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Electronic Telegraph


Sunday 19 April 1998
Issue 1059


Newcastle defiance costs title holders top spot
By Colin Malam


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   Man Utd (1) 1 Newcastle (1) 1

   MANCHESTER United's six-month stay at the top of the Premiership - and
   perhaps their hold on the title - was ended without too much of a
   fight yesterday. The defending champions did well to equalise late in
   the first half through David Beckham after conceding the softest of
   goals to Andreas Andersson, but they did not put enough pressure on
   struggling Newcastle until it was too late.
   
   Substitute Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, sent off near the end for a
   professional foul on Robert Lee, and Gary Pallister were unlucky not
   to score in a frantic bombardment during the last five minutes.
   However, too much of United's play was marked by the raggedness that
   has enabled Arsenal to make up so much ground lately and finally
   overtake them.
   
   Although Ronny Johnsen was still incapacitated by the damage done to
   his ankle ligaments by Michael Owen's rash challenge eight days
   earlier, there was cheering news for United followers when Ryan
   Giggs's name appeared on the team-sheet. The home side's most
   dangerous attacker had not been expected to recover from hamstring
   trouble.
   
   If Giggs's inclusion indicated United's determination to win this
   match, Newcastle's selection of a second striker, Andersson, suggested
   they would be more adventurous than when they lost 3-1 to Arsenal at
   Highbury the previous Saturday. They needed to be if they were going
   to win here for the first time since 1972.
   
   Nevertheless, it was United, with Teddy Sheringham restored to their
   attack in place of Paul Scholes, who forced the pace from the start.
   Anticipating that their opponents would go for the jugular, Newcastle
   deployed themselves in a 3-5-2 formation designed to stifle United's
   attacking ambitions but it offered them little protection in the
   opening 10 minutes.
   
   Shay Given, who saved from Philip Neville and raced off his line
   untidily to stop Andy Cole reaching a through pass from the younger
   Neville, was like a cat on hot bricks as the threats to his goal came
   from all angles. No sooner had Cole chipped a shot over the bar than
   Philippe Albert was diving to head a dangerous centre from Giggs in
   the same place.
   
   Nothing was more unlikely at that point than a goal for Newcastle, so
   a kind of stunned silence greeted the sight of the ball in the back of
   the United net after 11 minutes. Because the United defence had
   stopped playing, everyone thought there must have an infringement of
   some sort; but there was no flag and the referee pointed to the
   centre-spot.
   
   What had happened was that David Batty had chipped the ball forward to
   Gary Speed, who was so unmarked that the United defence presumably
   thought he was offside. With the home defence standing still, Speed
   headed the ball across the penalty area to Andersson, who could hardly
   believe his luck at being given a free shot at Peter Schmeichel's goal
   from 12 yards.
   
   It was not the last time the United defence seemed afflicted by
   paralysis. A minute later, Shearer, of all people, was allowed free
   passage in a run towards goal that took him wide of the advancing
   Schmeichel. Even so, the striker got in a shot from a narrow angle
   that would have found the net had not David May, Johnsen's deputy,
   rushed back to clear off the line.
   
   Schmeichel's vain challenge seemed to bring on a recurrence of the
   hamstring strain he had suffered here chasing lost causes against
   Arsenal a month earlier. The big Danish international trooped off
   disconsolately after only 17 minutes and was replaced by his deputy,
   Raimond van der Gouw.
   
   Gradually, however, United recovered from the shock of conceding such
   a soft goal and began to shake off the strange lethargy which had
   undermined much of their first-half play. Only a couple of timely
   interventions by Warren Barton stopped Sheringham and Cole causing
   damage, and Given was straining to reach a Sheringham shot that fizzed
   over his bar.
   
   Then, eight minutes before the interval, came relief for the United
   supporters. A long, accurate centre from Giggs dropped behind Stuart
   Pearce and was headed neatly into the far corner of the net by the
   diving Beckham, his hair glinting with new blond tints.
   
   As both sides continued to go for the win they needed in the second
   half, metaphorical blows were exchanged at both ends of the field.
   Barton struck a post with a rasping shot when Van Der Gouw put United
   in trouble with an ill-judged clearance; but Given had to save from
   Cole and Paul Scholes, a first-half substitute for Nicky Butt, as the
   home side tried to capitalise on their greater share of possession.
   
