Magpies show spirit to hit back

DURING a night when character assessments were made on two of the Championship’s rivals for automatic promotion, one man stood out more than most.

Peter Lovenkrands spent the weekend mourning the death of his father, Bent, on Friday but, against the expectations of everyone at Newcastle United, he flew in from Denmark yesterday just to face West Bromwich Albion.

Where many might have hidden away, Lovenkrands’ decision was rewarded when he jumped unmarked in the Baggies’ penalty area to head an equaliser that lifted leaders Newcastle three points clear of Nottingham Forest.

The forward’s sixth league goal of the season might have meant a point to the Magpies fans. To the Danish forward it meant that little bit more, wiping away a tear as he pointed to the sky while thumping his heart.

It was an emotional moment for Lovenkrands, mobbed by his team-mates, and one which earned him the respect of everyone seated in the Gallowgate End where he found the net.

The 29-year-old’s goal ten minutes after half-time brought an end to the scoring and pulled Newcastle back from a losing position for the second time.

West Brom, three points adrift of Forest with a game in hand, had gone ahead inside 13 minutes when defender Jonas Olsson volleyed his side in front, only for Danny Guthrie to level with a terrific free-kick.

Newcastle failed to learn from their poor start, with Roman Bednar heading West Brom in front again immediately after the restart.

But then Lovenkrands pounced eight minutes later to extend Newcastle’s unbeaten run to 14 matches and keep them on course for a return to the Premier League.

It was an enthralling encounter, with West Brom attacking regularly like they had home advantage and Newcastle constantly looking to exploit the gaps the visitors left open at the back.

There were periods when West Brom seemed the most likely winners, just as there were spells when Newcastle created fantastic chances.

It might have been an entirely different night had Lovenkrands made the most of the first glorious opening inside five minutes. The Dane stretched to turn Shola Ameobi’s delivery wide from ten yards.

But Newcastle, unbeaten at home this season, never had it as easy as that again against a team showing why they have only lost once away from the Hawthorns under Roberto di Matteo.

With the exception of a 20- minute spell in the middle of the half when Guthrie curled in his free-kick, West Brom created the better and more regular opportunities and could have been in front at the break.

Their first perfectly illustrated the way they play with the lively Slovakian darting down the right before his low cross was turned over from six yards by midfielder Graham Dorrans.

Dorrans ran the West Brom show. Driving forward when he had the chance but he also showed a patience that was key to the opening goal.

The Scotland international, who tormented Middlesbrough at the Riverside earlier in the season, turned away from the by-line, under the attention of Kevin Nolan, before waiting for the chance to float over his cross.

When everyone inside St James’ Park could see what was happening, Ameobi didn’t.

He allowed the towering Olsson too much freedom to sidefoot a simple volley beyond Steve Harper six yards out.

Jonas Gutierrez’s purposeful running caused problems and had a positive impact on his team-mates, with West Brom’s Youssouf Mulumbu forced into hauling down Ameobi 22 yards out.

There was still plenty for Guthrie to do, but when Gutierrez turned away from the dead ball the former Bolton midfielder curled an unstoppable free-kick into Scott Carson’s top right corner.

Shortly before half-time Ameobi was also unfortunate to see a downward header from Lovenkrands’ cross drop into the arms of Carson, but West Brom survived and soon edged ahead again.

They had already forced Harper into saves from Bednar, Jerome Thomas and Gabriel Tamas before the half was out, but they didn’t have to wait long for that second goal.

Within 33 seconds of the restart, the magical Dorrans was allowed to run deep into the Newcastle half. His delivery was perfectly weighted for Bednar, whose initial header was pushed on to the bar by Harper, but the Czech striker was on hand to head the rebound over the line.

In the past Newcastle might have crumbled, not so in the Championship.

The second equaliser arrived out of the blue. Even when Jose Enrique floated his centre over a goal didn’t look on, but Lovenkrands jumped unmarked to flick a header goalwards that Carson, badly positioned, couldn’t stop.

Carson was equal to a low drive from Nolan, after some neat wing play from Enrique, and the keeper also held a back post header from Lovenkrands when Newcastle threatened to win it.

In the end, after Ishmael Miller had hit the post from four yards for the Baggies, a draw was a fair result.

But perhaps the only winners last night were those watching from the comfort of their Nottingham homes.

Matchfacts

Goals: Olsson (13, 0-1); Guthrie (25, 1-1); Bednar (47, 1-2); Lovenkrands (55, 2-2)
Bookings: Tamas (19, foul); Bednar (54, foul); Olsson (60, foul); Jara (62, foul); Ameobi (74, foul)
Referee: Paul Taylor (Enfield) 5
Attendance: 39,291
Entertainment: ✰✰✰✰

NEWCASTLE UNITED (4-4-2): Harper 7; Simpson 5 (R Taylor 86), Coloccini 6, S Taylor 7, Enrique 7; Guthrie 7, Nolan 5, Smith 6, Gutierrez 7; Ameobi 6 (Carroll 78), LOVENKRANDS 8. Subs (not used): Pancrate, Butt, Krul, Kadar, Ranger.

WEST BROMWICH ALBION (4-5-1): Carson 6; Jara 6, Olsson 7, Tamas 6, Cech 6; Brunt 7, DORRANS 9, Mulumbu 6, Koren 6, Thomas 6; Bednar 7 (Miller 63, 5). Subs (not used): Kiely, Cox, Moore, Mattock, Zuiverloon, Teixeira.

MAN OF THE MATCH
GRAHAM Dorrans – the skilful Scot was simply outstanding in the middle.