Post by Taxigirl on Oct 22, 2003 10:42:20 GMT
Fulham 2-3 Newcastle
Alan Shearer rode to Newcastle's rescue as Sir Bobby Robson's side came from two goals down to beat Fulham at Loftus Road.
Fulham raced into a two-goal lead in eight minutes with two superb efforts from Newcastle old boys Lee Clark and Louis Saha.
But Shearer sparked the Newcastle recovery by releasing Laurent Robert, who scored with a clever half-volley on 15 minutes.
The opening of the second half proved equally exhilarating as Shearer equalised with a penalty on 51 minutes - then struck again to put Newcastle ahead five minutes later.
The game had been delayed by half an hour after police blew up a suspicious car in a controlled explosion, but the wait proved well worthwhile.
Alan was awesome - he was marvellous and quite magnificent
Newcastle boss
Sir Bobby Robson
Robson salutes Shearer
Playing against his old club, Clark fired the Cottagers into a fifth-minute lead with a superb strike.
Aaron Hughes miscontrolled a lofted pass forward down Fulham's left-wing, chesting it into Steed Malbranque's path.
The Frenchman cut inside and fed Clark, who turned smartly and thundered the ball into the far corner from an acute angle.
Fulham doubled their lead just three minutes later when Saha produced an equally smart goal.
Sylvain Legwinski hoisted the ball up to the edge of the area where Saha brought it down, burst past Titus Bramble and smacked a shot across Shay Given and inside the post.
As so often in the past, it was Shearer who guided Newcastle back into the game as Robson's team pulled a goal back on 15 minutes.
Shola Ameobi crossed from the right and Robert and Shearer played a one-two before the Frenchman crashed the ball home on the half-volley.
Shearer's attempted chip then drifted tamely into the grasp of Edwin van der Sar before Bramble went close with a header from Robert's corner.
If we are not at 100% we will lose a lot of games
Fulham boss Chris Coleman
Fulham failure angers Coleman
Newcastle almost claimed an equaliser before the interval, but Shearer miscontrolled the ball.
Shearer did not take long to make up for his uncharacteristic miss.
Soon after the restart Alain Goma felled Shola Amoebi in the box and Shearer put away the penalty with characteristic aplomb.
On 56 minutes Jenas waltzed into the penalty area, shimmied as Zat Knight went to tackle and poked the ball towards Shearer, who thumped the ball into the roof of the net from eight yards.
Fulham had chances to level, with Mark Pembridge snatching at a bouncing ball in the box and Saha drawing a solid save from Given.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fulham: Van der Sar, Leacock, Bonnissel, Knight, Goma, Legwinski, Pembridge (Inamoto 79), Clark, Malbranque, Buari (Hayles 45), Saha.
Subs Not Used: Crossley, Melville, Djetou.
Booked: Pembridge, Legwinski.
Newcastle: Given, Hughes, Bernard, O'Brien, Bramble, Jenas, Speed, Bowyer, Robert (Ambrose 87), Shearer, Ameobi.
Subs Not Used: Harper, LuaLua, Stephen Caldwell, Viana.
Booked: Speed, Bowyer.
Attendance: 16,506.
Referee: B Knight (Kent).