   Even though Newcastle took off Andersson after 66 minutes and sent on
   Temuri Ketsbaia, they continued to trouble United on the break.
   Shearer, barracked as usual by the Old Trafford faithful for his
   refusal to join their club on two occasions, was particularly
   dangerous. Van Der Gouw just got a hand to a low shot, and Barton
   headed over from one of his centres.
   
   United's anxious attempts to grab a winning goal often left them
   undermanned at the back, and Ketsbaia should have done better than
   allow Van Der Gouw to save when Newcastle were three against two. At
   the other end, Given denied Solskjaer and Pallister with saves of
   varying difficulty before Lee, breaking clear, was brought down
   deliberately by the chasing Solskjaer.
   _________________________________________________________________
   
   Man Utd (1) 1 Newcastle (1) 1
   Beckham 38; Andersson 11.

   Man Utd: Schmeichel (Van Der Gouw 18), G. Neville (Solskjaer 79),
   Irwin, May, Pallister, Beckham, Butt (Scholes 44), Cole, Sheringham,
   Giggs, P. Neville. Subs Not Used: Berg, Clegg. Sent Off: Solskjaer
   (89). Booked: Beckham, Pallister.

   Newcastle: Given, Barton, Batty, Lee, Shearer, Speed, Pearce, Pistone,
   Albert, Dabizas, Andersson (Ketsbaia 66). Subs Not Used: Srnicek,
   Tomasson, Gillespie, Watson. Booked: Pistone, Shearer, Given.

   Att: 55,194
   Ref: U D Rennie (Sheffield).
   _________________________________________________________________

     Arsenal set to romp home as Man Utd fall from grace
     
     (adds quotes, writes through)
     By Simon Haydon
     LONDON, April 18 (Reuters) - Within the space of one minute on
     Saturday, Arsenal took control of the English premier league and
     defending champions Manchester United fell from grace.

     At 3.11 p.m., in north London, Arsenal's veteran defender Tony
     Adams opened the scoring for Arsenal against Wimbledon, the first
     of a five-goal blitz.

     A few seconds later, 200 miles north in Manchester, Swede Andreas
     Andersson rifled home a goal for Newcastle against Manchester
     United. The defending champions equalised, but could not claw back
     a victory.

     Arsenal's crushing win put the Londoners on top of the premier
     league with a one point lead. They still have five games to play,
     while Manchester United have just three.

     Saturday's games were a fair reflection of how everything is going
     smoothly for Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and how everything has
     gone sour for Manchester United's Alex Ferguson.

     As well as Adams, Dutch strikers Marc Overmars and Dennis Bergkamp,
     France's Emmanuel Petit and Liberian Christopher Wreh got their
     names on the scoresheet as Arsenal turned in a confident and
     clinical performance.

     Manchester United lost Danish goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel with a
     thigh injury seven minutes after Newcastle's goal and he will be
     out for the rest of the season.

     The defending champions, so confident and clinical just two months
     ago, looked nervous against a Newcastle team playing to stay in the
     premier league.

     David Beckham snatched an equaliser seven minutes before half-time
     with a diving header from a perfect Ryan Giggs cross that reawoke
     memories of United at their best.

     But the old confidence and razor sharp passing has disappeared and
     Newcastle were able to soak up the desparate Manchester attacks.

     In the dying moments, United's Norwegian striker Ole Gunnar
     Solskjaer hacked down Robert Lee from behind and was sent off for
     his profession foul, a sad end to a grim day for the illustrious
     Manchester team.

     Ferguson said he was being realistic about United's title chances
     -- Arsenal are now 7-1 ON favourites -- but that he would not be
     giving up. "We can't surrender yet. Anything can happen, it's such
     a strange game."

     Wenger, who was reported on Saturday as saying he hoped to stay
     with the club until 1999, refused to say his team were certainties.

     "There's still a long way to go. We have to stay cautious. It means
     a lot to win a championship but my only problem at the moment is
     that there's still a long way to go," he said after the confident
     Arsenal performance.
     Arsenal have scored 12 goals in the last three games and have
     peaked at exactly the right time as they seek their first title
     since 1991. They could also achieve the rare feat of a league and
     F.A. Cup double as they face Newcastle in the cup final next month.

     Arsenal's confidence was enormous on Saturday after having scored
     seven goals in two matches last weekend. "Thanks to Easter we could
     be confident and efficient today," Wenger said.

     Liverpool, who play Coventry on Sunday, remain in third place while
     Leeds moved into fourth place after beating relegation-threatened
     Bolton 3-2 away from home.

     Bolton slipped to second from bottom because fellow strugglers
     Barnsley grabbed a point in a 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspurs.

