Robson fury at Jenas miss

Furious Newcastle manager Bobby Robson branded Jermain Jenas’ crucial sudden-death penalty miss “outrageous and unprofessional” after the England midfielder’s chip over the crossbar handed Chelsea the inaugural FA Premier League Asia Cup.

With Chelsea leading the shoot-out 5-4, Jenas had to score to keep Newcastle’s hopes alive after the rip-roaring final had somehow ended 0-0.

Straight into penalties, Chelsea went two up as Alan Shearer and then Laurent Robert missed, but Newcastle fought back to level at 3-3 and take the dramatic shoot-out into sudden death.

Then Jenas stepped into the spotlight and floated his effort over goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini and over the crossbar.

“It was an outrageous way to try and take a penalty,” said Robson. “He’s young and for some reason he has gone against all his education and all his practice to try and do something different and he has come unstuck from that.

“He has to learn from that and I have told him that. “

“He is a young player and he has to learn from being unprofessional. We never see him do that and if I had known he would have taken a penalty like that, he would have been last.”

Robson had initially tried to divert attention away from Jenas, his experiences in shoot-outs having taught him that even the finest players can freeze.

After all, Shearer struck the bar and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink had his effort saved by Shay Given when a successful spot-kick would have secured the match for Chelsea at 4-2.

“We have missed three penalties, not one,” he said. “I never really complain about penalties. I have lost a World Cup semi-final through penalties.

“I always have a bit of sympathy for the players who have to take them.”

For Chelsea the trophy marked the first piece of silverware since owner Roman Abramovich began to splash the cash.

The Blues had dominated possession and enjoyed the best chances in a match that swung from end to end and was likened by Robson to “an English cup tie”.

Newcastle started with Carl Cort and Shola Ameobi up front and while they linked well, and the latter caused a few skipped heart-beats on the Chelsea bench, they were held at bay.

Robson then introduced the big guns off the bench for a “second-half explosion” but the combined threats of Shearer, Craig Bellamy, Kieron Dyer and Lee Bowyer were snuffed out by the Chelsea defence.

Claudio Ranieri had started with two of his new signings, Wayne Bridge and Glen Johnson, with John Terry and 19-year-old Robert Huth in the centre.

While Hasselbaink, Eidur Gudjohnsen, Boudewijn Zenden and Jesper Gronkjaer all threatened for Chelsea, it was a day for the defences and Ranieri credited his back line for the victory.

“I am not surprised about John Terry or the other two young players, I am surprised about Robert Huth, he was fantastic,” said Ranieri.

“We only worked together for five minutes, which is nothing and it shows I have very intelligent players.

“I am very happy. It’s my first trophy. I am very pleased with our performance. I was eager to see how they would shape up against a good Newcastle side. And they came off brilliantly.

“We deserve the trophy.”

Gronkjaer was adjudged man of the match after winning an enthralling duel down his right wing with Olivier Bernard, but Irish keeper Given in the Newcastle goal turned in a sterling performance.

His block on Gudjohnsen after only two minutes set the tone for his day which peaked with a magnificent diving effort to claw a Frank Lampard drive round the post.

He dashed off his line to three times clear with his head and brought Newcastle back into the shoot-out with saves from Ireland's Damien Duff and Hasselbaink.

Lampard had coolly put Chelsea ahead before Shearer struck the crossbar and Robert’s effort was saved by Cudicini.

In between, Given dived to his right to keep out Duff’s effort, so when bandaged defender Huth blasted his into the roof of the net, Chelsea led 2-0.

Dyer converted his effort, but so did ice-cool Gudjohnsen before Bowyer, booed as he strode into the area, placed his shot into Cudicini’s left-hand corner.

At 3-2, Hasselbaink had the chance to win it but Given guessed right and though the ball spilled out of his grasp, it hit the post and rolled out.

Bellamy, Joe Keenan, Jonathan Woodgate and Terry all then converted before Jenas’ chip sailed over.