Report

IBO Reporter: channonite

|Given the team’s unfinished nature and the new boys’ hardly having had time to integrate, especially Cameron Archer, who was on the bench, this match was highly encouraging despite the narrow loss. I have just sat and watched Sky’s extended highlights, and I am left with the impression that it was amazing that Saints didn’t actually win the game, but they certainly didn’t deserve to lose.

The first surprise in the early stages was that Saints were relentless coming forward. Players catching the eye early on were Sugawara, Aribo, Downes and Smallbone, with Brereton Díaz making some darting runs forward. The latter, in particular, already looks like an upgrade on Adams.

Saints had the ball in the net early on, but it was rightly judged offside. The move started when Sugawara made a darting run up the right wing and was pulled down on the edge of the box. From Smallbone’s resulting free kick, the ball pinged around the penalty area and returned to him as he casually flicked the ball wide to Aribo. Joe cleverly worked some space for himself and played the ball back to Will, who fired a shot that looked like it might just be going inches wide when Jack Stephens got a touch to prod it home. Unfortunately, Jack was offside when Will shot, and the linesman had his flag up immediately. No goal, but it was promising in the way Saints cut through the Newcastle defence.

Saints continued to press and harass Newcastle, and the natives became restless, seeing their side second to every ball. Sugawara and Walker-Peters were causing panic down both flanks, with the Japanese right-back already looking like an excellent signing. On one particular run down the right wing, he found Armstrong, who turned and took a snap shot from distance, which only just flew over the bar. This was good to watch.

And then we came to the contentious incident in the 28th minute. Saints were being very physical up against a side that has been very much that way inclined in the past. Newcastle did not like it and couldn’t get any sort of rhythm going. In short, they were being outplayed at home. Leading up to this incident, Downes had barged a barcode off the ball near the halfway line and hit the ball forward for Brereton Díaz to run onto, but the referee blew for a Newcastle free kick.

Meanwhile, Schär had intercepted the ball with his back to the advancing Brereton Díaz, and the Saints forward shoulder-charged him. The Newcastle player did not like that one bit, and after a bit of pushing and shoving, he went head-to-head with Brereton Díaz, headbutting him as he did so. It didn’t look that bad, but the Saints player went down like a sack of potatoes. Everything then kicked off, and everyone tried to get involved. The referee, Craig Pawson, had a good view of this and immediately showed a red card to Schär! Bedlam...

Having watched replays of this several times, yes, Brereton Díaz undoubtedly made a meal of this, but Mr Pawson was exactly right in his decision. That got lost in the general mêlée and fury from the Newcastle players and fans. Craig Pawson then strode into the heart of the crowd of players around Brereton Díaz and showed him a yellow card.

It took several minutes for things to calm down, and play resumed with the crowd booing Brereton Díaz every time he touched the ball, which was often. Saints were continuing to play really well, but once again, the final cutting edge was missing.

Then, totally out of the blue and against the run of play, Newcastle scored just about on the stroke of half-time. Saints were playing the ball around at the back, under little pressure, when Jack Stephens played back to McCarthy. For some reason, with plenty of other options open, McCarthy tried to pass back to Stephens but got it all wrong and in a flash, Isak intercepted the pass and squared it across for a delighted Joelinton to tap it into the net, beyond the despairing dive of McCarthy. To rub salt into the Saints’ wounds, this turned out to be Newcastle’s one and only shot on target in the entire game. 1-0 and a real head-in-hands moment for all Saints fans.

The second half began, and Saints almost scored when, after a cleverly worked move, Armstrong had his shot cleared off the line and, to the delight of the Newcastle fans, Brereton Díaz got to the rebound but missed the target completely.

Chances kept coming, and Saints swept forward once again, with Brereton Díaz squaring to Armstrong, whose stinging drive was tipped over the bar by Pope.

Saints were all over Newcastle now, and the Geordies had utterly given up on any pretence of attack, keeping their nine remaining outfielders behind the ball at all times. Every time Saints went forward, they found all the Newcastle players around the penalty area. It was like the Alamo.

So, we came into the last ten minutes. Martin had brought on Edozie for the excellent Sugawara at the start of the second half, which I guess was tactical, Dibling for Aribo, Archer for Brereton Díaz at about 70’, and finally, Amo-Ameyaw for Bednarek and Alcaraz for Walker-Peters at about 80’, when we gave up any pretence of trying to defend. None of them seemed to make any difference.

Saints’ final throw of the dice saw Archer’s header saved by Pope, and Newcastle had won with 22% possession and a single shot on target. Strangely enough, I was greatly encouraged by that performance and feel that if it had remained 11 against 11, then Saints might well have won.

Man of the Match

There are several candidates, but none of them are McCarthy. I liked the look of Brereton Díaz. He looks tough and rapid, with an eye for goal. Will Smallbone and Joe Aribo looked just as good in the Premier League as they did in the latter half of the Championship season. Walker-Peters is, of course, a level above all the others, and I really hope we can hang on to him. Harwood-Bellis and Downes proved they are Premier League players. For me, the revelation was Sugawara, who looks like a real attacking gem down the flanks, but the test will be when he has to do some defending as the season wears on. Today, though, he was my Man of the Match.