But Rams’ winning run hits the rails
BURTON:
This tiny, compact stadium would have been a graveyard for Newcastle teams of the past. A trapdoor ready to be yanked open with dreams disappearing forever.
Remember Burton Albion boss Nigel Clough had never lost a league game against the Toon Army as a manager.
So, the home of Marmite was surely destined to leave a bitter taste in Benitez’s mouth.
But this is Newcastle 2016 and under the Spanish maestro’s leadership they do not do tripping up in embarrassment, with Dwight Gayle and Mo Diame getting the vital goals to guarantee the Geordies are top of the tree at Christmas.
Sure, it was never one-way traffic, with Lloyd Dyer equalising.
But Newcastle had enough skill, pace and passion to keep ahead of the game.
Benitez said: “We’re at the top of the table doing well but I would prefer to be top of the table in May.
“I wish everyone a Merry Christmas. We can enjoy it with our families.
“We said before that it would be difficult but we showed character.
“I was pleased with the attitude from the players and the team work.
“Congratulations to them because they were pushing.”
Brewers manager Clough remained philosophical and said: “It was one of the biggest mismatches in English football.
“Our town has a population of 64,000 and their stadium almost holds that.
“Newcastle playing here is something the locals would never have dreamed of.
“I hope Rafa has enjoyed his visit and I look forward to having a drink with him.
“I think they will go up and I think our lads were outstanding in everything they did – in their effort and alongside that their quality.
“It’s about performances rather than points and you don’t expect to get any points against Newcastle.
“But I felt we deserved at least a point effort over the bar after 12 minutes, while a Kevin McDonald volley on the half-hour mark was well held by Scott Carson.
But Fulham suffered a blow when Tomas Kalas was substituted soon afterwards.
And Derby’s first attack stunned their hosts in the 34th minute.
Ragnar Sigurdsson sliced a clearance from a Johnny Russell through-ball to allow Tom Ince to net his second goal in a week with a low drive past David Button.
Fulham regrouped and bounced back, with their reward coming in first-half stoppage time when Floyd Ayite followed up his strike against Rotherham with a tap-in after good work by Ryan Fredericks.
It was the first goal conceded by Derby in six games.
The Cottagers started the second half on the NEWCASTLE: today.” The afternoon started in classical style with a pitch-rendition of Nessun Dorma from an opera couple, before we settled back into our seats to witness another classic.
It was fast, furious football and skill levels were high on a pitted pitch, with Burton giving as good as they got in a helter-skelter match of breathtaking action.
Add to that some well-worked goals, too, which left those fans packed inside the stadium mighty glad they had not agree to endure some frenzied festive frenzy shopping instead.
This was a game to remember with Newcastle looking dangerous in the opening minu t e s . C h r i s t i a n A t s u s aw a n e a rl y c hance
thud into the front foot but the final ball was not good enough when it mattered.
But the pressure paid off in the 61st minute when Stefan Johansen pounced on a poor clearance to put Fulham in front.
Derby almost equalised immediately when Button was forced to parry a Russell effort.
But they were level in the 75th minute when Pearce buried a free header from a corner from Ince.
Fulham again put on the pressure and Piazon saw his 84th-minute free-kick smash against the bar.
Both sides pressed for a late winner but a point each was a fair reflection of a tight game.
Cottagers boss Slavisa Jokanovic was disappointed to see Fulham let the lead slip late on and said: “I cannot be completely body of Burton keeper Jon McLaughlin. And master midfielder Jonjo Shelvey joined in the action with a fierce drive which finished just wide, much to the relief of the home supporters.
But they were soon down in the dumps when Newcastle stormed ahead in the 16th minute.
Shelvey played a quick ball out left to Matt Ritchie and his low cross was cleverly flicked in by Gayle.
Burton were simply flattened by the ferocity of the attack but they came to their senses four minutes later when Dyer was left alone to fire home from John Brayford’s whipped-in cross
Spirits were suddenly lifted and hope was restored.
Could Burton press on and put the Championship high-flyers to the sword?
Newcastle made sure the answer was a firm “No.”
The Geordies’ second was just as neatly despatched as their first when Diame turned Damien McCrory in an instant and drilled into the bottom corner before Burton’s remaining back line could blink.
Cue chants of, “We’re Newcastle and we’re going to the league”.
You would not have thought both teams could keep up the same level of intensity in the second half – but they did.
The game picked up where it left off after the break with players making lung-bursting raids on goal to keep the pressure on at both ends.
A third Newcastle goal looked on the cards when Shelvey – always in the thick of the non-stop action – sent the ball in from the right and Ritchie chested it down before shooting, only to see his effort blocked. But just when Newcastle looked to have a stranglehold on the game, Burton showed once again that they would be no pushovers and Lucas Akins should have done better with a shot that ballooned over the bar. It was amazing that there were no more goals, just plenty of thrills to keep pulses racing, with substitute Jamie Ward stinging keeper Karl Darlow’s hands with a late stinger and Kyle Fadzean
smacking the side-netting. satisfied. We paid a heavy price for making a mistake.
