Equal Honours
28 August 2007
Middlesbrough 2 Newcastle 2
A great end to end match with three good goals and one great one. Great for the neutrals but who wants to be neutral!!
Boro look set for a bit of a long, hard season especially if Yakubu follows Viduka out of the door as seems likely. So The Toon started favourites and certainly looked the better side in the early exchanges and looked the likelier side to score although when the opening goal did come I am sure nobody was expecting a finish of this class and this nature. Charles N'Zogbia gathered the ball half way inside the Boro half and with good feet movement and pace dragged the ball inside. The defenders must have assumed that there was little if any danger with N'Zogbia going on to his much weaker foot. Why, not likely! He swerved a magnificent right-footer round and over Schwarzer to put The Toon in the driving seat.
Unfortunately for the visiting fans the lead lasted a mere six minutes because a bit of a hopeful ball from Rochemback caught Taylor and Rozehnal a bit square and in two minds, Not so new signing Mido who got the other side of them, got a bit of a break to round harper and he flicked it home with the outside of his left foot. He did show a little bit of a panic because the ball only just sneaked in at the post!
The entertainment continued but without further goals until the 77th minute.
Newcastle had brought on Michael Owen for a very irate and upset Martins five minutes prior to this but it was Mark Viduka who picked the day of his return to his old club to open his account for Newcastle. It was typical Viduka who showed great strength and touch to control and turn to fire into the far corner. Three good away points beckoning? Not when you do not close down an someone who strikes the ball like Julio Arca and it was his volley that whistled low into the corner of the net to equalise.
This leaves Newcastle undefeated but sick at not getting three points and Boro still talking about a battling display. Surely the fans expect more than to see their team "battle"?
Both managers are adamant that they want to increase and improve their squads but time is running out and are the right types of player still available?
P.S. Michael Owen continued his comeback with another twenty or so minutes without showing too many signs of regaining his form of old. It must be a great chance to start him in the midweek Carling Cup tie against Barnsley at St. James' and let him get his confidence back by playing 90 minutes and hopefully sticking one or maybe even two in the back of the net.
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