COLD REALITY BITES AS ELLIOT GIVES STOKE A HAND
PERHAPS Newcastle goalkeeper Rob Elliot’s mind had drifted back to the sunshine of La Manga. On a bitterly cold night in Stoke, the Newcastle goalkeeper might have tried to heat up with memories of the warm weather training camp Steve McClaren recently gave his players. Perhaps Elliot was just rusty after the 18-day break from competitive action. Whatever, it was curious to see the 29-year-old remain rooted to the spot as Xherdan Shaqiri swung his left boot to score the decisive goal nine minutes from time that keeps Newcastle wedged in the relegation zone. The strike by the Swiss international was sweet enough, but the ball entered the net near the centre of Elliot’s goal and should have been saved. Still, it looked spectacular and brought a third win in succession for upwardly-mobile Stoke. This was Shaqiri’s first goal at the Britannia since his £12million move from Inter and answered calls by Mark Hughes for added product. Newcastle went desperately close to equalising in added time when substitute Seydou Doumbia struck a fierce shot, but Jack Butland reacted marvellously. Stoke could have added to this margin of victory when Marko Arnautovic smacked the crossbar with a wicked shot from the edge of the area. Newcastle did not do enough to avoid a seventh successive away defeat. McClaren made four changes to his side that capitulated in the 5-1 defeat to Chelsea in Newcastle’s last game on February 13. Jonjo Shelvey was handed the Newcastle armband in Fabricio Coloccini’s absence and had Newcastle’s first and best chance of the first half. The £12million January signing drove a shot low from the edge of the area but Butland held easily. Stoke manager Mark Hughes was forced into a change in the 26th minute when Phil Bardsley pulled up injured. Marc Muniesa was sent on in central defence and Geoff Cameron pushed across to plug the hole at right back. In the 13th minute Shaqiri let fly with an angled effort from the
right side of the box but the Newcastle goalkeeper saved. As Stoke dominated possession Newcastle’s threat was mainly from the counter attack and in the 21st minute Jamaal Lascelles saw his header stopped by Butland. Before the interval Georginio Wijnaldum did well to release Moussa Sissoko but the French international dallied. Hughes tried to remedy his team’s failure to break down Newcastle’s resistance, sending on Mame Biram Diouf and Peter Crouch, making his 400th Premier League appearance. McClaren seemed content with the security offered by his side and only made his first change 16 minutes from the end because of injury to Emmanuel Riviere, sending on Yoan Gouffran. But Stoke struck when Diouf laid the ball back to Shaqiri, who whipped a left-foot shot from the edge of the area that left Elliot rooted. SUPER STAT: Stoke have only scored one goal from a corner in the league this season — the lowest Premier League tally. STOKE CITY (4-2-3-1): Butland 7; Bardsley 5 (Muniesa 26 mins, 6), Cameron 7, Wollscheid 7, Pieters 6; Whelan 6.5, Imbula 7; Shaqiri 7.5, Afellay 6 (Diouf 70), Arnautovic 7; Walters 6 (Crouch 70). Subs not used: Ireland, Joselu, Bojan, Haugaard. Manager: Mark Hughes 7. NEWCASTLE UNITED (4-4-1-1): Elliot 5; Janmaat 6, Taylor 6, Lascelles 6, Dummett 6; Sissokho 6, Shelvey 6.5, Colback 6 (Doumbia 84), Gouffran 5 (Riviere 72, 6); Wijnaldum 6.5; Mitrovic 5 (Perez 84). Subs not used: Aarons, Saivet, Darlow, Sterry. Manager: Steve McClaren 6. Man of the match: Xherdan Shaqiri. Referee: Neil Swarbrick 7. Attendance: 27,331.