Newcastle United 7 Tottenham Hotspur 1, Premier League 1996

Saturday December 28, 1996; Premier League.

Newcastle United 7 Tottenham Hotspur 1

Newcastle: S.Hislop, S.Watson, D.Peacock, P.Albert, J.Beresford, K.Gillespie (L.Clark 41), R.Lee, D Batty, P.Beardsley, A.Shearer, L.Ferdinand.

Spurs: I.Walker, S.Carr, S.Campbell, C.Calderwood, C.Wilson, R.Fox, A.Nielsen, D.Howells, A.Sinton (J.Dozzell 45, R.Rosenthal 55), T.Sheringham, S.Iversen.

This was the season after Newcastle had blown up spectacularly in the home straight to lose the Premier League title to Manchester United and, despite the capture of Alan Shearer in the close season, it appeared as though there was still a hangover around St. James’ Park.

Going into this holiday fixture with Tottenham, in fact, Newcastle were suffering their worst run of results under Kevin Keegan, the man who had so dramatically improved the clubs’ fortunes since taking over almost four years previously.

The Geordies had not won in seven league games and had also been dumped out of the League Cup by Middlesbrough during that time. They stood 6th in the table going into this game some eight points behind the leaders Liverpool and knew that they must start winning again quickly if they were to have another crack at the title.

Tottenham were hardly in great form either but were at least buoyed by a 3-1 Boxing Day victory over Southampton going into this fixture. Spurs were 9th in the table under Gerry Francis and desperately searching for any kind of consistency.

Both sides had injury problems and this game would be missing the talents of Ginola and Anderton while Spurs were also without Teddy Sheringham’s normal strike partner Chris Armstrong.

Without Ginola the home side had a somewhat lop-sided look in the opening stages and with Keith Gillespie apparently reluctant to take his man on down the right they favoured the long ball down the middle towards the robust partnership of Shearer and Les Ferdinand. Despite having two wide players themselves Tottenham were quick to imitate this tactic and the opening quarter of an hour passed by with the ball being lumped from one end of the pitch to the other with little sign of a breakthrough.

Ferdinand was presented with possession by a wayward Tottenham pass and quickly invited Gillespie to make progress down the right but his touch was woefully heavy and the ball beat him to the byeline. At the other end it needed a lunging interception from Darren Peacock to deny Steffen Iversen a run on goal after a sliding tackle by a Newcastle man had inadvertantly created danger.

In truth, however, the opening stages had been extremely poor and the subdued atmosphere around the ground actually spoke volumes about the lack of quality.

The first shooting opportunity came Tottenham’s way when a long diagonal ball forward by Stephen Carr was only half cleared into the path of Sheringham but his 25 yard effort was always rising and of no concern to Shaka Hislop who was starting in goal for the first time since the opening day of the season.

Spurs then gained a free kick in a dangerous position when Shearer booted Carr in the throat after a corner was half cleared and Robert Lee was then booked for encroaching as he blocked Sheringham’s free kick. With his second effort Teddy cleared the wall but also the angle of post and bar.

Newcastle’s first attempt on goal came from an unlikely source as a poor clearance by Colin Calderwood went straight to Peacock, venturing forward, but his low shot from just beyond the area was easily saved by Ian Walker.

With the game almost twenty minutes old none of the creative players had done anything of note and it was easily possible to forget that Tottenham’s two wingers, Fox and Sinton, were on the pitch at all.

Suddenly the punts down the middle resulted in a couple of half chances and the game, and the crowd, began to get aroused. Iversen tried an ambitious chip from beyond the area which dropped straight into Hislop’s chest and when the keeper then booted the ball forward Ferdinand flicked on for Shearer who sidestepped Sol Campbell before firing in a vicious drive which just cleared the crossbar.

The referee decided this effort had gone over unaided while Shearer and the rest of Tyneside were adamant that Walker had got a vital touch.

From the goal kick Tottenham came forward again and the two wide men suddenly combined to fashion a clear chance. Fox crossed deep from the right to find Sinton arriving totally unmarked just beyond the far post. With time to take a touch Sinton tried a spectacular half volley and completely fluffed his shot.

The Tottenham goal then came under sustained pressure for the first time after a Peter Beardsley effort had been deflected behind for a corner. The visitors were unable to clear properly and the ball remained bouncing in and around their area for a couple of minutes until Philippe Albert’s header from the edge of the box dropped gently into Walker’s grasp.

Spurs ventured forward for an attack which ended with David Howells skying a hugely optimistic volley over the top from way out on the left flank and Newcastle proceeded to take the lead from the resulting goal kick.

