Clear Some Room in the Trophy Cabinet Boys…Plymouth 0-2 Newcastle (Fan Report)

Newcastle done what was expected of them last night, and recorded the victory that ensures they win the title and return to the Premier League in style. The win at Home Park also relegates Paul Marriner’s side to League 1 despite them playing reasonably well against the champions, without ever looking like winning.

Goals from Andy Carroll and Wayne Routledge were enough to see off a half decent challenge from the Pilgrims, and the home side should have been on the score sheet at least once but their poor finishing let them down on numerous occasions.

Plymouth started reasonably well but their lack of quality in front of goal coupled with Steve Harper’s good form saw the Pilgrims fail to take advantage of their decent play. Jamie Mackie had a great opportunity to score inside the first minute but Harper pulled off a fine save. There was also a chance from the resulting corner, but Bondz N’Gala wasted the opportunity.

The good start soon went to waste however, when a Joey Barton corner was met by Andy Carroll who sent a looping header into the far corner. Plymouth had a man on the line when the corner came in, but he drifted away from the post and effectively cost his side a goal. The goal completely killed all of Plymouth’s initial enthusiasm and from then on they rarely looked like causing an upset, or even scoring.

Just eight minutes later the contest was effectively over when a Premier League quality goal gave Plymouth a steep mountain to climb. Joey Barton played a sumptuous pass that sliced open the Pilgrims’ back line and Routledge scampered onto it, rounded Stockdale in the home goal and fired in from a tight angle. The goal really showed everyone watching the sheer difference in quality between the two sides, who are going to be two leagues apart in a few weeks time.

The home side went close on a couple more occasions in the second half; Alan Judge went closest when he rattled the bar from 30 yards with Harper beaten. Late on, Joe Mason had a header cleared off the line by Jose Enrique but it was always too late for any sort of comeback. Leon Best also came as close as he has ever came to scoring for Newcastle when his sweet left-foot shot cannoned back off the bar from 20 yards.

When the full-time whistle sounded, the 2000 travelling Geordies poured onto the pitch and celebrated with the players. Andy Carroll was hoisted onto the shoulders of adoring fans and the players looked understandably ecstatic with the result and the news that they were champions.

There are reports going round the internet that the massive ash cloud which covers much of Europe isn’t actually ash, but dust being blown off the Newcastle trophy cabinet. Either way, we’ve still won something and this club is back where it belongs.

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