Summary
So Newcastle’s wait for a first home win of 2015 continues thanks to Peter Crouch’s exquisitely-positioned 90th minute header. A game which was dull, dull, dull for 74 minutes livened up when Jack Colback, who could easily have been shown a second yellow card for a challenge on Victor Moses two minutes previous, put Newcastle in front with a low finish past Asmir Begovic. Gabriel Obertan spurned a brilliant chance to make it 2-0 and Crouch came off the bench to punish the hosts’ profligacy thanks to Geoff Cameron’s cross. I’m off, thanks for reading. Make sure to join Fashion’s Michael Butler for West Ham v Manchester United before I return for the Africa Cup of Nations final. Take care!
Full-time! Newcastle 1-1 Stoke
That’s yer lot
90 + 3min: Cisse concedes a foul after challenging Bardsley near the corner. Begovic will take his time. Stoke more than happy to play out the final seconds.
90 + 2min: Newcastle fans let out a couple of jeers as a hopeless ball forward runs out of play for a goal-kick.
90 min: There will be four minutes added on.
90 min: It’s textbook Peter Crouch. Geoff Cameron swings in a deep cross from the right and the former England striker leaps at the backpost and heads over Krul’s despairing reach. Coloccini attempts to clear off the line but no can do and the visitors have levelled it at the death.
GOAL! Newcastle 1-1 Stoke (Crouch, 90)
And Crouch has equalised on the stroke of 90 minutes!
Updated
89 min: Diouf is fed by Bardsley but he is blocked. Sissoko breaks and Muniesa takes him down near halfway, earning the Stoke defender a booking.
88 min: Walters goes close. He turns 25 yards out and his right-footed effort is deflected by Williamson for a corner.
87 min: Abeid replaces Ameobi. Newcastle break again but Perez shoots way over.
85 min: Newcastle break after a poor Whelan free-kick and Sissoko picks out Obertan. He is clean through on goal but tries to pass to Cisse instead of shooting and the chance goes amiss. That would have ended the contest – can Stoke punish Newcastle’s slackness?
83 min: That switch has seen Stoke move to 4-4-2. Newcastle have everyone apart from Cisse sat in their own half, more than content to leave the Stoke back four in possession. They’re not going to do any damage there.
82 min: Peter Crouch is on for Stephen Ireland, who shuffles off gingerly.
81 min: Stoke continue to pass it backwards and sideways. It reaches Wollscheid who panics and instead of playing it back to Begovic under pressure from Cisse, hooks the ball out for a throw.
79 min: Mark Hughes is still exchanging some frank views with the fourth official, most likely questioning if Colback should have been still on the pitch for the goal having accumulated several poor fouls while already on a yellow card. Fair enough, but Hughes will know Stoke should have created far more considering the amount of possession and territory they have been afforded.
76 min: Oof, Stephen Ireland curls a pearler into the net but is correctly ruled offside after picking up an Nzonzi pass. Funnily, Obertan had given the ball away in the move which allowed Stoke to attack in the first place.
Updated
74 min: There were questions over Cabella’s removal for Obertan a few minutes back but the former Manchester United winger has given Newcastle another dimension since coming on. This time he crosses from the right towards the penalty area. Sissoko, his back to goal, lays it off to Colback who drills it under the legs of Wollscheid and into Begovic’s bottom right corner.
GOAL! Newcastle 1-0 Stoke (Colback, 74)
Jack Colback breaks the deadlock!
Updated
73 min: The Newcastle substitutes fashion a half chance as Obertan’s out-swinger from the right is met by the head of Cisse who cannot make a quiet Begovic work.
71 min: Colback commits his umpteenth foul with a late challenge on Moses. He must surely remember he’s on a yellow. Certainly entering dangerous territory.
70 min: It gets better worse as Janmaat is penalised for a foul throw. Yes, friends, a foul throw.
69 min: Cabella is being taken off for Gabriel Obertan, a switch which is met by a smattering of boos from the home crowd. Cabella has been their main threat.
