Their goal was the end result of some sloppy defending by Williamson and Colo, but otherwise they offered little in the way of a threat.

We upped our game in the 2nd half, but despite a lot of good possession just couldn’t find the target. A Williamson header hit the angle and went out and, Shola blazed high and wide when wide open on the edge of the PA and with plenty of time.

It was looking as though Blackburn would hold out when HBA took possession around 35yds out. His mazy run and thunderous strike was truly Maradona-esque. Fabulous goal. His overall performance was a bit in and out, and he looked more comfortable after going out wide when Obertan was mercifully taken off. He seemed to benefit from that bit extra time he got in the wide position.

Jonas had a good 2nd half, as his developing partnership with Santon caused Blackburn all kinds of problems, and the winning goal was well created by Shola and beautifully taken by the Spiderman.

Abeid did ok on his debut and certainly didn’t look overawed. He could prove to be another good ‘un.

Without playing well, Shola improved things up front simply by getting in and around the box. Best needs to recognise that he is now expected to be the main man, and he needs to concentrate on getting on the end of things rather than getting involved in the build-up. We dominated posssession yesterday without offering a consistent threat, and this has to be a real concern over the next few weeks.

Not a classic but at least we’re in the hat.

Alan Pardew told Ba to drop deeper to assist, but as v Spurs last week he showed he is incapable of doing that effectively. At half time Pardew took off Best and replaced him with Hatem Ben Arfa in a further effort solve this problem.

While not entirely successful, this did improve matters as one of Wigan’s midfield three had to pick up Ben Arfa as he was playing deep, giving Cabaye & Tiote a little more time and space. He is still rather off the pace, and gave the ball away too often, but his presence was a threat that Wigan couldn’t ignore.

Despite getting more of a grip in midfield, we still weren’t creating clearcut chances and Wigan’s defenders were dominating Ba, now playing up front on his own. So, Shola was brought on for Ba.

Unfortunately, this Shola was ‘regular Shola’ rather than the ‘super-Shola’ that came on last week. Nevertheless, he was more of a physical threat than Ba had been.

Pardew’s final move was to mercifully replace Obertan with Marveaux. The former’s confidence visibly drained away today as he turned over possession time and time again, and he was starting to get stick from the crowd.

Marveaux showed some nice touches, linking well with Ben Arfa and Cabaye, and played the ball square for Cabaye to strike a gem from the edge of the area into the far top corner.

Not a great performance, but not a bad one either imho. Wigan deserve a lot of credit, and were certainly the better team in the 1st half. They worked hard to stop us playing if rather over-physically at times.

I thought Pardew’s changes were well thought out and each one brought about improvements. However, it seems to me we’ve reached the point where some reassessment is needed.

Two big strikers and only two in central midfield will not always work in the Premier League. Cabaye & Tiote are bearing too much of the workload in this formation and will eventually run out of steam (or get injured).

Krul made one excellent save early on, and was then largely unemployed. I don’t know what Alan Pardew said to Simpson at the break, but he had a barn-storming 2nd half. Top man for me once again was Colo, although Steven Taylor also did well.

This is the game that most of the Toon Army have something to fear of about the moral of team and the strength of our defense in particular. Many times I’ve read that our current position in the Premierships table was nothing but a luck, as they said, we haven’t meet the real test before today.

So, now I’m proudly say that we have a good team, with a very good determination and high spirited lads are willing to fight until the end and never surrender. We are capable of chasing the game in any condition, like today we are twice behind but we can responded very well to end the game 2-2 against this year “European” club opponent.

Before the match, I was feared of their pacey wingers and the skill of Van Der Vaart and Modric. I didn’t take credits to their striker, Adebayor is not the same person as he was couple of years ago when still with Arsenal.

Instead of the first goal was coming from his movement, I see it as our own fault who was failed to stop the ball that coming from the midfield. Steven Taylor also failed to anticipate the lose ball and gave enough space for Adebayor to run into our six yard box, and Taylor last try was bringing down Adebayor inside the penalty box.

In the second half we are starting to look for an equaliser, and it doesn’t have to wait longer than 3 minutes. In a nice United attack, the ball was coming to Gutierrez who runs for it and releasing a delightful cross infront of Brad Friedel goal who was passed through Spurs defenders into Ba’s foot who are free in the area to slot the ball and Friedel into the net.

Since that goal we are looking for more but through a counter attack we are once again failed to stop the ball from the midfield, and this time Jermaine Defoe who came in as substitute for Van Der Vaart, can take the adavance to fire in Spurs second.

Alan Pardew then make two substitutions to taking off Demba Ba and Best who surprisingly very quiet today and bringing on Hatem Ben Arfa and … Shola Ameobi. I’m trying to be honest here, to see Ameobi in I was thought that we will finally got beaten.

But, I was totally wrong, and I apologize to Ameobi who is coming in to rescue the point for United, with his superb goal in the 86 minutes. Just 9 minutes before that goal, Pardew also bringing in another player that I was desperately want to see him playing, Davide Santon to replace Danny Simpson.

