ST JAMES’ PARK — The vagaries of technology played an unwitting role as Sheffield United renewed Premier League hostilities in a wholly unsatisfactory manner, but on this occasion they were very much architects of their own downfall.
Newcastle were the happy beneficiaries of the kind of defensive ineptitude rarely seen since the Blades’ reintroduction to the top flight, and perhaps the visitors can be excused a rare bad day at the office, one which saw them so off the pace they even had the ignominy of seeing the name Joelinton appear on the scoresheet against them.
Chris Wilder’s side played all but five minutes of the second-half at a numerical disadvantage after John Egan, already cautioned for a needless first-half altercation with Newcastle’s record signing, received a second yellow card for pulling back the Brazilian as they embarked on a muscular pursuit of an upfield punt.
Egan’s folly was compounded within five minutes by full-back Enda Stevens’ comical mis-kick, which allowed Matt Ritchie’s harmless low cross to reach Allan Saint-Maximin. Newcastle’s stand-out performer needed no second invitation to beat Dean Henderson’s unconvincing efforts to keep the ball out of his net.
Billy Sharp ought to have levelled when sending an unmarked header wide, but it was a rare foray, and further benevolent defending from the visitors, surrendering possession in their own half before failing to track-back, allowed Ritchie to secure the win by thrashing home a shot with the outside of his left foot from 18 yards, the ferocity of which again saw Henderson beaten at his near post.
With victory assured against tiring opponents, Newcastle were able to let their hair down in prelude to Joelinton’s moment to savour.
The £40m man had looked utterly bereft of confidence when ending up frustratedly slumped on the turf after sending an embarrassingly scuffed shot straight at Henderson with the clearest opening of the first-half, one created by slick interplay between Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron which took Newcastle from one area to another in the blink of an eye.
That was forgotten when Joelinton rounded off an attack he had launched, sliding Almiron’s inviting cross home from six yards for his first in the league at home, ending a 10 month wait to add to his solitary Premier League strike. Having not witnessed a goal since 18 January, St James’ Park had seen three in 23 minutes.
Malfunctioning goal-line cameras cost the Blades victory at Villa Park last week, and while critical of the veracity of Egan’s first caution, Wilder was this time more concerned by elements of a largely lethargic display from his side rather than the trials and tribulations of technology.
“John’s first yellow was ridiculous, and Steve Bruce agrees,” insisted the manager, whose side remain seventh after their heaviest defeat of the season. Wilder added: “If that’s where the game is going it’s in a worse place, the referee should have just dealt with the incident. It wasn’t a booking.
“It changes the dynamics of the game with John going off, but overall I was disappointed with the way we gave away three soft goals. It’s a long time since we’ve done that and it was too easy for Newcastle after their second. We looked a bit sorry for ourselves and the players need to give themselves a shake.”
Newcastle, any fears of relegation long-since banished, moved 11 points clear of the bottom three. A top 10 finish remains well within their remit, and Bruce said: “The big moments in the game fell our way.”
After sealing a league double over former employers he has now beaten in 10 of 12 meetings, the Newcastle manager added: “I was delighted for Joelinton. He works so hard and deserves everything he gets. We all know how hard it is to wear the number nine shirt in this part of the world.
“It’s great to get off and running like we did. Someone just said it could only happen to me that we win 3-0 and there’s no-one here to see it, but hopefully the fans enjoyed watching on TV.”
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from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/2V4vTed
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