Juve glory a distant memory at Glanford Park
WHAT would have the late, great Sir Bobby Robson made of this?
It's almost seven years to the day since Newcastle United – under Sir Bobby – beat Juventus at St James's Park.
Steve Harper kept a clean sheet against that night against a star-studded team featuring the likes of Pavel Nedved, Edgar Davids and Alessandro del Piero.
Harper was again in goal last night, and this time he was beaten by a player whose career taken him to Glasshoughton Welfare and Frickley Athletic, clubs far removed from the glamour of the Champions League. How times change.
Martyn Woolford struck twice as Newcastle's worrying slump continued, Scunthorpe claiming a 2-1 win in front of their biggest-ever crowd at the stadium.
The bulk of the 2,185 away fans who witnessed it probably saw Juventus beaten at St James's Park all those years ago.
And they will have reflected on the journey home just how far their proud club has fallen in the last few years.
And the sad thing is that Newcastle's latest humiliation won't just have been celebrated in North Lincolnshire and on Wearside.
Owner Mike Ashley – who slipped out of Glanford Park unnoticed well after the final whistle had gone – has a lot to answer for in supporters' eyes, and with good reason.
And given the club's lack of incoming transfers, it is any wonder that the team's slump has coincided with the first mini-injury crisis of the season?
Hughton was without Steven Taylor and Fabricio Coloccini among others last night, and their absence was keenly felt.
Newcastle were undone by errors in defence, and the sooner Taylor is back in central defence, and makeshift centre-half Danny Simpson returned to right-back, the better.
Scunthorpe's breakthrough came early in the second half thanks to a hopeful ball forward.
Gary Hooper got the better of Zurab Khizanishvili and rolled the ball to Woolford, who slotted it past Harper.
It was all too easy, and the sight of a Geremi shot clearing the roof of the AMS Stand hardly heartened those from Tyneside.
That was to prove the hapless midfielder's last act, and Kevin Nolan – who had looked dangerous early in the game playing behind Andy Carroll – levelled things up 12 minutes later after running on to a superb ball forward from Danny Guthrie.
But another defensive lapse, this time from captain Alan Smith, led to the winner. Smith misdirected a clearance, Sam Togwell headed it forward, and Woolford did the rest.
Remarkably, Newcastle – with just two points from four games – remain second in the Championship on goals scored, though just four points now separates the top 10.
The pre-match headlines had been dominated by the revelation that Hughton is in talks about becoming permanent manager at St James's Park.
But never mind giving Hughton the job, Ashley should think about giving him a few more players come January, as, on this evidence, Newcastle will be in desperate need of them.
SCUNTHORPE UNITED: Murphy; Byrne, Mirfin, Jones, Williams; Togwell, J Wright, Woolford (Thompson, 90), McCann (Wright, 90); Hayes, Hooper (Forte, 79). Subs not used: Slocombe, Sparrow, Spence, Canavan.
NEWCASTLE UNITED: Harper; R Taylor, Khizanishvili, Simpson, Enrique; Guthrie (Ranger, 84), Geremi (Harewood, 62), Smith, Gutierrez; Nolan, Carroll. Subs not used: Krul, Kadar, Tozer, Donaldson, Lovenkrands.
Goals: Woolford 53, 79, Nolan 65
Bookings: Smith 68, Jones
Sent off: None
Referee: Andy Penn (West Midlands)
Attendance: 8,921 (2,185 Newcastle)
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Friday 25 May 2012
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