68 min: Diouf pickpockets Haidara and turns but with only Walters in the area, his low cross is intercepted.
67 min: Cabella concedes a free-kick on the left. Moses curls it towards the back-post and while the delivery is not the worst, it is allowed to bounce and drift out for a goal-kick.
65 min: Carver has had enough and has decided to add some more attacking thrust as Papiss Cisse comes on for Vurnon Anita. Cisse has the best goals per minute ratio in the league this season.
64 min: Moses takes again, Perez clears as far as Muniesa. He has a give and go with Nzonzi before crossing. Williamson cuts it out but only as far as Whelan. Newcastle just cannot get out of their half.
63 min: Stoke win another corner. Moses takes again. Sissoko puts it out for … a corner.
62 min: Another Stoke corner! Moses takes. It is cleared.
60 min: Stoke do sideways passing really well. But once they attempt to move it forward it breaks down and Newcastle try to attack. Try is the key word there because Stoke’s defence have looked so comfortable apart from a glimpse apiece from Cabella and Perez.
59 min: Ameobi has a shot blocked down by a combination of Ireland and Whelan. Then Colback, already booked, is penalised for grabbing Wollscheid’s shirt.
56 min: Stoke continue to enjoy a smidgen more control of possession but it’s all going sideways and they appear increasingly unlikely to penetrate the Newcastle rearguard. It’s destined to be 0-0, isn’t it?*
Hoping the jinx strikes again*
54 min: Jack Colback is the latest to enter the referee’s book – the man in charge is actually Kevin Friend and not Chris Foy as stated before kick-off. Foy withdrew from action at the last minute due to a family bereavement.
52 min: Newcastle display a signal of intent as Janmaat finds Perez who then plays in Cabella. Cabella dinks it over the Stoke defence with his right boots as Perez continues his run but the pass is just out of kilter with Perez’s run.
51 min: Wilson is off and Cameron is on in his place. Bardsley switches to occupy the left-back position vacated by the Irishman and Cameron will take control of things on the right of the back four.
49 min: Perez has injured his after an awkward slip under pressure from Wollscheid. Marc Wilson comes into clean up and he too goes to ground with an injury of some description. Geoff Cameron is being readied.
48 min: Stoke have a corner which – yep, you’ve guessed it! – amounts to nowt.
Restart
Newcastle get us going for the second half. They only had 40% of the ball in the opening half and need to do so much more to awaken the home fans from their Sunday slumber.
Half-time: Newcastle 0-0 Stoke
48 min: Newcastle corner now and Cabella finds Colback, whose cross is cleared. And that’s the break. I’m off momentarily to source a pick me up. But at least the second half can only get better, eh?
47 min: Good save from Krul to deny Diouf. Ireland, who is played on by Janmatt, cuts in from the right past Haidara and finds Diouf but his header is turned around a post by the goalkeeper. Corner produces zilch.
Updated
45 min: Another Stoke free-kick, this time conceded by Colback. Bardlsey plays a short one-two with Ireland but the latter’s return pass has too much on it and Newcastle have a goal-kick. There will be three minutes added on.
43 min: Chance! Cabella turns Wilson too easily on halfway and slides a right-footed pass towards Perez. The striker takes a touch to steady himself but shoots across goal and wide.
Updated
42 min: Yet another Stoke free-kick after Janmaat takes down Diouf. Again the delivery fails to produce much. There is an amusing shout of ‘ref, you’re shit’ from a female Newcastle fan near a microphone, though, which is picked up on TV.
39 min: It isn’t pretty but it’s all going to plan for Stoke so far. They are breaking with promise while holding Newcastle to minimal attacking impact.
In the absence of noteworthy action, a little Newcastle related-info for you … two of the five players on loan at Rangers from Tyneside are starting their Cup game against Raith this afternoon: Haris Vuckic and Remie Streete.
35 min: Ameobi becomes the first Newcastle player to be booked for a late tackle, borne out of frustration having been nicked by an Ireland challenge two seconds earlier. Stoke’s free-kick is cleared.
