Penalty save gives Villa share of the points

Newcastle 1 Aston Villa 1

Thomas Sorensen once again proved to be Alan Shearer’s nemesis as he saved a late penalty to give Aston Villa a point at Newcastle.

The Dane, who clinched a famous victory for former club Sunderland at St James’ Park three years ago by achieving the same feet, dived low to his left at the same end of the ground to deny the 33-year-old an 81st-minute winner as the home side again failed to make the pressure count.

Dion Dublin had stunned the bulk of a crowd of 51,975 by opening the scoring with an 11th-minute header, but Laurent Robert equalised in first-half injury time and the visitors were forced to defend, especially after having Gavin McCann sent off for two bookable offences.

Sorensen turned in a superb all-round display and was ably assisted by emergency defender Dublin, but Newcastle were again left kicking themselves as a game they could have won comfortably ended in frustration.

Sir Bobby Robson restored his big guns after Wednesday night’s Carling Cup disaster against West Brom, but for most of the opening 45 minutes, his side struggled to find the fluency which had the Baggies on the back foot throughout that cup game.

They did not help themselves by conceding their now almost regulation goal to Dublin, who lost marker Steve Caldwell to meet Gareth Barry’s 11th-minute corner to head firmly past Shay Given at the near post.

It was hardly the start for which Robson and his players had been hoping in the 200th Premiership game to be played at St James’ Park, and their response was at times unconvincing.

Villa had arrived with five men strung across the midfield and Juan Pablo Angel playing as a lone striker, and although that meant there was little time or space, the Magpies compounded their problems by squandering possession at regular intervals.

With Dublin and Ronny Johnsen defending as if their lives depended on it, chances were few and far between, although Sorensen earned his corn to preserve his side’s lead on several occasions.

He pulled off a fine fingertip save to deflect Shearer’s diving header over the bar on 25 minutes, and then went full length to turn away Lee Bowyer’s curling effort five minutes before the break.

Newcastle were having to contemplate, as they had to on Wednesday evening, that it was not going to be their day, but salvation arrived deep into first-half injury time, and Robert was the man to do the trick once again.

Villa struggled to clear a corner and Shearer managed to get in a shot on the turn which Barry hacked away, but only as far as the Frenchman.

The ball seemed to take an age to come down, but with Sorensen desperately trying to regain his ground, the midfielder thumped a volley past him and into the bottom corner.

It took just 15 seconds of the second half for Shearer to take aim at Sorensen’s goal, although the Dane was not tested on that occasion as he was to be as the game wore on.

Titus Bramble’s tackle allowed Shearer and Bowyer to combine to play in Robert down the left on the hour, and he fired in a blistering cross which Sorensen turned away at full stretch.

He repeated the feat five minutes later to keep United out once again, but he had a let-off on 69 minutes when Steve Caldwell was unmarked as he homed in on Robert’s corner but planted his header well wide.

Given was seeing little of the ball at the other end, but he had to pull off a fine reaction save at his near post on 70 minutes after substitute Marcus Allback got a flick to Thomas Hitzlsperger’s cross.

Seconds later McCann, who had earlier been booked for lashing out at Bowyer, tripped Robert and was shown a second yellow card.

Staff from the respective benches became involved as he trudged off the pitch, but there was much, much more to come.

Bramble and Aaron Hughes both passed up good chances, but it was Shearer who should have clinched victory nine minutes from time after Barry handled Robert’s corner.

The United skipper, just as he had done in November 2000 when Sorensen stood in front of him in a Sunderland shirt, went to the keeper’s left and the Dane again guessed right to make a vital save.

Shearer sent two headers wide as Villa scrambled towards the finishing line, but there was to be no second chance.