Duff back as Magpies steal point

FOR Damien Duff it was if he had never been away. Injured since April, the Republic of Ireland international finally started his season four months’ late but the winger may wish he hadn’t bothered.

The Newcastle United team he left behind was laboured, lethargic and sorely lacking invention. A change in ownership and management may have led Duff to believe things were getting better but the former Chelsea playmaker must have been sorely disappointed as he left the field following an encouraging 22-minute cameo.

If this was a match Derby did not deserve to lose then it was also one Newcastle never deserved to win.

No wonder Duff’s return to action was one of the few crumbs of comfort offered up by the Magpies’ manager Sam Allardyce following another famine of flair. “Damien is a quality Premier League player and it’s great to have him back,” said the Newcastle coach. “It’s like having a new player in the squad.”

On this evidence Allardyce could do with a few more to bolster his chances of success during the holiday period. Newcastle’s St Stephen’s Day clash at Wigan is unlikely to herald the return of England forward Michael Owen and Duff is still some way from playing 90 minutes in a black and white shirt. Thank goodness, then, for the mesmeric Mark Viduka.

Restored to the starting line-up, the powerful Australian saved Newcastle’s blushes twice. His first-half goal cancelled out a stunning sixth-minute opener from Derby’s England U-21 international Giles Barnes and the former Middlesbrough forward struck again three minutes from time, when it appeared Kenny Miller’s third goal of the season had secured all three points for County.

“Viduka showed the way forward with his finishing,” admitted Allardyce. “He had three opportunities and scored with two of them. But I was disappointed that we’ve had to come back twice and we had enough opportunities to bury the game. Even though we nearly won it 3-2 we had two clear problems. Basic bad defending allowed Derby two shots on target which equalled two goals.”

Poor defending was a theme Allardyce’s close friend Paul Jewell, the Derby County manager, was keen to revisit. The Rams had already beaten Newcastle once this season, a 1-0 win at Pride Park their only top flight victory to date, and this could easily have been the story of a famous double for the unfashionable, and seemingly-doomed, East Midlanders.

“It hurts to concede a goal so close from the end,” said Jewell. “The two goals Newcastle scored were shambolic from our point of view but that’s been the story of our season so far. There’s no doubt the players played with pride and passion and no little quality. But poor defending cost us.”

Life doesn’t get easier for Jewell with his former club Liverpool the next visitors to Pride Park. Rafa Benitez’s side demolished Derby 6-0 in the corresponding fixture earlier this season and an in-form Fernando Torres will surely seize upon the opportunities Newcastle created and spurned.

“As a side we’re gradually improving but that improvement will have to continue against Liverpool,” added Jewell. “In the main I was pleased with the performance. My players worked exceptionally hard but they will have to do it again in a couple of days. Liverpool beat us 6-0 at Anfield but I’d like to think the lads can show how far they’ve come since that day.”

Derby are, indeed, displaying definite progress. It was the Rams who drew first blood on a bitterly-cold Tyneside afternoon as England U-21 international Barnes underlined his huge potential with a first Premier League goal. It was not the start Newcastle had planned but United, to their credit, bounced back immediately and both the Derby full-back, Jay McEveley, and the impressive Barnes cleared off their own goal line during a spell of sustained home pressure.

Viduka was denied a goal by the first of those clearances but the former Middlesbrough forward drew the Magpies level in the 27th minute. County failed to clear on the edge of their area and Newcastle captain Alan Smith finally prodded the ball clear from a melee of players. Viduka seized on the loose ball and curled a perfect shot inside Stephen Bywater’s left hand post.

The home side continued to force the play before the break but Miller made it two goals in two games against Newcastle with a wonderful finish seven minutes after the restart. An anxious Allardyce responded by introducing Duff and minutes later the Turkish playmaker, Emre, joined his team-mate off the bench. With two of United’s most creative players added to the midfield mix Derby were braced for a late rally.

Ironically, it was a hopeful punt upfield from Given which brought about Viduka’s second of the game and saved United from a shameful defeat. The Irishman’s clearance was flicked on by Obafemi Martins and Viduka smashed home the equaliser three minutes from time, denying Derby their historic double.

NEWCASTLE (4-3-3): Given 6, Beye 6, Rozenhal 4 (Taylor, 58, 5), Cacapa 4, N’Zogbia 7, Butt 4 (Duff, 68, 7), Barton 5 (Emre, 75, 5), Milner 7, Martins 4, Viduka 8, Smith 4.

Subs Not Used: Harper, Geremi.

DERBY (4-4-2): Bywater 7, Mears 7, Moore 8, Leacock 8, McEveley 8, Teale 6 (Feilhaber, 81, 5), Barnes 9, Pearson 8, Lewis 5 (Fagan, 77, 5), Miller 8, Howard 7.

Subs Not Used: Price, Earnshaw, Holmes.

REFEREE: Andre Marriner (West Midlands) 7: Missed first-half penalty after Tyrone Mears’ shove on Alan Smith but United deserved no festive spirit from the officials.

MATCH RATING: *** Derby played their full part in treating Newcastle’s fans to a Christmas cracker. The pity was that United couldn’t do the same. A fortunate point for the hosts and a missed opportunity for the Rams.

Duff record

Jan 2003 Form for Blackburn disrupted by a niggling hamstring injury which curtails his season.

April 2004: Dislocates a shoulder and is forced to miss the rest of the season.

Oct 2005: Undergoes knee surgery after being injured on international duty with Ireland.

Nov 2006: Sustains knee ligament damage and misses the next four months for Newcastle, with the club’s form dipping as a result.

April 2007: Suffers a dislocation in the middle of his foot during a match with Portsmouth — ruled out for seven months.