Birmingham - Newcastle 0-0

[kennethlindheim]

Newcastle extended their unbeaten record to six games, but while the point was enough to condemn Steve Bruce & City to the Championship, it also effectively torpedoed Newcastles hopes of qualifying for the UEFA Cup.

The draw briefly moved the Magpies up to sixth spot, only to drop back down a place within hours when Blackburn won 2-0 away to a Charlton side still obviously reeling from the resignation of Alan Curbishley.

On a warm afternoon at St.Andrew's, the relegation jitters of City and the much-anticipated first appearance of Michael Owen in 2006 seemed to overshadow Newcastles bid to earn three points from the fixture.

And in a game that neither side did enough to win, United were grateful again to 'keeper Shay Given in the dying seconds of the game as he pulled off a fabulous double stop, first from Forssell and then a Heskey effort which was deflected off Carr.

Moments later we had looked odds-on to steal the points, when the unlikely figure of Titus Bramble led a charge upfield.

However, with Babayaro to his right, the defender over-ran the ball and the chance went begging.

Owen had appeared from the bench for the final thirty minutes of the game and a couple of half-chances came his way.

The England forward inevitably looked off the pace though and it was reporter post- match that he'd felt some pain from his foot - "a dull ache" being his own assessment.

Team: Given, Carr, Moore, Bramble, Babayaro, Solano,Pattison (Clark 68), Faye (Boumsong 87), N'Zogbia,Chopra (Owen 61), Ameobi.
Subs n/u: Harper, Elliott.


Birmingham: Maik Taylor, Melchiot, Cunningham (Clemence 87),Martin Taylor, Sadler, Pennant, Jarosik, Johnson,Gray (Campbell 72), Heskey, Forssell.
Subs n/u: Vaesen, Bruce, Tebily.

I'm glad we didn't lose, but i'm not surprised we didn't win. Looking at the circumstances. Birmingham were always going to battle, and we had so many key players out once again. N'Zogbia is wasted in the middle and Amdy Faye is Amdy Faye.

[Mr Brightside]

To be harshly honest, that team is a disgrace to the name of Newcastle United.

From those names, Given, Carr, N'Zogbia, Solano and Owen are the only players worth a place in a team that plays in front of 52,000 fanatical supporters every other week.

A serious overhaul is needed at the Toon, and why shouldn't Glenn Roeder be given the money that Souness wasted ?

Give Roeder the job.

[kennethlindheim]

If you add Parker and Emre,I agree with you.

[kyan]

but u still finished 7th which means ur in the intertoto cup so u could still go into the uefa cup... its a pretty good team, just very unlucky