“We played all the football, dominated the game and created chances.
“But it wasn’t enough to win the game and this isn’t the first time that it has happened to us.
“We must work hard to improve ourselves and make ourselves much more solid and competitive.
“They scored twice after our mistakes and in this competition that is really just not acceptable.”
X(KO 12.30pm unless stated) LADBROKES SCOTTISH PREMIERSHIP DDWLDD........................ Hamilton Celtic ................................. DWWWDW LDWWWW ..................... Rangers Inverness CT ........................ DDWLLL
LADBROKES SCOTTISH CHAMPIONSHIP ddWLLL ...................................Ayr Dumbarton ............................ LLWdWL DWWWWW ...............Dundee Utd St Mirren ............................... LWLLLW DLWDWW .................... Hibernian Raith ...................................... LLWddL
(1:00pm) WWLWWd .........................Morton Queen of South ......................dLLLLD
(1:00pm) LADBROKES SCOTTISH LEAGUE ONE
(KO 1pm unless stated) WLLWWL ........................... Albion East Fife...............................DLDLWW WLLdWD .............................. Alloa Brechin................................ LWWWLL WLWWLL ..................... Livingston Queen’s Park ........................ LLLLWW
(2:00pm) LDLWWL ....................... Stranraer Airdrieonians ..................... DLWWWW LADBROKES SCOTTISH LEAGUE TWO
(KO 1pm unless stated) DdLLWW ...............Annan Athletic Berwick .................................. WddLLL LLDLWW ................ Cowdenbeath Arbroath .............................. DDWDLW LdLLDW ........................ Montrose Stirling .................................WWDWLL ITALIAN SERIE B EUROBET
(KO 2pm unless stated) LLdDDW ............................. Ascoli Bari ......................................... DLLLLd WWLWLD.........................Avellino Salernitana............................ DdLDLW DDWWWd ........................ Brescia Pro Vercelli .............................. LLLdDL DWLDWD ............................ Carpi Verona.................................. WdWLLL DDLWWW ........................Cesena Trapani ................................... LLLDLD WWWdDD .............. Virtus Entella Novara ................................... LLWdLd WWWWDL ................... Frosinone Benevento ..............................LLLWdD WWLDdW ........................Perugia Latina .................................... LDLWdD LLdLWd ................................. Pisa Spezia .................................... LLDDdL
(11:30pm) DWWWdW .......................... SPAL Ternana ................................. LDLLDD dDLLdW .......................... Vicenza Cittadella ............................... WLDLLL (KO 3pm Monday, unless stated)
PREMIER LEAGUE WDDWLW ........................ Arsenal West Brom ........................... DDLWDL WLWWLW ........................Burnley Middlesbrough ...................... LDdDDL LWWWWW .....................Chelsea AFC Bournemouth .................LDLWLL LLWDdD ................................. Hull Man City.............................. LWWDWL WWLWDW .................... Leicester Everton ................................... LDLLLL dDWDWW ................. Man United Sunderland ............................ LLLWLL LLdLWW........................ Swansea West Ham .............................WLLDLD WDWWLW .......................Watford Crystal Palace.......................WDLLLD
(12:30pm) SKY BET CHAMPIONSHIP DDWWWW.................. Aston Villa Burton Albion ..........................dLLLDL LLDdLW ......................... Barnsley Blackburn .............................. WLLLWL WdLLLW........................ Brentford Cardiff .................................. WLWLLD
(1pm) WLWDLW ................. Huddersfield Nottm Forest ......................... LLLWWL LWDLWD.......................... Ipswich Fulham .................................DWLWLD WWWWLW ................. Newcastle Sheffield Wednesday .......... WDLDWL
(7:45pm) WWLdDW.........................Preston Leeds .................................. LWWWLL DLWWWW ......................Reading Norwich .................................. DDLLLL LLLLLW ...................... Rotherham Wigan................................... dDWdWL WLLLLD .............. Wolverhampton Bristol City .............................. LLDLLL
SKY BET LEAGUE ONE WWWWWW .......................Bolton Shrewsbury .......................... DWLLWL DLWWWd....................... Bradford Scunthorpe ........................ WLWWWL WDdLLW ................Bristol Rovers Coventry ............................... DWLLLL WDWWWW........ Fleetwood Town Bury ........................................ LDLLLL WWdWLL ......................... Millwall Swindon ................................ LDDLDL LWDLWD...... Milton Keynes Dons Charlton ............................... DDLWdD WLWWDW ............. Oxford United Northampton ......................... LWLLWL
Ayr, Albion, Alloa, Cowdenbeath, Avellino, Frosinone, Vicenza, Swansea, Huddersfield, Bradford
Rangers, Dundee United, Hibernian, Livingston, Montrose, Brescia, Cesena, Perugia, SPAL, Newcastle
Celtic, Airdrieonians, Verona, Man City, Leeds, Northampton