Two goals and two fingers!
Expectations were high that Swansea would prove to be a well-organised and competent football team, particularly stingy at the back but a new-look forward line of Peter Lovenkrands and Marlon Harewood put paid to that theory within half an hour of the kick-off, and Swansea looked like just another fairly average Championship side. Eeh that Marlon Harewood, eh? I always knew he just needed time to settle in…
Harewood’s first came from a bouncing ball in the box and with the defence hesitant he headed the ball in the net to make it 1-0. After some good build up play on the left, Gutierrez finally managed to do what we have been crying out for him to do and delivered perfectly with his left, so that Lovenkrands had the simplest of headers to make it 2-0 with 21 minutes gone. And before we’d reached the thirty minute mark, more good work on the left and and an almost identical cross from Lovenkrands and a similar finish from Harewood and the game looked to be beyond the Welsh side at 3-0.
And so it proved to be as we saw out that lead, but not before some heroics in goal by particularly Harper and then his halftime replacement Tim Krul. And not before a slightly disappointing second half which Swansea arguably had the better of, having been allowed to get into their stride more than in the first half, which led to some desperate defending, including a goal line clearance from Danny Simpson. A second half which also included probably Alan Smith’s clearest chance yet to get that elusive first goal for the club. And a last twenty minutes or so which saw pleasing cameos for both Nile Ranger and Fabrice Pancrate.
Once again, the supporters were left thinking what might have happened had we really turned the screw, but the fact we didn’t led to frustrating spells of play and Swansea coming close to getting a foothold in the game. But nevertheless, it’s still hard to argue with a 3-0 win when you see it in the paper, alongside the league table which looks pretty healthy for us at the moment.
The Swansea fans sounded like they could make a bit of noise when it suited them but I think the wind went out of their sails quite early on, although like their team, they made a bit of a go at it in the second half. The home supporters and particularly the Level 7 gang were in good voice today and I expect to have a sort throat in the morning.
Unfortunately, I spent the last three hours in A&E, so I haven’t got round to a full report, as I need to try and enjoy the birthday dinner my good wife has put together for me, so I’ll try to add detail all in good time.
Us -Harper 8, Simpson 7, S Taylor 8, Coloccini 8, Jose Enrique 8, Guthrie 7, Smith 6, Nolan 7, Gutierrez 7, Harewood 8, Lovenkrands 8.
Subs – Krul 7, Khizanishvili, R Taylor, LuaLua, Kadar, Pancrate 7, Ranger 7.
Swansea – De Vries, Rangel, Williams, Tate, Bessone, Dyer, Orlandi, Pratley, Britton, Van der Gun, Beattie.
Subs – Cornell, Serran, Butler, Allen, Richards, Cotterill, Pintado.
Att – 42,000+ (including 2,700 Swansea fans)
NUFCBlog Author: bowburnmag
bowburnmag has written 234 articles on this blog.
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..Why not get a 
good 3 points today bet u hitmans gutted his team lost to wigan
Attendance 42,616 to be precise
If i had a 3-0 offered to me yesterday i’d have taken it, no problems. But being 3-0 up before the half hour mark has left me a little dissapointed to be honest. Dont get me wrong, im chuffed we won, but then you see the amount of goals West Brom are scoring and realise that maybe goal difference may come into the equation at the business end of the season.
Canny win for the Toon today.
Toonsy, fair comment mate, but they have to match our points first, & they let more in, so even after all their goals scored, they’re still only 5 ahead.
If we continue to keep clean sheets, it’s like scoring goals.
Totally agree with Toonsy. 3 – 0 at half time you would expected 5 – 0 at least, but pleased we got the 3 points to stay top.
Nice to see Harewood & Lovenkrands get the goals today.
That should(but probably won’t) keep a few off their ass for a day or so.
wtf,3 0 not good enough for the muppets like
clint you know nowt jog on.
clippity clop clippity clop.
this blog is ment to take the place of eds,its failed
Canny first half but poor second half. Harewood was pants. a centre forward is expected to score those chances, he put nee graft in and when Ranger came on covered more in 10 mins than Harewood did in 70! Nolans passing was terrible and second half he left smudger on his tod half the time.