     Crystal Palace remain firmly entrenched at the bottom of the table
     despite a rare 3-1 victory over Derby County, their first win at
     home this season.

     At the far end of the Football League, Halifax Town ended a
     five-year spell in the footballing wilderness when they clinched
     the Vauxhall Conference title with a 2-0 victory over Kidderminster
     to open up a 17-point gap over their closest rivals.

     Halifax will replace Doncaster Rovers in the league's Division
     Three.
                           © Reuters Limited 1998
   _________________________________________________________________

   April 19 1998 FOOTBALL

   Solskjaer dismissal adds insult to injury 
   Ian Chadband at Old Trafford
   
   Manchester United 1 Newcastle United 1 
   
   AT THE Theatre of Dreams, it was nightmare time. As they trudged away
   from Old Trafford having watched their weary, dispirited heroes fail
   in one final frantic bid to beat Newcastle United, and having given
   their striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a standing ovation for the hateful
   foul that might have prevented a draw turning into a quite calamitous
   defeat, the Manchester United faithful did not even need to hear the
   numbing news from Highbury to know that the game is now almost up.
   
   Deprived of the Premiership leadership for the first time in six
   months, a point behind a rampant Arsenal outfit, who also have two
   games in hand, there is surely no way back for the champions.
   
   Not that Alex Ferguson, their manager, was about to concede the title.
   "A very, very uphill fight . . . a bad position . . . you have to say
   we're up against it," he said. No mind games, no cod psychology from
   Ferguson; just some vague hope that miracles still happen in football.
   
   "It was frustrating because we didn't actually play that badly, and at
   times our attacking play was excellent," was his post-match analysis.
   "The way we set out to play meant we were vulnerable, but we had to
   take risks to try to win the match because the three points were so
   important."
   
   He knows it could have been worse. Sure, Ferguson's men came
   desperately close to snatching a winner in an utterly frenetic assault
   on the Newcastle goal in the pulsating dying seconds; their manager
   was sure they deserved it.
   
   Yet they came closer to suffering total disaster when, while throwing
   caution to the wind, Rob Lee caught them on the break, hared some 70
   yards through on goal with just Raimond van der Gouw to beat, only for
   Solskjaer, who had only been on as a substitute for 10 minutes, to
   chase and hack him down just outside the area.
   
   The Norwegian looks as if butter would not melt in his mouth, but this
   was the act of some baby-faced assassin, probably inevitable but
   horrible nonetheless. He was already walking off when Uriah Rennie,
   the referee, brandished the red card.
   
   Ferguson would neither condemn nor praise. "Forward, isn't he? It was
   desperation. He's done it for all the right reasons in his mind."
   Solskjaer will now miss United's last two Premiership matches.
   
   The home team could really have no complaints. Full marks for effort,
   but erratic in defence and never truly getting to grips with
   Newcastle's five-man midfield, there were only occasional moments when
   they conjured up the old early-season verve, dash and control that
   once made the Premiership seem like a one-horse canter for them.
   
   Newcastle, adopting a more ambitious approach than of late with an
   orthodox twin strike-force that represented huge daring by the recent
   standards of their manager, Kenny Dalglish, counter-attacked with
   considerable menace in their best performance for some time.
   
   Even before Lee was rudely foiled in his bid to seal their first away
   win at Old Trafford for 26 years, they could have stolen it, Warren
   Barton having struck a post and Temuri Ketsbaia, a late substitute,
   being deprived only by an excellent save when one-on-one with Van der
   Gouw, who had replaced the injured Peter Schmeichel, suffering from
   hamstring trouble again. Still, if they play like this in the run-in,
   Premiership life should be comfortably secured.
   
   The champions could not be faulted for passion, but they only really
   worked in fits and starts and were let down by a somnolent defence.
   After their bright start, David Batty floated a through-ball straight
   to the head of Gary Speed and Manchester United's rearguard froze like
   statues as the Welshman nodded straight back across goal for Andreas
   Andersson.
   
   One disgruntled Newcastle caller on a phone-in programme last week had
   muttered that the new Swedish striker could not be dangerous even
   carrying a sub-machine gun, but Andersson did not need to any sort of
   marksman to finish this one. Did the home team's defenders think Speed
   had been offside? Nobody complained.
   
   Seconds later, the defence parted obligingly to allow Alan Shearer to
   burst through, evade Schmeichel and have his shot from a narrow angle
   booted off the line by David May.
   
