CLAUDIO SCROOGE
Ranieri masterminds first clean sheet to frustrate Rafa’s battlers
CLAUDIO RANIERI had his prayers answered as Fulham finally kept a clean sheet at the 18th attempt.
But the Cottagers were still cursing their luck after missing out on the win which would have hauled them off the foot of the table.
The visitors, who had barely threatened all afternoon, twice had chances to clinch maximum points in the dying moments.
Aleksandar Mitrovic thought he should have had a penalty when his close-range shot struck Jamaal Lascelles’ arm after sub Aboubakar Kamara presented him with a glorious chance to defeat his former club.
The Toon skipper may have had a let-off on that occasion but he was his side’s saviour seconds later with a goal-saving tackle on Kamara.
Ranieri believes the goalless draw could still prove a watershed result.
He said: “It is important to get a point and a clean sheet because in our last matches, we have played well but our opponents have scored.
“Today our opponent had just one chance in the first half. After that, they had a lot of crosses but our keeper never had any saves.
“Our counter-attacks created four or five chances to win the match but right now, it is important not to lose.
“My team was more solid and calm. We changed the system to three at back and it was good, closing down space very well.”
As for that late penalty shout, Ranieri was undecided: “I’ve watched it two or three times and still I don’t know,” he said.
At least Newcastle avoided an eighth defeat in 10 games at St James’ Park this term.
But the fact they failed to have one shot on target against opponents who had leaked 42 goals since winning promotion said it all.
Boss Rafa Benitez said: “We have to realise we will be in the bottom half of the table for the whole season – if we go higher it would be another miracle.
“This is the kind of game we had to win but in the last five minutes, if you cannot win, don’t give them chances to win.
“We deserved to win but could have lost so if there was disappointment for 85 minutes, there is a sense of relief after the last five.”
This was meant to be the clash between Toon strikers past and present but with both Salomon Rondon and Mitrovic firing blanks, it was Fulham keeper Sergio
Rico who almost delivered the knockout blow.
He sent Alfie Mawson crashing to the canvas in the 32nd minute when his fist connected with his the jaw of his team-mate as he tried to punch the ball clear.
Mawson looked out for the count but showed
Tyson
Furylike powers of recovery to resume after a lengthy stoppage.
But football-wise, this dire contest was strictly featherweight.
Newcastle may be tough nuts to crack on their travels but in front of their own fans they are struggling.
The Geordies are not exactly prolific but against a side who have been leaking goals like a sieve, the
51,237 crowd expected more. Ki Sung-Yueng provided a dash of creativity but there was little festive cheer for the Toon Army.
The Magpies did threaten in the
18th minutes when Lascelles met Ki’s free-kick but the skipper’s header across goal was hacked clear off the line by Denis Odoi.
That was the nearest Newcastle came to breaking the deadlock though Matt Ritchie had a goalbound effort blocked just before the break.
In the second half, Fabian Schar headed a Ritchie corner over the bar in the 74th minute while two minutes later, at the other end, Joe Bryan’s shot drifted wide of the far post.
But Fulham finished the stronger side so surprisingly it was Newcastle who were relieved to hear the final whistle.