Sir Bobby's side had battered their way back into the game and did not take their foot off the pedal as they sensed that further pressure would pay off in time. Speed was again unlucky when his acrobatic header went inches wide but it was James O'Connor who almost handed the tie to the home side when he lost possession. Hoult saved his team-mates blushes when he denied Lualua in a one - on - one confrontation.
Albion did not register a shot on the Toon goal until 12 minutes from time when Wallwork shot from 30 yards straight at Harper. The Toon were beginning to show signs of fatigue in the closing stages of the game and the Baggies capitalised on this, pushing the hosts back into their own half. Hulse and Caldwell collided in the area and the Albion appealed for a spot kick but to no avail.

The half ended with a rare Baggies attack when Johnson had a weak shot from the edge of the box. With the scores tied and the game having to be decided on the night extra time was called for.

Albion kicked off the extra 30 minutes required but again it was Newcastle who made the first attack and Gilchrist almost scored an own goal when he sliced a clearance but Hoult was on hand to prevent the ball crossing the line. Robert had been a thorn in the side of the Baggies all night and when O'Connor robbed the ball from him it was the Baggies turn to attack. O'Connor and Haas combined with a one - two and the former Stoke midfielder released Lee Hughes, who had come on for Hulse. Hughes's first time strike from 15 yards hit Harper's legs and the Toon were saved.

The home crowd had been growing increasingly frustrated at the inability of their strikers to find the back of the net, especially with England legend Alan Shearer kicking his heels on the bench, and in the 99th minute Sir Bobby Robson sent on his veteran striker to try and find a way past the on form Hoult.
However it was not to be a night for Geordie legends and a legend in the making stole the glory from the former England Captain when Hughes was fed a perfectly weighted ball from Clement behind the Toon defence. The run was timed to perfection and Hughes slipped the ball past Harper into the far corner in the 102nd minute.

Newcastle were soon attacking again and the Albion did not get out of their own half for the whole of the second period of extra time, but the Baggies battlers held onto record a famous victory against one of their own old boy's teams.
The baggiesworld.co.uk Man of the Match went to Russell Hoult.

Teams
BAGGIES: Hoult, Gregan, Gaardsoe, Gilchrist, Haas, O'Connor, Johnson, Sakiri, Clement, Dobie, Hulse
Subs: Hughes, Murphy, Volmer, Wallwork, N'Dour

TOON: Harper, Griffin, Caldwell, Bramble, Bernard, Solano, Jenas, Viana, Robert, Ameobi, Lualua
Subs: Given, A. Hughes, Shearer, Speed, Ambrose