West Ham vs Newcastle

[kennethlindheim]

Graeme Souness will still be missing a host of key players when Newcastle United travel to West Ham United on Saturday.

The Magpies must continue to do without Celestine Babayaro, Stephen Carr, Kieron Dyer, Emre, Charles N'Zogbia and Steven Taylor for the trip to Upton Park.

Meanwhile, there is a call-up for Reserves skipper Kris Gate.

It will be Graeme Souness' 50th Premiership game as Manager, having won 15, drawn 16 and lost 18 of his 49 games so far.

We drew 0-0 with Alan Pardew's side in our opening home league game of the season

The United boss has named the following 18-man squad:
Given, Harper, Elliott, Ramage, Boumsong, Bramble, Gate, Faye, Solano, Parker, Brittain, Clark, Bowyer, Chopra, Owen, Ameobi, Shearer, Luque.

Problably line-up:

Given- Ramage, Boumsong, Bramble, Elliott- Solano, Parker, Faye, Ameobi- Shearer, Owen.

[toon22]

what position is gate???

[kennethlindheim]

He is a CB and is a backup for Boumsong.

[toon22]

cheers

[kennethlindheim]

West Ham 2 Newcastle 4

Michael Owen fired an unexpected hat-trick to mark Graeme Souness' 50th Premiership game in spectacular fashion as we left the capital with a memorable win.

Owen's treble was our first on the road in the top flight since Chris Waddle dazzled Bobby Robson on the plastic at Q.P.R.'s Loftus Road in that incredible 5-5 draw 21 years ago.

And for once we managed to register in the first half on our travels as Owen scored twice to give us a 2-1 half-time lead.

Kick-off was delayed by half an hour due to a road accident on the A13 but it took Owen just five minutes to get on the end of an Alan Shearer knock-on to knock the ball past Roy Carroll.

Nobby Solano got on the scoresheet again but this time at the wrong end when Titus Bramble only managed to a cross against his colleague and the ball ricocheted into the back of our net.

This sparked the home side into life and Bobby Zamora was denied by Shay Given and then referee Phil Dowd turned down a Hammers penalty appeal when Bramble halted a mazy run from Yossi Benayoun.

But Owen got his second just before the break getting on the end of a Solano free-kick and headed (or possibly shouldered) the ball past Carroll.

Back came the home side after the break and another fine Given save and the post kept us ahead until Shearer looked to have secured the points.

Owen returned Al's earlier favour when he slid the ball through for our no.9 to grab his 199th Newcastle goal to leave him just one short of the magical 200.

An inexplicable handball by Shola Ameobi gifted West Ham a penalty in the 73rd minute which was gratefully converted by Marlon Harewood to set up a tense finish.

Carroll had denied Owen his third five minutes from time but with the keeper coming up for an injury time corner, Owen was able to claim the match ball when Amady Faye played in the England man, much to the delight of the watching Sven-Goran Eriksson (if he was still there at the end).

The win didn't affect our league position which remained 10th but six points in a week has lifted the mood in the run-up to Christmas.

The only downside of the day being Scott Parker's booking, which was his fifth - meaning he'll miss the Boxing Day trip to Anfield.

Good result, excellent perfomance from Owen & Parker, thought Boumsong played well aswell.Just wondering why did he play Ameobi at LW instead of Luque who is a Left Winger? :???:

[toon22]

its souness

[CantonaStillGod]

Is it 200 that Shearer's after? or is it 201?

[toon22]

200 to level 201 to break it

and he will want to break it