Bramble spares blushes as Magpies toil in Riga

NEWCASTLE BOSS Glenn Roeder hailed Titus Bramble for helping the Magpies avoid UEFA Cup embarrassment with a second-half winner against FK Ventspils in Riga.

Bramble recovered from a ragged start and Roeder felt it fitting he should have scored the only goal having earned the club their European excursion in the first place.

Bramble had hit the crucial winner against Chelsea on the final day of last season which squeezed Roeder’s men into a vital Intertoto Cup berth.

Roeder said: “Titus has chipped in with a few goals over the last half dozen games and none more important than the one against Chelsea that got us into the competition.

“He has now scored another vital goal that without doubt gives us a big advantage in the return leg but we must make sure we are just as motivated for that game as we were tonight.”

Roeder heaped praise on the Latvian league leaders for their swift counter-attacking play which threatened to cause an upset as his own side struggled at the Skonto Stadium.

Roeder added: “We are pleased to come to Riga to win and we prepared as if we were playing Manchester United or Chelsea.”

Roeder will now switch his attention to boosting his squad and said of his continuing battle to bring new players to St James’ Park: “Every day we are getting closer to some signings.

“We know we have got to add numbers to the squad.

“There is no better motivation for a player than knowing his place is under threat.”

FK VENTSPILS: Vanins, Ndjoumek-Ndeki, Kaspars Gorkss, Kacanovs, Bicka, Zangareeb, Dubensky (Kosmacovs 90), Vukovic, Kolefnicenko (Pokarynin 84), Butriks, Slesarchuk (Zizilevs 16).

NEWCASTLE: Given, Carr, Moore, Bramble, Babayaro (Ramage 87), Solano (Milner 84), Emre (N’Zogbia 80), Duff, Parker, Butt, Ameobi.

Ref: Stephane Lannoy (France).