Spurs have one other chance to get back into the lead but Krul succeeded to block another strike from Defoe. We also have a great opportunity to win this game through our skipper Coloccini who shot the ball wide in the dying minutes.

In general, I was pleased with this result and to see that we are still in good track. Bring in Wigan next week, until then thanks for coming to this site and Howay the Lads!

Newcastle United (4-4-2):
Tim Krul; Danny Simpson (Davide Santon 77), Steven Taylor, Fabricio Coloccini (c), Ryan Taylor; Gabriel Obertan, Yohan Cabaye, Cheik Tiote, Jonas Gutierrez; Leon Best (Shola Ameobi 71), Demba Ba (Hatem Ben Arfa 71)

Subs not used: Rob Elliot, Dan Gosling, Sylvain Marveaux, Peter Lovenkrands

Tottenham Hotspur (4-4-2):
Brad Friedel; Kyle Walker, Younes Kaboul, Ledley King (c) (Sebastien Bassong 30), Benoit Assou-Ekotto; Gareth Bale, Jake Livermore, Scott Parker, Luka Modric; Rafael Van Der Vaart (Jermain Defoe 64); Emmanuel Abebayor (Roman Pavlyuchenko 89)

Subs not used: Carlo Cudicini, Danny Rose, Andros Townsend, Giovani Dos Santos

Referee: Lee Probert

Attendance: 46,420

Within the last ten years, we have so many names come and go as our manager trying to re-creating the old formula of an entertainers side which is, in my honest opinion, no longer as exciting as before.

Now with Pardew in charge, he was determined to change United team’s ethos into his new favoured 4-2-3-1 formation which enabled his midfield creators playing as the bridge between our defensive and attacking players. And to fullfil Pardew’s plan, the United chief scout Graham Carr has provided the recruitment of Yohan Cabaye, Gabriel Obertan, Sylvain Marveaux and Mehdi Abeid this summer.

This season we have a bit more attractive playing role from our midfielders. With the rose of French revolution at St. James’ Park, Alan Pardew has more than enough la munition to support his upcoming formation that could change the style of Newcastle United’s team for years to come.

With Ben Arfa slowly now regained his full fitness, we will see more of his playing role as United’s second striker along with two of his french compatriot Marveaux and Obertan to support his pacey movement. They will be supported by our two powerfull central defensive midfielders Tiote and Cabaye. Especially for Cabaye, he will have more duty as Toon playmaker.

I’m excited to watch Pardew’s new formation to working well for us this season, and hopefully with this new style, United team will be become stronger in defense as well as have more pace and fierce in attack. Until then and thanks for coming to this site. Howay the Lads!

Forest is, as history tells, a team where we never can beat in any competitive cup run before last night. My credits to AP who written a new chapter against them in the League Cup 3rd round, at their own ground. With the full 120 minutes of live report through an internet radio, we started not so well against them, a typical of cup run that we often saw from the Magpies but thank God it’s ended in high excitement!

Only three players that started on last Saturday match at Villa Park also playing on this cup match, with the longwait returning Ben Arfa looked excellent and produced some great services for the main striker Peter Lovenkrands.

Ben Arfa playing just behind him, and his passing was as great as before his terrible broken leg injury. He also did one excellent run in the second half, covered around 50 yards and went past about 4 players before he sets the ball up to Lovenkrands who unfortunately shot it right to Forest keeper.

Our first goal of the night was coming in the 39th minute from Ben Arfa great crossfield pass to his fellow compatriot Sylvain Marveaux who then delivered a delicate cross into the box for Lovenkrands who took the ball in with unstoppable close-range header. Forest then levelled the score with Findley who was allowed to marching towards before unleashing about 30 yards shot past despairing Toon third choice goalkeeper Rob Elliot and in to the bottom corner.

Everyone’s man of the match for the game, Sylvain Marveaux set us up to lead again with his run into the box before Brendan Moloney haul him back inside the penalty box. Referee Lee Mason no hesitation in pointing to the spot and Lovenkrands converted the penalty very well.

Within six minutes into the second half, Forest back on terms for a second time when Derbyshire got in behind our defenders and rounded Elliot with ease to slide the ball into an empty net. And just when I was expecting either one of the Ameobi brothers or Marveaux finally to score, it was Danny Simpson’s 93rd-minute cross that flewed into the back of the net.

The scoreboard shows 3-4 for us until the very last six minutes of extra time remaining and when I thought we are now comfortable to win this and through to the next round, the home side substitute Ishmael Miller’s breaks through from our right side of the field and cross the ball pass the packed of Newcastle’s defense and Elliott before Tudgay tapped in the easy ball from close range.

It looks like our faith has to be decided with penalty shoot-out as the clock runs down to an end of extra time. I bet everyone within the Black-and-White shirts are all held their breath at the City Ground when Newcastle’s substitute Gabriel Obertan fired the ball in from his run down the left.

It was Fabricio Coloccini that enhanced his Toon cult-hero status with his last-gasp winner with a header in the second minute of injury time before the end of extra-time. Toon bench celebrating, the travelling Toon Army erupted and everyone around the globe screaming as we are now surely in the fourth round of Carling Cup.