Stoke City
0-0
Newcastle United
The FA Cup sponsored by E.ON
Third Round Proper
6pm, Sunday 6 January 2008
Britannia Stadium
Winning clubs receive £40,000
The FA Live TV fee is £150,000 per club
Like Fulham, Liverpool and Derby before them, Newcastle were forced to settle for a replay after playing out a goalless draw against Stoke at the Britannia Stadium.
Stoke created the better chances in the second half and Sam Allardyce will be thankful for the charitable finishing which allows his beleaguered side a second bite at the cherry at St James’ Park.
The first half was a typical fraught and fractious Third Round affair with plenty in terms of guts and spirit but little subtlety or refinement.
Whilst some Premier League managers opted to rest key personnel this weekend, Sam Allardyce chose his strongest available line-up with Michael Owen starting up front for the first time since early November.
The England international came closest to breaking the deadlock in the opening period when the Stoke defence fell asleep and were thankful to the onrushing Steve Simonsen who smothered Owen’s close range jab.
The driving rain was not conducive to flowing football and Stoke had to wait until the stroke of half-time to threaten Shay Given’s goal.
Alan Smith, again operating in midfield, brought down Mamady Sidibe but Liam Lawrence’s free-kick drifted narrowly wide.
If the first half was dull the second was anything but. Newcastle started brightly and somehow failed to take the lead in an astonishing goalmouth scramble.
Mark Viduka won a free-kick on and Steven Taylor headed Charles N’Zogbia’s effort onto the post. Simonsen flapped at the rebound allowing Damien Duff to cross over his head for Michael Owen who mis-timed his jump and failed to connect.
That close shave galvanised the home side who dominated thereafter.
Richard Cresswell looked odds-on to score when he launched himself at a volley but Steven Taylor put his head on the line and heroically blocked the striker’s attempt.
Tony Pulis’s side went even closer minutes later when clever work from Ricardo Fuller took out Shay Given. The Jamaica international cut the ball back for the substitute John Park whose shot was blocked at point-blank range by Taylor on the goal line.
The Stoke onslaught continued with Fuller becoming increasingly influential. The former Portsmouth striker twisted away from his marker on the edge of the penalty area and sent in a shot which clipped Taylor’s arm and crept inches wide.
Fuller was presented with a half-chance in injury time but could only blast his shot straight at given after he had been set-up by Cresswell.
Newcastle had an even later chance to snatch the spoils when Charles N’Zogbia drove through the rain and crossed to the far post where Andy Carroll could only find the side-netting from a narrow angle.
While there were no goals at Stoke, the same could not be said of Derby’s thrilling game with Sheffield Wednesday where the teams shared four goals.
The Pride Park outfit made a calamatous start to the game to hand Wednesday two goals.
First Mark Beevers’ drive somehow squirmed under Lewis Price before Darren Moore got in a muddle to allow Marcus Tudgay to fire in a second.
But Derby fought back and earned a replay thanks to goals from Kenny Miller and Giles Barnes.
Source: Stoke miss chance
