Pardew’s new-look Toon show real steel
The hosts maintained their unbeaten start, their most impressive opening to a campaign in the two decades since Kurt Cobain’s seminal single — of almost the same name — and the inescapable truth is that Alan Pardew seems to be fostering a never say die attitude among his troops that many of his recent predecessors have simply failed to achieve.
The Newcastle manager may have a less technically gifted squad at his disposal than seen in many a season on Tyneside in the Premier League era, but there is little doubting that the sum is far, far greater than the parts.
The same, it can be argued, applies equally to the visitors, twice ahead in a compelling contest that truly came into own in its last quarter.
The undoubted talent on display among Harry Redknapp’s troops is matched by a work ethic and effervescence that will surely take them above the sixth place they currently occupy, three points and two places shy of a dogged side they simply couldn’t shake off.
Both could conceivably mount a plausible argument to persuade us it was they who deserved the win but a sharing of the spoils was just about right.
Newcastle remain unbeaten in more than five months thanks to an equaliser, four minutes from the end, from Shola Ameobi, the forward’s low, angled drive finding the bottom corner after fine work from Yohan Cabaye, the France midfielder who is proving to be one of the more astute summer acquisitions by any Premier League club.
Until Ameobi took centre stage, it appeared that another substitute, Jermain Defoe, had delivered the game’s decisive blow with a trademark fluid finish just four minutes after his introduction midway through the second half.
Against Newcastle sides of old, it could well have been the winning goal, dispatched from the edge of the area after an astute pass from Scott Parker.
Up against Pardew’s class of 2011-12, however, it was merely the latest gauntlet thrown down, one they duly accepted.
Had Fabricio Coloccini not fired wide on the turn in stoppage time when it appeared easier to find the target, it could have been an even more stirring comeback.
Tottenham took the lead through a disputed first-half penalty from Rafael van der Vaart, the first twist in a 90-minute plot that sent a 46,000-strong crowd home with little cause to complain about the entertainment on show, albeit most of it packed into the last 25 minutes.
Emmanuel Adebayor tangled with Newcastle defender Steven Taylor in the area after Cabaye had lost possession but the visitors’ appeals seemed to have been ignored by Lee Probert. However, after consultation with his assistant, the referee, who awarded four penalties against Tottenham last season, all at White Hart Lane, pointed to the spot. Football karma, perhaps? What do they say about things evening themselves out?
Van der Vaart ignored the protests, calmly sending his compatriot Tim Krul the wrong way with a confident left-foot finish into the corner of the net in front of the Gallowgate End for his fourth goal of the season to briefly draw level with Defoe at the head of the club’s scoring charts.
With Newcastle failing to turn their territorial advantage into meaningful chances, Tottenham’s only worries before the interval were self-inflicted. Ledley King, the injury-prone skipper making a fifth consecutive league appearance for the first time in three-and-a-half years, limped off after half an hour.
Within three minutes of the restart, Newcastle were level, as Demba Ba continued his rich run of goalscoring form, thanks largely to the impressive work of Jonas Gutierrez.
Newcastle’s Argentina midfielder surged down the left to leave Luka Modric and Kyle Walker trailing, before sending over an inch-perfect cross. It left Ba with the simple task of sliding the ball home from two yards keeper Brad Friedel sliding with the ball over the line for Ba’s fifth goal in three games.
Adebayor almost immediately restored the visitors’ lead, firing across the face of goal and inches wide after being released by Modric in an instant reminder of the threat posed by Redknapp’s side on the counter-attack.
Van der Vaart should have done better with a tame side-foot finish after Modric had again pulled the strings in midfield as the encounter belatedly opened up.
Krul then had to be alert to rush from his goal and hack clear as Defoe bore down on Parker’s astute pass shortly after the forward’s introduction.
It was a warning Newcastle failed to heed, as the same pair combined with 22 minutes left. The forward, one of the best instinctive finishers in the Premier League, took a pass from his England colleague to turn and shoot in one fluid movement into the bottom corner from the edge of the area.
Undaunted, Newcastle pressed forward in search of a late equaliser.
It took fine saves from Friedel to deny Cheik Tiote’s powerful 30-yard drive and a curling Ryan Taylor free-kick that was destined for the top corner. The pressure finally told when Ameobi, 15 minutes after coming on, beat the US keeper with a stunning low finish.
With the fun extended into five minutes of injury-time, Krul blocked well from Defoe, before Coloccini unsurprisingly finished like a defender to retain parity. There were plenty of consoling pats for the erring skipper. It was, as Cobain once advised us, a case of Never Mind.
There had been little action of any consequence when Steven Taylor brought down Emmanuel Adebayor, allowing Rafael van der Vaart to score from the spot. From that moment, the entertainment level rose, climaxing with a fine goal from Shola Ameobi.
The penalty was the main topic, although TV replays showed that referee Lee Probert was spot-on with his decision — even if he did take his time to up his mind.
Cheik Tiote (Newcastle): No outstanding candidates, so even Defoe features among the runners and riders after a cameo appearance that included a fine goal. Kaboul was solid at the back for Spurs, but Tiote’s powerful midfield performance gives him the edge.
Lee Probert got most of the big decisions right, notably when he awarded a crucial penalty to Tottenham after 30 minutes. It was overdue as far as Spurs were concerned since he awarded four against them last season — all at White Hart Lane. Nobody can accuse him of being a homer.
Giovanni Trapattoni has suggested Leon Best does not work hard enough to justify a starting place. Well, he put in a good shift here, but much of his running was misdirected and it was a frustrating 71 minutes for the striker.
Newcastle will hope to find life a bit easier on Saturday when they are at home to Wigan, the type of game they must win to finish in the top six. That was Tottenham’s fate last season, earning a Europa League place that means they are at home to Rubin Kazan on Thursday, with a trip to Blackburn three days later.
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Ian Whittell
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