JOHNGIBSON It is substance over style, but who cares
WIN OVER TERRIERS SHOWS IT’S THE SIZE OF THE FIGHT IN THE DOG THAT COUNTS
NEWCASTLE’S under-pressure players have cancelled Christmas but thankfully not abandoned hope.
A mixture of Santa Claus and Scrooge in chilly rain-lashed west Yorkshire was enough to bring festive cheer to Geordies who refuse to give up on this erratic team.
Salomon Rondon played Santa yet again with the decisive secondhalf goal while a Scrooge attitude in defence snuffed the life out of an increasingly doomed-looking Huddersfield.
The Terriers came to the table with the worst goals record in the top flight – only three scored at home in eight matches – while United had suffered the least away defeats (two) of any club outside of the top five.
Maybe that suggested a 0-0 draw. Certainly that one goal would be our lot if it came - just as it was twice last season when these two sides fought for survival.
So it turned out luckily in our favour. A victory which was absolutely essential was duly achieved and who cares if the rest of the country was not entertained to a rip-roaring display of the sweet science.
When you reside in a dungeon all you want is a glimpse of sunlight.
The win was doubly important because it not only gave United three invaluable points but kept the boot on the neck of an opponent which faces the increasing prospect of relegation.
Rondon produced the inspiration with the one bright move of a tepid match - Ayoze Perez swept the ball to Javier Manquillo, never a fan favourite, but his pass was sumptuous and Rondon buried with all the aggression of a heavyweight contender.
United were robbed of a second which would have made the run-in that much more comfortable when Perez was wrongly judged offside dinking over goalkeeper Jonas Lassi from a good Christian Atsu pass.
Yes, Huddersfield pounded United but there was no subtlety in their play, no element of surprise, and broad shoulders combined with big hearts blocked them out.
Defenders love this sort of confrontation. What they don’t like is cuteness, cleverness which wrong- foots them - but there was little to none of that in home colours.
Sure, it was smash and grab.
Dick Turpin would have been proud of the way the three points were pinched but relegation fights demand such a mixture of guts, organisation, heart, and luck.
The home side had their moments but never convinced even their own fans.
Martin Dubravka produced his regular world-class save from a Philip Billing free-kick 35 yards out which stung his left hand after 20 minutes and Jamaal Lascelles held him breath that a high tackle on Laurent Depoitre would bring only a yellow instead of a red, as it duly did, but otherwise it was all huff and puff from Huddersfield instead of creativity.
United on the road are quality for a team in the lower half of the division - two victories, four draws and only two defeats from eight starts. Now comes the hard bit - winning at home when Fulham turn up on Saturday. I never thought I would say that but seven defeats in nine matches at SJP is enough to make every Geordie twitch in shuddering anticipation. That simply has to change. Part One achieved. Now on to part two of the survival fight. No one dare fail. It is not an option.
A victory which was essential was duly achieved – and who cares if the rest of the country was not entertained