Shoot-out success is a big relief for Roeder

LAST season, a Carling Cup fourth-round defeat at Wigan marked the beginning of the end for former Newcastle boss Graeme Souness.

Twelve months on, and Glenn Roeder will be hoping that a place in the competition's last eight - courtesy of a dramatic penalty shoot-out win over another of the Premiership's so-called lesser lights - is enough to help him avoid an identical fate.

Steve Harper's save from Jordan Stewart ensured the Magpies beat Watford 5-4 on penalties after Scott Parker 116th-minute strike had prevented a defeat that would have been extremely undeserved.

Newcastle would have had the game won by half-time had they added to Antoine Sibierski's early opener by converting more of the copious first-half chances that came their way, and Roeder's men successfully answered the critics who had been questioning their desire and attitude in the run-up to the game.

The success kept their hopes of a Carling Cup success alive and, just as significantly, also guaranteed their manager some much-needed breathing space after a weekend in which his position, and that of his chairman, Freddy Shepherd, had been called into question following Newcastle's tumble into the Premiership's bottom three.

Cup victories will count for little if the Magpies cannot turn around their lamentable league form, but the quality of last night's display can only augur well ahead of this weekend's crucial trip to Manchester City.

To put it succinctly, Newcastle would not be in their current predicament if they had played in a similar manner during the opening three months of the season.

A side containing seven of the players who had kicked off Saturday's disastrous defeat to Sheffield United exorcised at least some of their demons. Antoine Sibierski might not have played against the Blades, but he set the ball rolling from the start.

The Frenchman has been something of a talisman in cup competitions this term and, after scoring against both Levadia Tallinn and Fenerbahce in Europe, it took him less than three minutes to open his Carling Cup account last night.

Emre delivered a curling left-wing free-kick after being fouled by Matthew Spring, and Sibierski timed his jump to perfection to glance a powerful header past a helpless Richard Lee.

On Saturday, Newcastle had looked as though they could have played all night and not troubled Paddy Kenny in the Sheffield United goal. Three days later, and they were ahead before their opponents had even mounted an attack.

With a little more composure, they would have been out of sight by half-time as a committed and industrious approach caught Watford completely unaware.

Sibierski was the chief culprit, failing to add to his early opener despite being presented with an even easier opportunity on the quarter-hour mark.

The former Manchester City striker had already fired a 20-yard shot narrowly over the crossbar when, with Watford's defenders pushing out seemingly at random, Stephen Carr's header left him with a clear run at goal.

His attempted lob was not without merit, but it enabled the advancing Lee to spread himself and claw the ball to safety.

A rather more rudimentary approach might have sufficed but, with Steven Taylor powering a close-range header wide and an effervescent Duff drawing three smart saves from Lee, the extent of Newcastle's early superiority was startling given the insipid nature of their weekend display.

Yet another fine stop from Lee in first-half stoppage time - the Hornets goalkeeper saved at Guiseppe Rossi's feet after the Italian latched onto a perfectly-weighted through ball from James Milner - merely underlined the size of the transformation that had occurred since Saturday's meek surrender.

Similarly, a lacklustre Watford were unrecognisable from the side that had brushed Middlesbrough aside so comprehensively three days earlier. Matthew Spring blazed over after an intelligent lay-off from Ashley Young and Harper prevented Tamas Priskin's backheel creeping over the goalline but, on the whole, Newcastle's defenders suffered surprisingly few alarms.

While defensive problems have not been at the root of Newcastle's woes this season, Roeder could surely do worse than stick with last night's youthful combination of Ramage and Taylor.

He must also have recognised that Duff is far more effective when used as an orthodox left winger.

Reverting to his favoured left-wing role after an unsuccessful stint at centre-forward, the Republic of Ireland international presented the Watford defence with a plethora of problems as he combined a series of driving runs to the byline with an occasional foray inside.

One second-half surge teed up Parker for a drive that deflected wide off Damien Francis, while Duff's 82nd-minute strike rebounded off the base of the right-hand post with Lee completely beaten.

Unfortunately, though, those two chances were unrepresentative of a second half that was increasingly dominated by the home side.

Indeed, by the time Watford equalised in the 69th minute, Newcastle were hanging on by the skin of their teeth.

Harper had already produced a sensational fingertip save to claw Young's left-wing free-kick around the upright, but he was powerless to prevent the Hornets finding the net shortly after.

Spring lived up to his name by flicking on another set-piece from Young, and Francis reacted quickest in the six-yard box to stab the ball home.

The former Norwich midfielder almost scored a second in the 90th minute when his right-footed effort looped off Milner and bounced onto the top of the Newcastle crossbar, while both Young and Darius Henderson went close in the early stages of extra-time.

Roeder's introduction of Nolberto Solano led to Duff pushing further upfield but, while Milner shot narrowly wide after switching flanks, it was Watford that continued to do most of the pressing.

And, sure enough, the home side took the lead in the second period of extra time. Again the goal came from a set-piece, with Dan Shittu stealing ahead of Taylor to head home Young's free-kick from close range.

Given Newcastle's supposedly fragile confidence, that should have been that. But, instead, Parker hauled Newcastle level with just four minutes of the game to go.

Solano's well-judged through ball sent Parker galloping clear, and the United skipper casually chipped over the advancing Lee. Three days after he was accused of making derogatory gestures in the direction of the Newcastle fans, he had responded with the most important gesture of them all.