Iron game put the steel into Magpies

Mar 16 2010 by Stuart Rayner, The Journal

REVENGE will be in the air when Scunthorpe United are the visitors to St James’ Park tomorrow, but Danny Guthrie believes it was the Iron who inadvertently inspired Newcastle United to the brink of promotion.

The Magpies’ season has been defined by a series of low points and their reaction to them.

October’s 2-1 defeat at Glanford Park threatened to ruin the momentum Newcastle had built up since their 6-1 pre-season humiliation at Leyton Orient. But Guthrie believes their “most painful result of the season” galvanised his team.

“The Scunthorpe game at their place was a defining moment for us, I think, and proved to be a turning point,” said Guthrie.

“It was a horrible night and easily the most painful result of the season. We got beaten down there and a lot of things were said in the group. We knew what we needed to do to make sure that didn’t happen again. I think we’d all like to put the record straight with them on Wednesday night though.

“We got the right response as a group. We had a moment to ourselves in the dressing room and just said to ourselves, ‘Right, this stops here’ because we were on a bit of a bad run at the time. It did stop and we went on a seven-game winning streak. We’re in a really strong position now.”

The Glanford Park game was the Magpies’ fourth in a row without a win but they have lost only once in the Championship since, which has put them four points clear at the top with a game in hand.

Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Middlesbrough was a classic example of why Newcastle are in such a dominant position. It was by no means the first time this season United were outplayed, yet emerged unbeaten. Andy Carroll’s 82nd-minute goal salvaged an undeserved point for a team which has mastered the art of not losing even when playing poorly.