Subs: Robert Not used: Harper, Chopra, Bramble,
Griffin
Referee: Jan Wegereef (Holland)
Attendance: 37,239
Newcastle United were left to wonder what might of been,
after being dramatically dumped out of the UEFA Champions
League Qualifying Round at the hands of Partizan Belgrade
in a penalty shoot out, after the game ended 1-0 to Partizan
on the night, leaving the score at 1-1 on aggregate.
Newcastle had the first opportunity after good work from Viana,
but Ameobi's header was straight at the Partizan goalkeeper.
A foul by West on Shearer saw United awarded a free kick 30
yards out on six minutes, but when Solano rolled the ball
to Viana the Portuguese midfielder's strike was gathered by
Kralj at the foot of his left hand post.
On 10 minutes the goalkeeper had to be quick off his line
to boot the ball clear from Ameobi following a short back
pass from Djordjevic, then Duljaj headed away for a corner
but the visitors cleared their lines.
On 17 minutes Malbasa was booked for pulling back Solano as
he tried to race clear down the right, and when the Peruvian
swung the ball in Ameobi was bundled over but the referee
showed no interest in awarding a spot kick.
At the other end Ilic showed good skill to turn inside Hughes
and cut inside the penalty area, but he was crowded out before
he could get a cross in.
Moments later Cirkovic won a corner for Belgrade after a flowing
move down the right, but Ilic's in swinger was eventually
cleared, then after another quick break down the opposite
flank Iliev lost his footing as he tried to carve his way
through the defence.
Shearer had the crowd on their feet on 24 minutes when he
got on the end of Solano's cross, but his header flew over
the bar, then a minute later Ameobi's glancing header had
the goalkeeper back-pedalling but the ball skimmed the roof
of the net.
Just after the half hour Solano's powerful shot was blocked
by Kralj, and when Solano chipped the ball back in to the
six yard area Ameobi's header was also blocked and eventually
cleared.
On 36 minutes United won another corner, and when Woodgate
headed the ball on Shearer couldn't keep his header down from
inside the six yard box and the chance went begging.
Six minutes before the interval a superb ball over the top
from Solano set Dyer away, but he shot straight at the goalkeeper
under pressure from two defenders.
On 44 minutes O'Brien headed Stojanoski's cross away for a
corner with Iliev looking to get on the end of it, but the
flag kick did not cause Given any problems, then Iliev won
a corner in stoppage time but again the ball was cleared and
the half ended goalless.
Viana flashed a 22 yard strike wide of the target a minute
into the second period, then at the other end O'Brien stuck
out a leg to divert Malbasa's cross for a corner which was
cleared.
On 49 minutes Dyer won United a corner which was eventually
cleared despite some confusion in the box, but Partizan went
straight up the other end and took a shock lead on the night
to level the scores on aggregate when Illiov
rolled the ball into an empty net after the ball was squared
into his path.
Dyer almost levelled immediately after Shearer's flick on,
but Kralj gathered the ball at the second attempt.
The goal sparked the 37,293 crowd into life, with the hosts
knowing they had to find a goal from somewhere to prevent
the match from going into extra time.
A clever lob over the top from Shearer saw Dyer race into
the box on the hour mark, but the goalkeeper came off his
line quickly to gather the ball before the England midfielder
could get to it.
Shearer then crossed for Ameobi from the left, but the striker
took a touch rather than attempting a first time effort and
failed to hit the target from an angle.
The Magpies' skipper shot high and wide on 66 minutes as United
tried to put the visitors under some pressure, then Hughes
won a corner when his cross deflected off Malbasa.
Once again Viana's delivery from the flag kick didn't pose
any threat to the Partizan defence, and when the ball was
cleared Bernard's long range drive was well off target.
On 69 minutes Iliev's strike from distance skimmed off Woodgate's
heel for a corner, and Djordjevic's header at the back post
was just over.
A foul by O'Brien on Delibasic earned the Irish international
a caution, then Ameobi had to head clear from inside his own
penalty area after the Belgrade outfit won another corner.