Hislop boomed the ball down the middle, Ferdinand rose to flick on again and Shearer nicked the ball past Carr and took a neat touch on his chest before, under severe pressure, rifling a stunning volley into the top corner.

Spurs came forward from the kick off and immediately had a fine chance to equalise. Howells was left with a free header from a right wing corner and Sheringham, standing in the jaws of goal, looked to steer the ball home but saw his header thud into Hislop’s chest. The visitors would not have another chance to get back on terms. Hislop booted another ball down the middle which Ferdinand ferried out to Gillespie in space down the right. The centre forward got into the box to meet the centre but his effort was blocked. The ball fell to Peter Beardsley, however, and when he stepped inside a defender to shoot low Ferdinand was able to flick the ball home from close range.

The mood inside St. James’ had certainly changed and the Tottenham defence was nowhere to be seen moments later as Beardsley sent Ferdinand through but this time the striker hit Walker with his attempted finish as the exposed keeper lunged out desperately.

Big Les was probably even more annoyed with himself when Shearer then plonked a perfect centre onto his head at the far post but, under no challenge, he could only find power and not direction.

It was obvious to the dullest spectator that Spurs were now ripe for a hiding. The only time you really noticed one of their defenders was when they gave the ball away while Fox and Sinton continued to prove elusive only to their colleagues, not the opposition.

When Spurs gave the ball away again cheaply David Batty presented Beardsley with a shooting chance and his left footer from the edge of the box forced a smart save out of Walker.

The game then suddenly got a bit nasty as Batty took Nielsen out late and Gillespie was left in a heap after a clash of heads. From the resulting drop ball Nielsen took out Gillespie and was promptly booked.

There was no sign of Spurs getting to grips with the basic concepts of defending, however, and it needed a fine save from Walker to deny Ferdinand’s dipping effort and when the resulting corner came in the visitors were lucky when a terrible attempted clearance went straight to the keeper.

Gillespie, who appeared to have been making up his mind whether he was concussed or not since the clash of heads, was replaced by Lee Clark with half time looming leaving the home side with no natural width but they continued to rain efforts on the Tottenham goal.

Beardsley’s fierce drive deflected wildly but just past the post and from the corner Robert Lee smashed in another effort that flashed narrowly over the bar.

Spurs then put together their best move of the half with Fox, Sheringham and Nielsen combining to offer Iversen a shooting chance but Hislop was equal to his first time effort from the edge of the box.

There could be no complaints from the visitors about their two goal half time deficit, however.

Half Time: Newcastle United 2 Tottenham Hotspur 0

Gerry Francis’s response to his teams’ predicament was to withdraw the anonymous Sinton and replace him with Jason Dozzell, no doubt hoping that an extra body in central midfield might help his side enjoy more possession.

Within moments, however, Dozzell looked to be struggling with a leg injury. Whether this had come from a challenge or a strain was unclear. Perhaps the sub had not had time to warm up properly. Indeed, it looked as though if he had done any warming up at all it had only been by eating biscuits.

Before the second half was ten minutes old Dozzell had left the arena to be replaced by Ronnie Rosenthal and it became impossible to guess what formation the visitors were then employing.

While Dozzell was on the pitch Newcastle managed to spurn three clear chances. Albert stepped out of defence to curve a superb centre behind the Spurs defence which was met on the volley by Shearer but his effort flashed back across goal and wide. Shearer then missed in similar fashion only with his head after Clark’s pinpoint centre from the right had picked him out before Batty started a right wing move with Steve Watson but couldn’t finish it having carried on into the box, heading over another inviting centre.

At the other end Newcastle almost contrived to hand Spurs a way back into the game. Hislop hoofed a lazy clearance against Iversen and was grateful to see the ball bounce wide of goal and then Sheringham read a header back towards his own goal by Peacock but the ball just about eluded him.

Newcastle’s control of the midfield was becoming more apparent by the minute and after Dozzell’s departure it became complete. Batty was revelling in the space afforded him and was linking play up neatly while Robert Lee, peripheral in the first half, was coming more and more into the game.

With the hour mark approaching a typically precise and patient build up saw the ball ferried from the Newcastle right across field to Beardsley who neatly sidestepped a challenge before releasing the overlapping John Beresford. The full back did not need to break stride as he centred on the run and Ferdinand arrived six yards out to stab home his second and Newcastle’s third.

Within seconds Ferdinand was offered the chance of a hat trick but his shot from just inside the area lacked power and presented Walker with an easy save.

