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Blackburn blame match officials for 4-2 defeat to Newcastle United

5 years ago
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Tony Mowbray had no doubt as to who was mostly to blame for Blackburn’s extra time defeat to Newcastle United.

The Blackburn boss claiming the home side were badly done to by match officials.

In particular, Schar’s excellent long range shot being only parried by the home keeper and Joselu ‘pouncing’ on the rebound to make it 3-2. It was a very tight call but Tony Mowbray reckoned the Spaniard was clearly offside and blamed the linesman for not flagging.

In reality though he had only his own players to blame for the defeat, both  the goalkeeper who was poor all night and should have done better with Schar’s initial effort, whilst Bradley Dack missed a one on one with Freddie Woodman just before Newcastle’s key third goal.

Tony Mowbray also points to the problems he had putting out a defence due to illness and injury.

For Rafa Benitez it was the opposite, plenty of good options at the heart of defence, only to see them dropping like flies throughout the game.

Clark forced off and then his replacement Lascelles following him, whilst both Fernandez and Schar looked to take knocks.

Rafa will be hoping things look brighter once the players are assessed today.

Hopefully Newcastle haven’t used up all their benefits of the doubt in the FA Cup, Perez having got a bit of a soft penalty in the game at St James Park and then Joselu’s last night. Not the kind of luck/benefit of the doubt NUFC tend to get in the Premier League.

The use of VAR is a bit of a lottery in the FA Cup in terms of where a game is played, Premier League Newcastle having the set-up that allowed it to be used in the initial match, but then last night not having the option for it to be used at Blackburn.

Were Newcastle lucky to win this one?

Yes and no, it was a game that could have gone either way, Newcastle taking their chances for a change.

Tony Mowbray talking to the official club site:

“The third goal is offside, and that’s a big thing, not a little thing, that didn’t go our way.

“We missed a great chance at 2-2 when Bradley Dack slips a shot past the post rather than into the back of the net.

 “It was a great effort from the players and I feel for them.

 “It wasn’t until this afternoon that we knew we’d play with three at the back, with Rodwell and Downing being ill and not being able to make it, as well as Mulgrew and Williams being injured.

 “We were left with one centre half and had to concoct a defence.

 “We lost goals early on and I think that was why.

“The character and  the spirit was there for all to see, but I feel we were let down by the linesman, particularly with the third goal.

 “You have to go chasing the game in those final 15 minutes and we lost the last goal through that.

“That is football.

 “Over the two games, I feel we matched Newcastle and caused problems for them, but it wasn’t to be.

 “We are left disappointed because at 2-2, it was a game I felt we should have won.

“Ultimately we let it slip through our fingers.

 “We will put the result behind us quickly and get ready for two home games, two good games for us to have.”

Tony Mowbray also talking  to BT Sport:

“If VAR was here, it’s no goal, is it?

“It makes me laugh sometimes. Just say it as it is. It’s offside. The official got it wrong. There’s not an argument about it, it’s offside.

“Maybe the world will change and VAR will prevent all the goals that go in that are not goals being goals. It can work for you sometimes and against you at other times.

“We’ll probably jump from human error to a guy sitting in a studio hundreds of miles away making an error as well some day, but there you go.”

Stats from BBC Sport:

Blackburn 2 Newcastle 4

Goals…

Newcastle – Longstaff 1, Roberts 22, Joselu 105+3, Perez 106

Blackburn – Armstrong 33, Lenihan 45+1

Possession was Blackburn 55% Newcastle 45%

Total shots were  Blackburn 13 Newcastle 22

Shots on target were Blackburn 4 Newcastle 10

Corners were  Blackburn 8 Newcastle 6

Referee: Lee Probert

Newcastle United:

Woodman, Manquillo, Fernandez, Clark (Lascelles 46 (Hayden 57)), Sterry, Ritchie (Atsu 109), Schar, Longstaff, Murphy, Roberts (Perez 94), Joselu

Unused Subs:

Harker, Yedlin, Rondon

Crowd: 14,228

(To read the instant NUFC fan/writer reaction to the match go HERE)

(Read match ratings and comments on all NUFC players after beating Blackburn HERE)

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