Last year we were beaten heavily with 4 goals, and it looks like the Potters fans are very confidence that the same result will repeated again last night, but they have witnessed the all brand new Newcastle Undefeated Football Club, as the final result was their worst Halloween ever at their own yard.

United visit the Britannia on a quest to conquer the third spot on the Premiership table from Chelsea who got thrashed last Saturday by Arsenal. Frankly I would be happy with a point there, as it will guarantee us the third spot.

United were playing without Tiote who has an injury problem and Pardew give a chance for Guthrie to take his position, and he’s more than adequately to handle his tasks in our central midfield.

Man of the match is (our future #9) Demba Ba who scores a hattrick. With his performance last night, Stoke manager Tony Pulis was wondering why he’s not one of their player in first place.

Ba took United to the lead after just 11 minutes through United’s swift direct attack. Tim Krul send the ball out and being flicked on by Leon Best to the position of Obertan who sprint the ball and leaving Marc Wilson trailing in before clipping a delightful cross to Ba, to score his first goal of the match.

United then soon become under a heavy pressure from the Potters, but we held them firmly with Coloccini and Steven Taylor commanding the area. And as much as they give us the tests, we simply responded once we had the chance to hitting them back on the counter.

Newcastle’s counter attack producing Ba’s second when Coloccini’s angling ball fell into the box for Upson to try to headed it out. The ball was only goes as far as Leon Best who return it low back into the six-yard box where Ba is waiting to finish it with a verocious strike.

The home side could only response with a goal from penalty when Peter ‘always diving in the six-yard box’ Crouch react to Ba’s soft touch. Jonathan Walter gave the Potters a false hope to save their game.

But, soon after Crouch tumbling down heavily like was being hit by a male elephant, United have another reward from the referee and in a similar situation as Huth nudged Best inside the box. Ba made no mistake, as he scores his third.

That’s it, the mission accomplished, third in premiership as the reward of the lads hard work and never-end fighting spirit so far this season. I must say that I have started to believe in Alan Pardew now, as we are walking in his wonderland.

But one thing that’s for sure is we are too often to dropped points after doing good. This is some kind of a curse that I don’t really understand until now. We are too easily given out space for the opponents to come to our side and pushing another late equaliser drama at St. James Park.

After the last United’s home game against Wigan, where ex-Toon lad Titus Bramble grab an injury-time equaliser for the Latics, today it was Abdoulaye Faye who gives us a heartbreak moment when he blast home in the 92nd minute.

After Michael Owen two goals within the 24 minutes of first half, we are looking poor in the second period.

Owen’s first chance today came in 7th minutes when Jonas Gutierrez slips the ball into his path. With his back on goal inside the area, United’s skipper works room for a shot but it’s on his weaker foot and Potters goalkeeper Sorensen saves it.

But two minutes later, Owen makes no mistake. Again from an outstanding works by Jonas who darts infield and slots the ball to his captain poking past Sorensen and shot into the bottom corner from 10 yards.

Oba Martins delivers creating the chances for Owen to mark his second of the game in 24 minutes. Oba’s perfect left-wing cross for Owen to slide it home for goal inside the six-yard area.

But the game changed after the break. With Martins missed a close-range header in 60 minutes, the visitors broke out and halved the deficit through Mamady Sidibe.

And the decision to bring Claudio Cacapa in for Geremi makes it even worst for Toon side. Our midfield today really looking really soft without the presence of Nicky Butt and Joey Barton, and to include the loss of Danny Guthrie at half-time.

Five minutes from the end of normal time, the nervous Toon side have to deal with Stoke’s high free-kick. Beye heads it away but only half cleared and Danny Pugh gives a serious heartbeat test when he blast the ball from 20 yards.

And the heartbreak moment finally came in the injury time after United’s players failed to clear Glenn Whealen’s right-wing free-kick.

TEAMS
Newcastle United FC
Shay Given, Habib Beye, Jose Enrique, Fabricio Coloccini, Sebastien Bassong, Geremi, Danny Guthrie, Jonas Gutierrez, Charles N’Zogbia, Michael Owen (c), Oba Martins
Subs: Steve Harper, Claudio Cacapa, Xisco, David Edgar, Mark Viduka, Andy Carroll, Steven Taylor

Stoke City FC
Thomas Sorensen, Andy Griffin, Danny Higginbotham, Richard Creswell, Mamady Sidibe, Danny Pugh, Salif Diao, Amdy Faye, Rory Delap, Abdoulaye Faye, Ibrahima Sonko
Subs: Steve Simonsen, Seyi Olofinjana, Leon Cort, Glenn Whealen, Ricardo Fuller, Andrew Davies, Michael Tongue

Referee: Mike Riley

Before the confirmation of his loan signing, Ameobi has been named in the Newcastle squad for tonight’s reserve team match against Manchester United at Northwich Victoria. He finds the target in last week’s 2-2 reserve draw at Bolton Wanderers.

Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan said that the 26-year-old striker still has the chance to go back into his plans in the future. having just eight appearances for the Toon this season, Ameobi falling behind Michael Owen, Obafemi Martins and Mark Viduka for the striker place at St James’s Park, with Toon youngster Andy Carroll is looking way ahead of him.

Ex-United manager Glenn Roeder also stated his admiration to sign Ameobi, while other first division team Plymouth and Ipswich are also said to have shown an interest. Stoke has moved fast before them to bring Ameobi to Britannia stadium and could make his debut at Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.

We saw more football from the black ‘n whites tonight than we’ve seen in all the games combined so far this season, and perhaps half of last season too – full committment all round, and some really encouraging passages of play.

The massive area of improvement tonight was our ball retention, and imho this was what made the difference. In the last 15 mins of the 1st half, after Emre had been sent off, we barely gave the ball to Stoke at all. For once we had a midfield that could pass the ball, and support each other, as well as creating a few chances.

As I said earlier, it’s important not to get carried away, as we were only playing Stoke. However, this is the same team that I thought gave us a bit of a chasing at their place, and tonight we made them look distinctly 2nd rate.

N’Zogbia was absolutely outstanding, and deservedly got the MOTM award, indeed I thought he ran the game for long periods. This was the best individual performance I’ve seen from a Toon player for a long time.

There were some other noteable performances. Both FBs had decent games – I even thought Carr was good tonight, and he did a lot of defensive organising.

Taylor and Cacapa had a few problems against the big Stoke front two, but stuck to the task very well. In fact, Given really hadn’t a lot to do – apart from picking the ball out of the net!

Duff and Milner supported Zog really well, and all three basically ran themselves into the ground.

Up front, Micky Owen looked sharper than he has for a long time, and his early goal seemed to visibly lift him. He did a lot of work tonight helping out his midfield, and showed some really neat touches and controlled passing.

Strangely enough, I could feel a different atmosphere just walking up the ground tonight, and while it wasn’t exactly back to the old Keegan days, he has already started sprinkling the old stardust around what was becoming an increasingly dark and spiteful place.

Newcastle United FC: Owen (8), Cacapa (31), Milner (68), Duff (76)
Shay Given (c), Stephen Carr, Jose Enrique, Claudio Cacapa, Steven Taylor, Emre, Charles N’Zogbia, James Milner, Damien Duff, Michael Owen, Mark Viduka
Subs: Steve Harper, David Rozehnal, David Edgar, Kazenga LuaLua, Andy Carroll

Stoke City FC: Lawrence (89)
Steve Simonsen, John Eustace, Leon Cort, Liam Lawrence, Jon Parkin, Richard Cresswell, Ricardo Fuller, Danny Pugh, Ryan Shawcross, Gabriel Zakuani, Rory Delap
Subs: Vincent Pericard, Salif Diao, Russell Holt, Anthony Pulis, Carl Dickinson

Referee: Uriah Rennie
Attendance: 35, 108

I honestly can not see any other way for us but to go 100% at them. Go at them with every damn thing we’ve got. Width, pace, passing, dribbling, hold up play, clinical finishing – we have all of this in our locker.

Put it another way, excluding Baye and Faye, it could be argued that this is our best eleven! In fact excluding these two I think this is our best eleven – oh how BFFSA would mock. Maybe someone could put an argument for Martins and I’d have sympathy with this.

Butt out, Smith out – this has got to be good, both are in terrible form or is it that they are just crap? Playing a big fellow with Owen this is good. Two central midfielders given the instruction to be free and to look forward – excellent!

There is no point in babying a hopeless defence, lets just for once use better players as the team talk and tell them, enjoy it, it’s a lovely mild winter evening and being a professional footballer is the perfect life. Forget about yesterday, tomorrow will take care of itself.

I think if we click into a gear we will murder these feckers. Howay the lads!!!!

Newcastle United Team Lineup:

Harper (Given: Dropped)

Carr(it breaks my heart but so be it) Taylor(we’re gonna need this lad tonight), (Capaca, Rozy – I’m not arsed either way, who’s mincing do you prefer, Boy George or Julian Clary?), Enrique ( hmmm, I’m 90% sure he’s not up to it but let’s hope he has a good game)

Milner(right), Emre(playing his natural game), N’Zogbia(central), Duff(left)

Viduka(bit fat and slow), Owen(his heads gone because he’s at a joke club for me)