Harper demonstrates the goalkeeper’s art

ALL the pre-match talk centred on the level of protests likely to be directed towards the regimes of Newcastle United and Sheffield United.

In the end it was a demonstration on how to make topclass saves that decided last night’s game.

When Ryan Taylor crashed a hopeful 25-yard drive that deflected off defender Chris Morgan and bounced inside goalkeeper Ian Bennett’s left post, Newcastle were closing in on a return to the top of the Championship.

It was a fortuitous strike but ultimately it was goalkeeper Steve Harper who ensured Newcastle climbed above West Brom and Cardiff, with terrific injury-time saves to deny Darius Henderson and Keith Treacy.

The Magpies’ supporters may be making plans for an afternoon of bigger protests against owner Mike Ashley when Peterborough United arrive at St James’ Park on Saturday.

On the field, however, Newcastle are making a prolonged charge back to the Premier League at the first attempt.

This defeat may have done nothing to ease the growing pressure on Sheffield United boss Kevin Blackwell after a winless run that has now extended to seven games. That will matter little to Chris Hughton whose first match in permanent charge of Newcastle produced a hardearned three points.

It did not take long for the vitriol from the strong contingent of travelling fans to direct their first chorus of attacks towards Ashley; seconds in fact, just moments before Sheffield United should have taken an early lead.

Newcastle, still without the injured Steven Taylor and the suspended Zurab Khizanishvili, started nervously, with Tamas Kadar and Jose Enrique failing to complete a routine throw-in in their own half.

When play switched to the other wing, after Newcastle were panicked into a clearance, Ched Evans cut inside from the left, fed Henderson who missed the target when he ought to have done better from 14 yards.

The Blades might not have won in six matches, but Newcastle’s run of one win in five was hardly awe-inspiring, so perhaps it was not all that surprising that the home team began the brighter.

Andy Carroll had two bites at a Taylor cross early on, but it was Blackwell’s team that did most of the pressing in the opening half, with Evans and Henderson providing the main attacking threat.

It was Evans, the summer buy from Manchester City, that had the speed of thought to open up play and spread to Jordan Stewart midway through the half. Stewart’s delivery fell to Henderson, who rolled towards the edge of the area and Treacy powered an effort over when he should have at least tested Harper.

Sheffield United may have been the better team in the opening half, but Newcastle still looked capable of creating something when they found space in their opponents’ half.

The Magpies’ best efforts arrived when Taylor flicked an effort straight at Bennett from 12 yards after Kevin Nolan’s pass, and Carroll headed over under close attention from Morgan.

Carroll had clearly been identified by Morgan and his central defensive partner Andrew Davies, the Middlesbrough Academy graduate, for close attention. While the striker faired well, he was ruffled on occasions and was booked for retaliation.

All Newcastle had to do for the remainder of the game was keep Evans and Henderson at bay and make the most of any opportunities that fell their way at the opposite end.

They might have succeeded but that looked unlikely on the stroke of half-time when they were thankful to some poor finishing. Bennett’s long punt was flicked on by Henderson, Evans held off Fabricio Coloccini but drove low and wide of Harper’s righthand post.

After the restart most of Carroll’s best work was done defensively, although he did head Nicky Butt’s centre against the bottom of the post just moments before Newcastle edged in front.

Nolan, who had been denied by Bennett minutes earlier, dispossessed full-back Walker.

Taylor picked up the loose ball before trying his luck and his effort deflected off Morgan and found its way in Bennett’s bottom left corner.

Sheffield United huffed and puffed after that, in a desperate attempt to pull themselves level but Harper denied Henderson and Treacy with exceptional saves in injury-time, and Newcastle climb back to the top of the Championship.

Match facts

Goal: Taylor (53, 1-0)

Bookings: Morgan (31, foul); Carroll (37, dissent); Taylor (42, foul)

Referee: Kevin Friend (Leicester) 5

Attendance: 26,536

Entertainment: ✰✰✰

SHEFFIELD UNITED (4-4-2): Bennett 6; Walker 4 (France 61, 5), Davies 7, Morgan 6, Kilgallon 6; Treacy 6, Harper 5, Stewart 5 (Cotterill 71, 5) Quinn 6; Evans 7 (Camara 76), HENDERSON 7.

Subs (not used): Reid, Williamson, Bunn (gk), Little.

NEWCASTLE UNITED (4-4-2):

HARPER 8; Simpson 7 (Ranger 76), Coloccini 6, Kadar 7, Enrique 7; Taylor 6, Smith 6, Butt 6, Gutierrez 6 (Harewood 85); Nolan 8; Carroll 7. Subs (not used): Guthrie, Geremi, Krul (gk), Tozer, Donaldson.

MAN OF THE MATCH

STEVE Harper – made two exceptional saves late on to keep Newcastle in front