BIG SAM’S IN BIG TROUBLE
Frustration for Big Sam after Toon stalemate
HARDLY a point to celebrate but one that went down more easily with Steve Bruce than his big pal Sam Allardyce.
This was not so much a must-win game for Bruce’s Newcastle but a must-not-lose.
And to that end they managed to keep West Brom at arm’s length.
For Allardyce and his men, time is running out to make up the gap.
His Albion side are not picking up points from games they would have targeted as the likeliest ones to reap some reward – and this was one of them.
Allardyce emerged frustrated and put forward the idea that he is starting to sound like a broken record.
But the record spinning is
Stayin’ Alive and despite their recent best efforts they are running out of breath.
Allardyce said: “I sound like a record where the needle is stuck but we’ve started to keep clean sheets and just can’t score.
“It’s a really big disappointment that we didn’t finish off Newcastle.” Defeat was unthinkable for the Toon. Bruce’s men are still facing a massive scrap to get out of trouble and although their recent form has shown some green shoots, the Magpies have still managed only two wins in 18 games and their haul of 10 points from the past 48 tells a story.
Add to that all the off-thefield noise of training ground bust-ups, and chuck in injuries to players who were their best bets to come up with a goal or two, and it is pretty worrying reading for a Geordie.
This was always a contender to be the last few minutes of Match of the Day, and it lived up to the billing with both sides falling short when it mattered.
As the game approached the 80-minute mark, you got the feeling that one moment of inspiration or madness might be enough to clinch a massive three points for either side.
Both had huffed and puffed trying to break the deadlock, with the Baggies undeniably having the better of the few chances that cropped up.
Matt Phillips failed to keep the ball down from just outside the six-yard box and ended up curling his shot over in the 55th minute.
Mbaye Diagne also wasted a couple of opportunities.
Midway through the first half he volleyed over after Kyle Bartley had flicked on a long throw delivered by Darnell Furlong.
And then when he got a header on target shortly before half-time, Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka had to move smartly to push his effort around the post.
The Toon threatened on the odd occasion at the other end as well.
It took a brilliant block from Furlong to get the ball away for a corner after Joelinton had raced away down the right.
It was also the big striker who forced Sam Johnstone to save at the foot of his post with 20 minutes to go after he fired a low, left-foot drive.
West Brom keeper Johnstone needed to perform well to beat away an angled shot from Joe Willock, too.
WEST BROM (4-1-4-1): Johnstone 7; Furlong 7, O’Shea 7, Bartley 8, Townsend 7; Yokuslu 7; MaitlandNiles 6, Gallagher 8, Phillips 7 (Grant 83), Pereira 6; Diagne 6 (Robson-Kanu 83).
NEWCASTLE (4-3-1-2): Dubravka 7; Krafth 7, Lascelles 7, Clark 7, Dummett 7; Shelvey 7, Hayden 6, Hendrick 6 (Gayle 56, 6); Willock 7; Fraser 7 (Carroll 92), Joelinton 7.