Boro jibes fall flat as Toon nick point
ANDY Carroll hardly had a kick at the Riverside Stadium.
The striker admitted after the game he'd had few worse games for Newcastle United.
Yet Carroll was there when it counted seven minutes from time to salvage an undeserved point for his team, while across the Pennines Nottingham Forest suffered yet another Championship defeat to Preston North End at Deepdale.
Carroll and his team-mates were undeniably outplayed, and those stayaway Middlesbrough fans – the ground was again littered with empty seats – must have wished they had bothered to turn up.
But Newcastle still somehow returned up the A19 with a point, and on the basis of their below-par performance, it was a good one.
And United's nine-point advantage, and game in hand, over Billy Davies's stuttering side suggests promotion will be won sooner rather than later.
As for Gordon Strachan's team, the away end's rendition of We'll Meet Again, last sung by Aston Villa fans as the club's fate was painfully sealed on the final day of last season, in the minutes after Carroll's equaliser must have cut deep.
Boro's belated improvement under Strachan has seemingly come too late for them to play a part in the end of season shake-up.
Filled with former Celtic players, they were bright going forward, with Barry Robson – who cancelled out Peter Lovenkrands's 16th-minute opener with a superb free kick before the break – was the pick of the home side, such was his industry and invention.
And Scott McDonald – who put them ahead in the 74th minute – was also a handful, while at the back, David Wheater coped admirably with Carroll, who has been unplayable of late.
Yet on the rare occasions Newcastle attacked Wheater's colleagues were nervy, and it was clear why Strachan tried to sign another former Parkhead favourite, ex-United defender Gary Caldwell.
However, as the dust settles on what was a particularly edgy Tees-Tyne derby, especially off the pitch, it is Chris Hughton who has the bigger defensive headache.
Before the game, Mike Williamson joined Steven Taylor in the treatment room on the eve of the game, and Fabricio Coloccini, outstanding this season, limped off five minutes into the second half.
Coloccini had suffered a dead leg, and after gamely attempting to play on, he left the field, and the centre-half is now doubtful for Wednesday's home game against Scunthorpe United.
Danny Simpson also looked uncomfortable after hurting himself stopping Rhys Williams, while Jose Enrique, an unused substitute, is yet to prove his fitness after more than a month on the sidelines with a hamstring problem.
Newcastle are looking stretched at the back, and further injuries would leave them dangerously over-stretched.
Injuries aside, you wouldn't bet against United pushing on in the remaining 11 games and claiming not just promotion, but the Championship trophy.
It might not be a major piece of silverware anymore, but it would be a welcome addition to the six FA Cups, four league titles and Fairs Cup won by Newcastle, bizarrely labelled "trophy virgins" by a home end banner.
MIDDLESBROUGH: Coyne; Naughton, Wheater, McManus, Taylor; Robson, Williams, O'Neil, Arca; McDonald, Killen (Miller, 87). Subs not used: Jones, Hoyte, Riggott, Lita, Bennett, Franks.
NEWCASTLE UNITED: Harper; Simpson, Hall, Coloccini (R Taylor, 50), Kadar; Pancrate (Best, 77), Nolan, Guthrie, Gutierrez; Carroll, Lovenkrands (Butt, 70). Subs not used: Krul, Enrique, Routledge, Ranger.
Goals: Lovenkrands 16, Robson 36, McDonald 74
Bookings: Hall 23, Simpson 25, Kadar 69, Carroll 83
Sent off: None
Referee: Lee Mason (Lancashire)
Attendance: 27,347 (3,743 Newcastle)
Follow Gazette Newcastle United writer Miles Starforth on Twitter here
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Friday 25 May 2012
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