Apart from that good 3 points!
clint where you from and whats your connection to nufc
Is it?
What’s wrong with it?
Am from the NorthEast mate.
My connection with the NUFC?
Same as everyone else here, decades of support.
clint hitmans a sand dancer m8
wheres abouts clint
batty i live in shields, clint were you from
titmans is sand dancer and he aint been to a toon game since KK played for us … thats reet aint it titbrain….
Well, i don’t go giving out to much personal info on the web like.
But, i’m of Reiver descent, families from Jarra, but dragged up all ower the north east, scotland, & various other places.
komshot, you shot but nee cigar,kom some where else,but not in battys mouth.
clint is a jarra arra
hitman is a mackem hes just had bent put on his scum shirt havent y ronnie
spot on batty,im a makem just like stardust
are u sure ur not stardust cos u both come oot with a load of shite
nar hitman is hitman and stardust is well you know
hitman eds blog was shite full of mackems like u
Whey i don’t really feel like i have a hometown.
That’s why i say the North East.
& i’m happy with that.
Yea, so hitman,
what’s wrong with this site?
ed harrison turn oot to be a right traitor to the too the toon ledgends
clint comment 28,dosnt make sense
batty you know you love a makem
clint hitman only gives it the large when hes had a drink m8 mind u if i was 5ft 4 i think ide be the same hes a ronnie barker look a like
batty i have a drink foir you, can you handle it
nite lads and u hitman me little mackem m8
aye hes defo p:ssed agen on 3 shandys
batty is a joke we all knew that anyway……his mate komshot only likes it when batty is up close and ready.
How batty, alright.
i’m not gonna bite at hitman.
He’s alright, & allowed to say what the hell he feels like.
Everyone’s got an opinion.
hitman, i’m a bit worse for wear meself like, so f*** knows what 28 was in reply to, i got side tracked by a tex message.
nite wor kid batty.keep ya chin up
ok clint….where you from coz it isnt jarra
loves yous,but have to leaves yous,worky keep the blog sorted.
Na, me families from Jarra.
i’m from neewhere/anywhere.
hitman…..stop trying to be a prickman….it comes naturally…..man.
can any one tell me where i can see the highligts
pleased to see the team doing well.wishing yor wife a very happy birthday.
I’m so happy that Newcastle United has won the game! 3-0. Great games.
Any links to see the goals?
I havent seen them yet i assume you dont have access to sky sports news? They are playing it pretty much every half an hour. Happy with the result today really provides a good headache up front with Strolla coming back too. At home we are just too strong and I can’t help feeling we are well on our way to promotion. Great result against a very tough side, $%^& all the complainers.
I think Harewood and Loverkrands play well together I remember at Bristol City we were jst unlucky not to score.
bbc red button is running the championship show, over & over.
Check it out.
From what i have been reading appears Bruce is in the hunt for our Joe Henry and is willing to throw in (never lived up to expectations) winger Richardson and we are supposedly looking at the youngster Cleverly (could have fun with a name like that) presently @ Man. U.
If in fact he is as good as his press clippings Cleverly combined with Kilgallon, could be the way to go in the rebuilding of the side.
A couple of youngsters like those each season, combined with bringing in a couple of promising kids to the minors seems a sensible business model for the future.
Would`nt want to lose Enrique, certainly not for Richardson, also doubt if Ferguson would let Cleverly leave.
There are however opportunities of acquiring promising youngsters, either on loan or on a permanent basis, from most of the well stocked top sides, players who have approached a point in their career where they may be willing to leave a top side in order to play first team football elsewhere.
Believe that`s where we should be looking, the other hotbeds of talent seem to be, the Balkans (never understood why the former Jugoslavia never won anything with the talent available, possibly political selections) also France (Bassong , N`Zog)
Be nice to see Kilgallon and Cleverly come in during the Jan. window with a couple more during the summer and perhaps a couple of loans.
Rumors of Collo heading back to Spain if we capture Kilgallon, any comments.
Great game Chelsea vs Arsenal, later !