Atsu and Hayden turn United’s class of 2017 into record-breakers
STAR MEN MISSING BUT TOON FAR AND AWAY BETTER SIDE
JIM PETERS famously staggered towards the finish line of the Commonwealth Games marathon like a drunk lurching down Northumberland Street, drained and beaten by a long lung-bursting effort.
United had likewise approached the run-in to their marathon on wobbly legs.
However, having entered their last -chance saloon they destroyed Cardiff with two brilliant second-half strikes to smash the club record to smithereens with their 14th win bonus on the road.
Step forward goal aces Christian Atsu and Isaac Hayden and take a bow.
For the majority of the season Newcastle’s success had been built on terrific away results which placed them top of that particular form table.
However, they crossed the border into Wales last night with two defeats and two draws from their last four fixtures on the road, a pauper’s return which on current form threatened to double their tally of defeats to six.
That United banished such jitters and such thoughts without the services of blue chip players Matt Ritchie, Jonjo Shelvey and Dwight Gayle in their starting line-up - as well as their skipper Jamaal Lascelles - was hugely impressive at the end of an eventful week of high highs and low lows.
Cometh the moment cometh the man.
Atsu has frustrated at times with his Lomana LuaLua box of tricks which often produces no end product. Not until the 54th minute of a lifeless match when he won himself a free-kick on the edge of the Cardiff penalty area.
It looked too close for an up and over the wall with a blast seeming the obvious hit and hope - but the artist in Atsu would not allow the mundane.
Instead, left-footed, he lofted the ball over Cardiff’s defensive barrier and into the near top corner of the net past a static goalkeeper.
If we were left breathless then Hayden only allowed us 10 minutes to recover before he hit a bullet of a long-range shot into the Cardiff net.
The Bluebirds did not close down the former Gunner 25 yards out and he did not need a second invitation.
Maybe Cardiff had only been beaten once in this calendar year but they had suffered a fatal double whammy.
Not that we had been warned of a slumbering match bursting into vibrant life. Both United and Cardiff had achieved their main aim - promotion and avoiding relegation - and it showed in a lacklustre tippy-tappy first half.
DeAndre Yedlin produced a whiplash shot from a great Mo Daime pass on 35 minutes to force a corner and Ayoze Perez ought to have won a penalty five minutes later when quick feet bamboozled Greg Halford, who pulled him down with a handful of shirt.
On the resumption substitute Craig Noone had an easy chance to give the home side the lead on 49 minutes but, standing alone outside the back post, he pulled his shot tamely wide and was quickly punished by Atsu.
Such is the difference between the top of the pile and mid-table.
After Hayden doubled home agony United were on quality street and the fans who had travelled so loyally so far in so many numbers on a Friday night were rewarded.
They sang joyfully in praise of Rafa Benitez and at the expense of Sunderland, hurtling down into the Championship to take United’s place.