Jose Enrique came off only as precaution says Hughton

Mar 9 2010 by Stuart Rayner, The Journal

Meanwhile striker Peter Løvenkrands admitted he was disappointed not to have claimed his second hat-trick for the club at the weekend. Løvenkrands put his side into a 2-0 lead on Saturday against opponents who were down to 10 men courtesy of Luke Steele’s professional foul on him. The goals kept flowing but no more came the Dane’s way.

“I came so close with the header – I thought it was going in because the goalkeeper (David Preece) was standing looking at it as well,” said Løvenkrands, who scored a hat-trick against Plymouth Argyle in January’s FA Cup third-round replay.

“But it came back into his arms and he was lucky.”

Having failed to find the net in his first 10 appearances since rejoining the club in August, Løvenkrands is now pushing to end the campaign as Newcastle’s top scorer.

He drew level at the top of United’s charts for 23 minutes on Saturday, before Kevin Nolan found the net for the 13th time this term. All 12 of Løvenkrands’ goals have come at St James’ Park, including 10 in his last nine appearances there.

He might have had another had it not been for the selfishness of French winger Fabrice Pancrate in the closing stages – not that the 30-year-old attached any blame to his team-mate.

“We had the chance when me and Fabrice were through and I was screaming at him to square it,” he revealed. “But we were so many goals up by then that I think he wanted to get one and that’s fair enough.

“Unfortunately it didn’t go in but I don’t blame him for shooting.”

Midfielder Alan Smith is expected to be fit to return on Saturday, having been ruled out of the Barnsley game with a knock picked up in training.

His return could mean Danny Guthrie once more having to be shunted out of the central position he excelled in against the Tykes to one wide on the right of midfield.