Newcastle United v Manchester City 2008/09

City Hart, Ben Haim, Richards, Dunne, Garrido, Hamann, Kompany, Wright-Phillips, Robinho, Ireland, Jo – Subs Sturridge(82), Fernandes(unused), Schmeichel(unused), Berti(unused), Onuoha(58), Elano(unused), Evans(64)

Newcastle Given, Beye, Taylor, Coloccini, Basson, Geremi, Butt, Guthrie, Duff, Ameobi, Martins – subs Harper(unused), Carroll(79), Jose Enrique(unused), Cacapa(unused), N’Zogbia(72), Xisco(unused), Edgar(unused)

ROBINHO PUTS CITY IN FRONT FROM THE PENALTY SPOT

At a packed St James’s City started well in the first five minutes, with an early corner won by a great run by Shaun Wright-Phillips, and from the subsequent flag kick the Blues had three shots well blocked by the Newcastle defence.
Newcastles first real chance came from a Geremi 25 yard free kick that fizzed a foot over Joe Hart’s goal.
Less than two minutes later a great through ball from Wright-Phillips saw Robinho the last man as he ran onto the ball and as he sprinted into the area Beye put in a tackle that brought down the Brazilian ace for a penalty and referee Styles also produced the red card to the Newcastle defender. Despite the complaints from the Geordies that Beye touched the ball before the City player went down, the penalty stood and Robinho easily despatched the spot kick past Given to put City 1-0 up.

Ten man Newcastle were then lucky to not have players booked with some niggly fouls, and looked to have lost their concentraion. Indeed Micah Richards then made a great 60 yard run with the ball and was only thwarted from putting City 2-0 up by a great save from Given in the 18th minute.
Coming up to the half hour mark The Blues were in total control with 76% possession and looking comfortable with the extra man.
Ten minutes before the break United started to look at bit more interested and Damien Duff’s excellent effort was saved well by Joe Hart.
Then in the 44th minute a Richard Dunne attempted clearance in the 18 yard box ‘pinballed’ off three players and landed at the feet of Ameobi on the edge of the six yard box and the striker easily beat Hart to make it 1-1.
There was little to shout about in the first quarter of an hour after the break, apart from a 25 yard effort from Vincent Kompany which was directly at Given, who saved comfortably.

Then in the 63rd minute, the master of own goals, Richard Dunne, struck again. From a Newcastle corner, the ball dropped to Dunnes feet 8 yards from goal, and inexplicably he ‘passed’ the ball into the top corner of the City net, and 10 man Newcastle were 2-1 up.
City had plenty of possession in the last third after that, but never really found an end product, however in the 84th minute Given made a great save from a Stephen Ireland volley from outside the box, and then two minutes later Ireland was the hero. Kompany fed Robinho on the edge of the area, and his cute ball found Ireland running in between two Newcastle defenders, and the Irish midfielder clipped the ball past the keeper from 8 yards to give City a share of the points.