Updated
34 min: The resulting free-kick is put into a dangerous area by Cabella but nobody connects and it follows through to the welcoming arms of Begovic.
32 min: Both managers unhappy now as Ameobi slumps to the ground after a slightly clumsy challenge from Whelan. Carver wants a card, Hughes does not believe it’s a foul. He becomes the third Stoke player to be shown a yellow card – Whelan was sent off in this fixture last season but, for a Brucie Bonus, can you name the other who was dismissed?
Updated
31 min: Anita plays a long ball forward towards Cabella. The Stoke defence appear cut open by the pass as Cabella collects on the left wing but Muniesa recovers well and executes a tidy challenge to stop the attack. The corner comes to nought.
30 min: Fear not, Stoke fans, a bit of attention for Muniesa’s ankle knack and he comes right back on.
Updated
28 min: Ameobi turns Glenn Whelan 30 yards from goal, skips forward a little and takes a potshot which is saved by Begovic. But now Stoke have an injury problem on their hands as Muniesa slumps to the ground having accidentally been caught on the ankle by his own team-mate, Wollscheid, who was attempting to block Ameobi’s strike.
Updated
26 min: Moses puts in another corner, met by the noise of a Newcastle fan squawking like a bird in an attempt to put him off (yes, the rest of the ground is near silent), but it is cleared for a throw-in.
22 min: Stephen Ireland is booked for a challenge on Colback, leaving Mark Hughes furious on the touchline. It was a 50/50 challenge but his studs were raised a little.
21 min: Perez sprints down the left and turns Wollscheid inside out as Stoke retreat desperately. The Newcastle striker is lacking support so shoots and Wilson heads clear under pressure from the onrushing Cabella, who concedes a foul.
20 min: Moses’ delivery is cleared but Muniesa finds the taker on the right flank, he loses Haidara but his low cross is cut out by Coloccini.
19 min: A pair of crosses from Bardsley and Ireland are cleared by Newcastle but Stoke come back at them and Walters wins a corner off Haidara.
17 min: Newcastle corner taken by Cabella, after Bardsley tackle on Haidara, is cleared at the front post. Seconds later Cabella delivers towards Perez but his header is threatening nobody apart from the ball boy six yards wide of the target.
15 min: Moses is booked for a high leg on Williamson, who gets a stud in the chest. Don’t think there was any intent, with Moses pointing to the sky to signify the sun was in his eyes.
14 min: Walters feeds Moses on the left of the Newcastle area but Janmaat nips in to take the ball from his feet. Cabella’s break is easily halted.
Updated
12 min: If only Cabella had a little more gel in his barnet he could have directed it past Begovic … Anyway, Cabella and Colback combine on the right before switching the play and Ameobi hits a nicely weighted through ball to Haidara but Diouf tracks back and cuts it out.
10 min: First decent piece of play from Newcastle as Ameobi knocks down to Sissoko who delivers a cross from the left towards the near-post. Cabella runs onto it and tries to head past Begovic, who saves. Corner comes to nothing.
Updated
9 min: Colback’s free-kick from the right is struck right into the hands of Begovic. Bread and butter.
7 min: Wollscheid finds Walters, who chests and turns onto his left shoulder, leaving Williamson in his wake before shoot wide to the right of Newcastle’s goal.
4 min: Newcastle free-kick just inside the Stoke half as Nzonzi takes down Anita. Cabella feeds to Janmaat on the right but his cross is hooked clear by Wollscheid.
Updated
3 min: Another ball pumped towards Walters’ direction, Coloccini is up to challenge and they clash heads. But are OK after a brief stoppage.
2 min: Stoke start with a gentle, patient spell of possession across the back-line and midfield. No rush, fellas. Eventually Begovic pumps it forward to Walters who leaps with Coloccini and Williamson comes into clear the second ball.
Kick-off
And Stoke get us going, playing from left to right as we’re watching it …
The teams are out and they are going through the motions. Hands are being shaken. Muscles are being warmed and stretched. Brace yourselves!