   Manchester United regained their composure and equalised with a beauty
   by David Beckham, who ghosted in at the far post to plant Rayn Giggs's
   cross into the corner with a diving header.
   
   They had their moments after the break, too, Andy Cole shooting
   fractionally wide, and both he and Paul Scholes later bringing sharp
   saves from Shay Given, yet their only sustanied pressure came late on
   as the Newcastle goal began to lead a charmed life.
   
   Nikos Dabizas booted one off the line after Given had failed to hold
   on cleanly to a sharp strike by Solskjaer, and the visiting goalkeeper
   produced a wonderful save at full stretch to keep out a Gary Pallister
   volley - a stop that may have helped send the title on its way to
   Highbury.
   
   Manchester United: Schmeichel (Van Der Gouw 18), G Neville (Solskjaer
   79), Irwin, May, Pallister, Beckham, Butt (Scholes 44), Cole,
   Sheringham, Giggs, P Neville. Unused: Berg, Clegg.
   Booked: Beckham, Pallister.
   Sent-off: Solskjaer (89).
   
   Newcastle United: Given, Barton, Batty, Lee, Shearer, Speed, Pearce,
   Pistone, Albert, Dabizas, Andersson (Ketsbaia 66). Unused: Srnicek,
   Tomasson, Gillespie, Watson.
   Booked: Pistone, Shearer, Given.
   
   Scorers: Manchester United: Beckham 38.
   Newcastle United: Andersson 11.
   Referee: U Rennie (Sheffield).
   Attendance: 55,194.
   
   Copyright 1998 Times Newspapers Ltd. 
   _________________________________________________________________

                    Man United v Newcastle 18/04/98 3.00
                                      
Man United              (1) 1 Newcastle               (1) 1 FT
Beckham 38                    Andersson 11

   Manchester United surrendered their six-month FA Carling Premiership
   lead to Arsenal with this 1-1 draw - and Alex Ferguson must know his
   crown is going with it.
   
   The Reds had been top of the pile since smashing seven past Barnsley
   here at Old Trafford on October 25.
   
   But Fergie and his men would have swapped six of those for just one
   more as they were lucky to get away with even one point.
   
   Even after a flying header from David Beckham cancelled out Andreas
   Andersson's controversial opener - the Swede sliding home when all of
   Old Trafford expected a flag - the Reds were never fluent, never
   convincing.
   
   While Ferguson's side had plenty of chances, the better opening came
   at the other end, Alan Shearer feeling he might have had a hat-trick,
   Warren Barton hitting the post, other openings going begging.
   
   The champions, who lost Peter Schmeichel after 18 minutes, came at the
   death, substitute Ole Solskjaer and Gary Pallister denied by the men
   in black and white.
   
   Where Ferguson had hoped that Arsenal would hit a ``brick wall'' it
   was his side that were blocked off at the championship pass.
   
   To add insult to injury, Solskjaer was rightly sent off in the final
   minute for a professional foul on Rob Lee after the home side had been
   caught upfield.
   
   But Old Trafford knows the writing really is on the wall now. Only an
   Arsenal slip-up that seems so unlikely can allow them to hold onto the
   title.
   
   That the match should turn into such a struggle would never have been
   envisaged by the way the champions tore into the visitors in the
   opening minutes.
   
   Ferguson had opted to gamble on Ryan Giggs' hamstring and play Teddy
   Sheringham instead of Paul Scholes, and the home side flew at
   Dalglish's men.
   
   Inside the first minute, link play between Andy Cole and Giggs almost
   opened Newcastle up, then Sheringham fed Phil Neville, who shot at
   Shay Given from 15 yards.
   
   Cole was close with a long-range chip as the Reds were rampant, and
   although the sight of Schmeichel unable to take goal-kicks was
   ominous, they remained in charge, Pallister heading over.
   
   But all changed totally as Old Trafford was stunned into silence in
   the 11th minute.
   
   Lee rolled a free-kick to Batty, who moved to his right, looked up and
   clipped back into the left side of the box.
   
   As Speed rose to head the ball down, everybody inside the ground
   stopped awaiting a flag.
   
   It never came though, and with the hampered Schmeichel rooted to his
   line, former AC Milan man Andersson ran in to ram home his second in a
   week.
   
   The goal was the first Newcastle had scored at Old Trafford since Cole
   netted for the Magpies in 1993, and they could have had a second -
   which surely would have killed it off - within a minute.
   
