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West Ham 2 Newcastle 3 – NUFC could and should have won that by 5 or 6 but we’ll take it!

4 years ago
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West Ham 2 Newcastle 3 – Saturday 2 November 3pm

Newcastle United two goals up on 22 minutes with great goals from Ciaran Clark and Federico Fernandez.

The Hammers looking sluggish from the start and struggling to deal with the pace of Saint-Maximin. The referee very lenient as the home players repeatedly fouled the winger, giving free-kicks but reluctant to get the cards out.

However, it was our trusty defenders once again with the goals, with now four PL goals this season coming from central defenders.

On 16 minutes Shelvey’s free-kick headed back across goal by Joelinton for Clark to finish.

Then six minutes later West Ham putting no pressure on Willems as a short corner was eventually worked to him and his simple long cross saw no defender track Fernandez, a simple header beating Roberto who didn’t even challenge.

That should have opened the floodgates as West Ham looked shellshocked and so pedestrian.

A simple ball releasing Allan Saint-Maximin on the halfway line and West Ham never catching him, maybe having too much time to think and hitting straight at the keeper.

Then minutes later the same simple ball seeing Zabaleta left trailing once again by Saint-Maximin, once again one on one but straight at keeper again.

Then instead of tucking away the rebound, unselfishly squared to Almiron who also hit his effort straight at the keeper.

Shelvey then hitting the bar with a long range effort.

Newcastle should have killed it by half-time.

Just before the break a volley from Haller straight at Dubravka and then a fantastic save in the top corner from the NUFC keeper to keep out a header from a corner.

At half-time Newcastle deservedly had the goals but there should have been more.

Subs for West Ham at half-time with Ajeti and Lanzini coming on but it made no difference.

On 50 minutes an excellent free-kick from 30 yards saw Shelvey find the bottom right corner, Roberto grasping thin air!

Isaac Hayden impressing on his return and a perfect game for Shelvey, an opposition standing off and letting him do what he wanted.

However, Newcastle started to drop deeper as the second-half progressed, whether on Steve Bruce’s instructions or the team making that decision…

NUFC eventually punished, poor defending as a left wing corner was headed on and Dubravka could only get his fingertips to it, Balbuena finishing from close in.

As the number of empty home seats increased, so any remaining West Ham threat disappeared.

Joelinton lashing a 20 yard shot over the bar, then great running from Almiron put him in behind on the left but a weak shot from a difficult angle was easily saved.

I thought Almiron had a good game, loads of great work and he was popping up all over the final third getting Newcastle forward, always willing to run with the ball.

A final predictable play by Steve Bruce saw him introduce Andy Carroll in the final minute, although not many West Ham fans around to see it/him.

Only for seconds later Snodgrass to volley home to make it only 3-2 to Newcastle, surely not…

…and surely not it was, Newcastle finally crawling over the line when they should have been racing over it.

Never mind, I’ll take that all day long. although those five minutes of added time shredded my nerves!

Stats from BBC Sport:

West Ham 2 Newcastle 3  – Saturday 2 November 3pm

Goals:

Newcastle United:

Clark 16, Fernandez 22, Shelvey 51

West Ham:

Balbuena 73, Snodgrass 90

(Half-time stats in brackets)

Possession was West Ham 69% (68%) Newcastle 31% (32%)

Total shots were West Ham 17 (5) Newcastle 12 (7)

Shots on target were West Ham 6 (2) Newcastle 9 (6)

Corners were West Ham 7 (5) Newcastle 3 (3)

Crowd: 59,907 (3,000 Newcastle)

Referee: Stuart Attwell

Newcastle team v West Ham:

Dubravka, Yedlin, Fernandez, Lascelles, Clark, Willems (Dummett 87), Hayden, Shelvey,, Saint-Maximin (Atsu 77), Almiron, Joelinton (Carroll 89)

Subs

Darlow, Krafth, Matty Longstaff, Gayle

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