John Carver tells Sky it was easy to stick with last week’s victorious side: “Same team and same bench, we have one or two lads coming back who are disappointed not to be involved today [ie Ryan Taylor]. It was an easy decision, we have two games in quick succession.”
Mark Hughes on Marko Arnautovic’s absence: “He went over on his ankle yesterday. We’ve got a busy week so ideally we can get him back midweek. Our away form has been really good, we’re always a threat … we’re looking forward to the game.”
Some news of teams …
Newcastle unchanged from the 3-0 win at Hull: Krul; Janmaat, Williamson, Coloccini, Haidara; Anita, Colback; Cabella, Sissoko, Ameobi; Perez. Subs: Cisse, Gouffran, Obertan, Riviere, Abeid, Dummett, Woodman.
Stoke show two changes from the 3-1 win against QPR: Begovic; Bardsley, Muniesa, Wollscheid, Wilson; Nzonzi, Whelan; Diouf, Ireland, Moses; Walters. Subs: Palacios, Adam, Cameron, Sidwell, Butland, Crouch, Wilkinson.
The man we will hopefully not be discussing: Chris Foy (Merseyside).
Preamble
Hello! Is today the day John Carver gets the home win he has craved since planting his buttocks on Alan Pardew’s vacated seat in the St James’ Park dugout?
Confirmation of his appointment until the end of the season after a protracted spell of will-they-won’t-they while Carver was Mr Caretaker appeared to galvanise his team last weekend when they went to Hull and won 3-0. Then again, Steve Bruce’s team were seconds from beating Manchester City yesterday, so what does the form book know, eh?
Despite that monkey being flung off his back at the KC, it has been another difficult week for Carver. He had to field questions over whether there is meddling with team selection from above due to claims at Rangers that the Scottish club’s caretaker manager, Kenny McDowall, is being forced to play five players loaned to them by Newcastle. He reiterated that he is not a yes man but it is blatantly obvious that all remains not quite right. Still, a first home win since the 3-2 against Everton in December can make everything ok again, right?
Stoke, on the other hand, are being Stoke. They have looked quite good at spells this season and have won at the Etihad and White Hart Lane while holding Manchester United at home and defeating Arsenal, but they are still some way off making the grand leap from mid table security. Their starring light, Bojan Krkic, a man who provides hope and inspiration for all of us of average height, is out for the remainder of the season, and although that didn’t derail them at home to QPR last weekend, league wise it appears to be all petering out in early February.
Still, this is a fixture which tends to produce goals. There have been three or more scored in Stoke’s past six visits to St James’ Park, although Newcastle have won the past three – including a 5-1 thumping on Boxing Day last season. Stoke won this season’s reverse 1-0 courtesy of a Peter Crouch goal.
It is 11th versus 10th and at full-time they could swap if Newcastle win. Kick-off is 2.05pm GMT. Team news follows.
Good afternoon
Alan will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s Louise Taylor on John Carver’s managerial ambitions:
John Carver is adamant Newcastle United’s hierarchy do not interfere in his team selections and maintains he would never allow the board to influence such decisions.
Pointing out he is no yes-man, Carver also disputes comments from the Rangers caretaker manager Kenny McDowall, that five players newly arrived on loan from St James’ Park are contractually obliged to play every game in Scotland when fit. “There’s absolutely nothing like that written in their contracts,” said Newcastle’s interim head coach. “They can’t just go there and expect to go straight in the team, they’ve got to earn the right.”
Carver insists he would not countenance having his team sheets queried by Lee Charnley, Newcastle’s managing director, or Graham Carr, the chief scout. “When we played Hull last week Lee Charnley didn’t even know the team beforehand,” he said. “I have texted him the team at times this season but I didn’t at Hull and I won’t be doing so before Stoke’s visit on Sunday. I won’t be telling him. I don’t have to.
“I can guarantee that I’m most definitely not going to be a yes man. I won’t have anybody telling me what team to pick. I won’t stand for that. If that situation started to develop then I would stop it straight away. I’d confront the situation and say: ‘Look, this isn’t right.’”
Read more here.