   Pallister again stood still as Speed slipped through to Shearer, and
   the England skipper - booed at every touch - was away, taking the ball
   round Schmeichel.
   
   The angle was not the best, but Shearer's left-footer would
   effectively have presented the title to Arsenal if his former
   Blackburn team-mate David May had not got back to clear.
   
   It got worse for the home side before it got better, Schmeichel
   limping away and replaced by Raimond Van Der Gouw, who was forced to
   make a diving save from Philippe Albert's volley.
   
   With news of the Highbury goal-glut filtering through, raw nerves were
   exposed on the field and off it, every misplaced pass bringing a
   chorus of disapproval, tension bringing hesitation and more pressure.
   
   Indeed, with Alessandro Pistone helping flood midfield for Newcastle,
   the Reds took 15 minutes to find their feet again, Barton blocking
   Sheringham, whose dipping effort from distance then dropped just the
   wrong side of the bar with Given beaten.
   
   But just as they looked to be running out of ideas, Giggs proved the
   inspiration Ferguson was looking for.
   
   Picking up the ball on the left, the Welsh wizard injected real pace,
   and also delivered the ideal cross deep beyond the back post.
   
   It took out the whole Newcastle defence, but not Beckham, who dived
   forward to make headed contact a foot or so off the floor and direct
   past Given for his 10th of the season.
   
   Now Old Trafford came alive, although Newcastle remained patient in
   possession, and the balance shifted again as Scholes replaced the
   struggling Nicky Butt - not what the watching Glenn Hoddle wanted to
   see - just before the break.
   
   Within 14 seconds of the restart, Cole sent a right-footer beyond
   Given but also outside his right-hand post.
   
   The groans were probably heard at Highbury, the home fans fearing the
   worst and that came so close to materialising in the 53rd minute.
   
   Van Der Gouw, under pressure with a back-pass, caused the problems,
   playing Scholes into all sorts of problems on the edge of the box.
   
   Speed was in like a flash to dispossess, and with a big hole in front
   of him, Barton advanced before thudding a right-footer past the diving
   Dutchman but against the outside of the upright.
   
   Newcastle's football was making a mockery of their woeful display at
   Highbury last week, although Scholes tested Given in the 63rd minute.
   
   Time was running out, Newcastle battling and scrapping, determined to
   give nothing away, the home side desperate for a breakthrough against
   the massed defence.
   
   Andersson, a willing runner, was replaced by Temuri Ketsbaia midway
   through the half, and the Georgian was the spark for the move that
   could have won it with 17 minutes left.
   
   The home side retreated as Ketsbaia fed Speed, who in turn moved on to
   Shearer. Pallister stood up, but not close enough and Shearer's
   right-footer was destined for the bottom corner before Van Der Gouw
   touched away.
   
   Another escape, but while the Reds had plenty of possession, they did
   not look as if they would take advantage of it, Newcastle solid in
   defence, quick on the break.
   
   Twice, first through a Shearer header from Ketsbaia, then when Batty
   fed the Georgian in front of goal, they should have finished it off,
   Ferguson's desperation shown as Solskjaer replaced Gary Neville with
   11 minutes left.
   
   The Norwegian might have stolen it after a goalmouth scramble, Given
   not holding but Nikos Dabizas hacking off the line.
   
   Even then it was not over, Given flying to his right to palm away a
   stunner from Pallister, and when Newcastle broke from the corner,
   Keysbaia putting Lee away, Solskjaer decided he had no choice but to
   bring him down.
   
   Referee Uriah Rennie furnished the red card instantly. Solskjaer - the
   sacrificial lamb receiving a standing ovation - barely had time to
   make his way to the dressing room before the final whistle went.
   
   The fat lady might not be singing, but she can start clearing her
   throat.
   
   Man United: (4-4-2) Schmeichel (Van Der Gouw, 18), G. Neville
   (Solskjaer, 79), Irwin, May, Pallister, Beckham, Butt (Scholes, 44),
   Cole, Sheringham, Giggs, P. Neville.
   Subs not used: Berg, Clegg.
   Booked: Beckham, Pallister.
   Sentoff: Solskjaer 89.
   
   Newcastle: (3-5-2) Given, Barton, Batty, Lee, Shearer, Speed, Pearce,
   Pistone, Albert, Dabizas, Andersson (Ketsbaia, 66).
   Subs not used: Srnicek, Tomasson, Gillespie, Watson.
   Booked: Pistone, Shearer, Given.
   
   Attendance: 55,194.
   Referee: U D Rennie (Sheffield).


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