West Ham United 2, Newcastle United 2

Apr 28 2008 by Mark Douglas, The Journal

THERE was a certain irony that on the day Upton Park remembered Bobby Moore, the defensive doyen of his generation, Newcastle’s new-found solidity dissolved in the East London heat.

Moore’s name was invoked by his former club to raise awareness of the cancer appeal that bears his name. But for 42 minutes it was the men in black and white stripes who were in a charitable mood, handing West Ham the initiative and delivering a timely reminder that Kevin Keegan’s St James’s Park revolution is still very much a work in progress.

For all the undoubted strides that Keegan and his coaching staff have made in the last eight weeks, and there was plenty evidence of recent improvements in the spirited United fightback that followed a desperate start, Newcastle are still short of the European qualification watermark they aspire to.

While there is inspiration and thrust aplenty – not least in the form of the talented Obafemi Martins – they are to be found wanting when it comes to the strength in depth that sets the top teams apart from the pretenders in the Premier League. Saturday was a sobering reminder of that. An injury to Abdoulaye Faye thrust David Edgar back into a defence that had squeezed three clean sheets out of their previous three games, and initially the transition was not easy for the Canadian.

As he struggled to find a rhythm alongside Steven Taylor, West Ham – led by the impressive Dean Ashton – exploited the space they were afforded and took a deserved two-goal lead.

Marc Noble swept home the first, applying a precise finish after George McCartney had shown Habib Beye a clean pair of heels after five minutes. And the Hammers extended their advantage when Ashton brushed off Edgar’s attention and slotted home a classy second.

It was generosity personified from Newcastle and against the top teams – and with more to play for than in this end-of-season dead rubber – it might have been game over.

But Edgar recovered from a turbulent opening to post a fine second-half performance – the deep cut above his right eye from clashing with Hammers striker Carlton Cole testament to his determination. He was aided by team-mates who, on this evidence, no longer possess the soft underbelly which got them into such trouble earlier in the campaign.

Newcastle’s riposte was something of a bolt from the blue as Joey Barton – getting better with every week as he stokes the fires in United’s midfield – delivered a wonderfully-flighted ball that deceived James Tomkins and landed at the feet of the advancing Martins. Exploding past the last West Ham defender, the Nigerian’s next touch was a decisive one as he smacked the ball past Robert Green into the roof of the goal.

That was their first meaningful attempt, and they pulled a similar trick a minute later as Martins’ drive was nudged past Green by Geremi with a close-range header. Suddenly, the spirit and character that helped haul them from the relegation zone returned and Newcastle improved immeasurably in the second period, finishing the contest in encouraging fashion as Taylor and Edgar shored up the defence giving Ashton – although still influential – much less room. Steve Harper had to produce a superb one-handed stop to deny the Hammers’ striker in the last 10 minutes, but it was Newcastle who went closer when Martins fired a low drive that was only scrambled away by a desperate save from Green.

An encouraging end, as Keegan acknowledged afterwards, but even on a day when the mercury rose to summer temperatures in the capital, there had been a few cold, hard truths for the United faithful to stomach.

The first came as the travelling army awoke to the news that Luka Modric – a midfielder high on Keegan’s list of transfer targets – had opted for White Hart Lane over St James’s Park.

The United manager later revealed the Croatian was the third of three targets the club has approached who have opted to turn elsewhere.

The manner in which Dinamo Zagreb leaked United’s interest meant Modric’s snub was not the biggest surprise to hit Tyneside.

That is the fact his chosen destination is Spurs – a team only above Newcastle in the Premier League table by virtue of goal difference, albeit with the lure of Uefa Cup football. It illustrates the difficulty United may have in luring players to the North East this summer.

Keegan believes Newcastle are the biggest attraction outside of the top-four circus, and there are certainly signs they are beginning to stir after a season spent slumbering.

From Martins’ trickery to Nicky Butt’s authority and Owen’s deadly marksmanship, there is definitely the foundation of a team capable of moving through the Premier League standings with the right additions.

All that remains is for Keegan to convince the rest of the world of that fact.