Newcastle top UEFA Cup group

Newcastle 1 Sporting Lisbon 1

Thu, 16 Dec, 2004 - 22:27

Newcastle 1 Sporting Lisbon 1

A Craig Bellamy header ensured that Newcastle claimed top spot in UEFA Cup Group D with a battling draw against Sporting Lisbon at St James’ Park tonight.

The Welshman collected his 10th goal of the season and his 11th for the club in Europe with just five minutes gone to give them the point they needed to avoid the Champions League drop-outs in the last 32.

Sporting responded with a 39th-minute equaliser from Custodio but the depleted English side fought bravely to hold on.

There was no Alan Shearer, no Patrick Kluivert, no Kieron Dyer, no Nicky Butt, no Laurent Robert and no Lee Bowyer, but there was heart and commitment and resilience in front of a crowd of just 28,017.

Manager Graeme Souness admitted in the run-up to the game he did not know whether to expect an onslaught from the first whistle or a cagey game, but he was in little doubt after a lively opening from Jose Peseiro’s men.

It was with pure delight, then, that he saw his side take the lead within five minutes of the kick-off.

Shola Ameobi rose well to meet Titus Bramble’s deep free-kick and send the ball into the penalty area, where Bellamy pulled away from marker Roberto Beto to send a looping header over keeper Ricardo.

Sporting were not about to sit back and accept their fate, and with Fabio Rochemback and Paulo Tinga dominating in central midfield, they continued to make the running, although without working Irish ’keeper Shay Given.

But they looked vulnerable at the back, particularly to the pace of Bellamy, and he really should have made it 2-0 with 24 minutes gone when he finally beat the offside trap to collect Steven Taylor’s ball over the top, but shot straight at Ricardo’s legs.

At the other end, his team-mates had a few uneasy moments attempting to keep the visitors out, but as their frustration increased, Belgian referee Paul Allaerts started to make his mark.

He rightly booked Bramble for a rugged challenge on striker Liedson, but ignored the Brazilian’s shameful play-acting, and he had little choice but to show Ameobi a yellow card after he threw the ball away in disgust.

However, Aaron Hughes felt aggrieved to suffer the same fate six minutes before the break for a challenge on Martinho Paito, and from the resulting free-kick, Custodio powered a header past Given to level.

A very even contest continued much in the same vein after the restart as both sides used the ball well but were continually thwarted by committed defence.

The work-rate of Bellamy and Ameobi put the Sporting defence under pressure as the half got underway and the latter forced Roberto Beto to concede a 50th-minute free-kick which Darren Ambrose drilled in to the near post to cause Ricardo a momentary problem.

Sporting were still moving the ball well and Newcastle looking dangerous on the counter, and with everything to play for, the tension was mounting.

The visitors were soon claiming a penalty after Liedson went down under Olivier Bernard’s 65th-minute challenge, and the pressure mounted on the Magpies as the clock ran down.

Rochemback failed to test Given fully with a mishit free-kick 17 minutes from time after James Milner had felled him, but Souness soon moved to shore up the defence when he sent on Andy O’Brien for Taylor five minutes later.

Souness’ problems deepened seconds later when Bellamy limped off injured to be replaced by teenager Lewis Guy, but his side was showing a character that has been missing at times during the last few troubled weeks.

The Magpies found themselves pinned back as the final whistle approached, but they had worked hard for their point and they were not about to let it slip at the death.

Results:

International Match

Japan 0 Germany 3 (Klose 54 90, Ballack 69).

UEFA Cup, Group A

Basle 1 (Carignano 53) Feyenoord 0

Hearts 0 Ferencvaros 1 (Rosa 30)

Group B

Parma 3 (Gilardino 16, Cardone 35, Degano 59) Besiktas 2 (Buruk 5, Metin 88)

Standard Liege 1 (Onyewu 14) Athletic Bilbao 7 (Ezquerro 5 8 54, Yeste 34, Iraola 57 pen, Del Horno 63, Etxeberria 70)

Group C

Club Brugge 1 (Ceh 67) Real Zaragoza 1 (Savio 39)

FC Utrecht 1 (Douglas 54) Austria Vienna 2 (Sionko 14, Rushfeldt 78)