This miss scarcely mattered as Spurs were immediately giving the ball away again as they tried to mount an attack and a swift counter involving Clark and Shearer ended with Lee driving forward from just over the halfway line to pick his way through the remnants of the Tottenham defence and score with a fine low drive into Walker’s left hand corner.

Once again Spurs contrived to offer a chance within a minute of their own kick off. Campbell managed to slide in to dispossess Shearer but the ball ran across the edge of the box to the unmarked Clark who slammed in a first time shot that was wide of the near post.

Another fine Newcastle move sweeping from right to left then saw the ball knocked into Shearer on the edge of the box, his first time lay off invited Lee to shoot and the midfielder obliged with a rasping, rising drive that brought a magnificent diving save out of Walker.

If the Spurs keeper had been able to find any of his defenders he would no doubt have given them a roasting but as it was he could only shrug his shoulders and wait for the corner.

Tottenham were then able to mount an attack of their own after finally winning a challenge in midfield and Iversen’s deep centre from the right offered Nielsen a decent chance but his header was too close to Hislop who saved comfortably.

The action quickly returned to the other end and the next effort on goal could fairly be described as “trademark Shearer”. Albert clipped another accurate ball into the striker, tightly marked on the edge of the box and back to goal, who showed instant chest control, bullish strength to hold off his man and his ability to turn quickly before drilling in a fierce drive that flew straight at Walker.

The next pot shot came from Beardsley and was diverted wide of the post by a flailing defensive boot.

Perhaps inspired by their band of supporters who had spent the past ten minutes or so informing everyone inside the ground that they were “Tottenham, Super Tottenham, From The Lane” the visitors had a short spell of attacking themselves.

Having won a corner which the Newcastle defence was unable to clear properly the ball was laid back for Howells who struck an absolute beauty from all of 25 yards but Hislop was equal to it, flinging himself to his right to palm away. Then Sheringham released Fox down the right after a punt forward by Walker and the winger picked out Rosenthal who headed over from six yards out with a chance he should have buried.

Tottenham were then undone by this sudden ambition and when their next attack broke down they were in trouble as Newcastle broke quickly. Albert led the charge and Beardsley tried to put him through on goal. A Tottenham foot thwarted this intention but the ball ran straight to Lee who instantly released the roving centre half who was totally unmarked inside the area, just to the left of goal. His low shot was not the most convincing but Walker was unable to keep it out despite getting some part of his anatomy onto it.

Five nil became six nil in Newcastle’s next attack. With the Spurs defence in complete disarray Shearer sent Batty running to the byeline and his cut back found Lee lurking with intent. This time the midfielders’ shot was not truly struck but fell nicely for Shearer who made no mistake as he swivelled onto his left foot and fired into the bottom corner.

Eight minutes remained but there seemed every prospect of more goals. Albert strolled unnoticed into the Spurs box again but this time tried an elaborate chip which dropped limply into Walker’s gloves and then the keeper made a fine instinctive save to deny Shearer’s point blank header at the foot of a post after a typically precise chipped pass by Beardsley.

Number seven then duly arrived as Batty orchestrated another attack which ended with Lee drilling a daisy cutter just inside the post for the second time that afternoon.

Batty was possibly getting carried away and gave the ball away inside his own half when the game resumed offering Spurs the chance to attack. Rosenthal got to the left hand byeline and crossed for Sheringham whose point blank volley brought a stunning save out of Hislop but the keeper was then let down by Beresford who took too long clearing his lines in front of goal and Nielsen stole in to poke home the ultimate “consolation” goal.

One minute of normal time remained and perhaps a couple more to be added on but both sides looked intent on scoring again.

Beardsley skipped through to shoot straight at Walker and when Spurs retaliated the Newcastle defence had also gone AWOL as Iversen flashed a twenty yard effort just wide of Hislop’s right hand post.

The final action saw Beardsley putting Shearer through but Walker dived out bravely and got enough on the strikers’ shot to deflect it over the bar.

Without waiting for the corner to be taken the referee blew for time and brought down the curtain on a remarkable afternoon when the art of defending had been completely forgotten.

Any Newcastle fans thinking this success would breathe new life into Kevin Keegan’s tenure as manager would be in for a rude awakening, however. After another home league win against Leeds United and a draw at Charlton in the FA Cup Keegan would shock Tyneside by then abruptly resigning.

Although the team maintained its’ recovery under Kenny Dalglish to finish the season second behind Manchester United this would be the beginning of the end of the carefree football inspired by Keegan and adored by the crowds.

As for Tottenham they, not surprisingly, remained inconsistent and stayed locked in mid-table mediocrity for the remainder of the season.

Full Time: Newcastle United 7 Tottenham Hotspur 1