Ameobi did well to get on the end of Viana's free kick on
77 minutes but he could not get the effort on target, then
when play switched to the other end Solano was unlucky to
concede a corner when the ball appeared to take a touch off
a Belgrade player but thankfully for Newcastle the flag kick
wasn't capitalised on as West blasted over.
Belgrade won yet another corner on 83 minutes as they tried
to kill the game off inside the 90 minutes, then Given was
well positioned to catch Duljaj's strike.
With five minutes remaining, Laurent Robert replaced Viana.
In the last minute Malbasa went down in a heap following a
challenge by Solano, and United were forced to put the ball
out of play to allow him to be treated - much to the crowd's
frustration.
The fourth official indicated there were to be two minutes
of time added on, and only a fine save from Given to deny
Malbasa prevented the away team from clinching victory.
At the start of the extra time, Gary Speed was replaced by
Jermaine Jenas, and there was a scare for United three minutes
in when Iliev's shot rolled across the face of goal with Delibasic
unable to get a touch to poke the ball home.
Dyer won a corner in front of the East Stand on 97 minutes,
and when the ball was swung into the near post by Robert it
was stabbed away for another corner but this time the Partizan
defence headed clear.
On 99 minutes some tenacious play from Dyer saw him feed the
ball out wide to Solano, and Shearer got on the end of his
cross with his head but could not get his effort on target.
Three minutes from the end of the first half of extra time
Robert motored away down the left and crossed for Ameobi,
but the striker, flanked by two defenders, could get a touch.
Dyer then showed unbelievable energy to scamper back and gain
possession as Partizan tried to break, but when he squared
the ball into the middle the defence once again cleared the
danger.
Seconds before the start of the second period of extra time,
both Woodgate and Given appealed to the crowd to raise the
decibel level, and the fans were almost cheering a goal 15
seconds into the half but Jenas headed wide from Hughes' cross.
LuaLua was introduced into the action two minutes later for
Solano, and moments later Robert's effort took a deflection
for a corner but despite a scramble inside the box the ball
was eventually hacked away.
Duljaj then fouled Shearer on the right side of the box, but
Robert's low curling effort was gathered by Kralj.
Duljaj then forced Given into another save when he cut inside
and shot, then LuaLua showed some of his tricks before crossing
into the middle but Kralj caught the ball.
Malbasa tried his luck from 20 yards but Given saved, then
Shearer headed over the bar at the Gallowgate End after Ameobi's
flick on.
On 117 minutes, Belgrade coach Lothar Matthaus brought on
Cakar for Delibasic after his striker was injured in a collision
with Jenas.
Nadj fired just wide of Given's right hand post a minute from
the end, then a foul on Dyer gave United a free kick on the
edge of the box in a central position and when Shearer blasted
the ball through the wall, Krajl somehow kept the ball out
with his feet and the tie went to penalties.
Newcastle's penalty jinx continued as they crashed 4-3 in
sudden death.
Shearer, Dyer, Woodgate and Hughes all failed from the spot,
with successful kicks from Ameobi, LuaLua and Jenas cancelled
out by Nadj, Cakar, Ilic and Cirkovic left Newcastle to ponder
what might of been.
Newcastle now enter the UEFA Cup.
Match report taken from nufc.co.uk
Sir Bobby said:
"I have to say we took bad penalties. "It comes
to penalties and they tell me we've never won a match on penalties
here, so we've done it again.
"We missed the first three, so how are we going to win
on penalties? But we were in a position to actually win it
because their lad put it over the bar.
"His bottle went and he put it over the bar and we were
in with a chance.
"Aaron Hughes is usually so calm and cool and confident
on penalties and he hits it over the bar. I've never seen
him hit it over the bar.
"It was one of those dreadful nights, really. We're devastated
because we had a chance on penalties and we couldn't do it
on penalties.
"We missed four penalties out of seven. Come tomorrow
in training, we'll knock all seven in."
It's no good crying over spilt milk, it's gone, forget about
the Champions League.
"We'll try to put ourselves in a
position at the end of this season where we can try it again."
