Newcastle midfielder Laurent Robert fired himself further into the affections
of manager Graeme Souness with a superb winning goal against Liverpool.
The Frenchman beat debutant goalkeeper Scott Carson with a searing 71st-minute
free-kick to clinch a fifth successive win for the Magpies, as injuries and the
mental scars of last Sunday's Carling Cup final defeat took their toll on the
Reds.
It was a win the hosts deserved after working very hard to break down a
well-organised Liverpool outfit, who had only one real effort of note on goal -
a 43rd-minute Luis Garcia shot which dropped on to the roof of Shay Given's
net.
Newcastle's remote hopes of clinching European football next season received a
boost as Souness finally had a 1-0 win to celebrate - while the visitors'
attempts to catch derby rivals Everton in the final Champions League berth
suffered another blow.
There were boos at half-time as the players left the pitch, not for the first
time this season at St James' - but on this occasion, they were directed solely
at referee Howard Webb.
He has not been a popular man on Tyneside since the day in November when he
took charge of the Magpies' Premiership clash with Fulham and made two
controversial decisions as the hosts lost 4-1.
Webb again angered the home supporters by allowing defender Mauricio
Pellegrino to get away with all but one of a series of fouls on Alan Shearer.
Then he brandished the yellow card at Amdy Faye and Robert - while Pellegrino
and his team-mate Igor Biscan escaped similar punishment.
Jean-Alain Boumsong and Titus Bramble dealt admirably with the lone threat of
Milan Baros, who appeared to have some difficulty staying on his feet - while a
Liverpool defensive trio of Sami Hyypia, Jamie Carragher and Pellegrino allowed
Shearer and strike partner Shola Ameobi no leeway in the first half.
The visitors were content to try to smother the Magpies in the middle of the
field and attack on the counter - although they were more successful in the
former than the latter.
Newcastle needed a spark, and it came belatedly in the shape of Robert and
Kieron Dyer as they worked their way into the game from wide positions.
It was the Frenchman's 23rd-minute corner which dropped to Lee Bowyer - and
when his left-foot volley was blocked by Biscan Bramble hammered the rebound
high over.
Ameobi headed over from a Stephen Carr cross eight minutes later. But Carson
did not have a save of any note to make before the break - and his opposite
number Given was similarly under-employed.
Bramble almost ruined his afternoon's work within three minutes of the restart
when, as he tried to play his way out of defence, he gifted the ball to Baros
but immediately retrieved the situation by winning it back.
Robert continued where he had left off, whipping a swerving left-foot shot
from distance wide of Carson's right post a minute later - and Luis Garcia did
just the same at the other end on 52 minutes to maintain Given's interest.
Dyer in particular was having a growing influence. But Newcastle were in need
of something different, and Souness tried to introduce it with 67 minutes gone
when he replaced Ameobi with Dutchman Patrick Kluivert.
The answer finally came in the shape of the enigmatic Robert, after Pellegrino
had been penalised for a foul on Shearer.
The Frenchman has had to work hard to force his way into Souness' plans. But
what has never been in any doubt is his ability from a dead ball - and his
dipping, swerving free-kick sped past Carson.
Rafael Benitez withdrew Vladimir Smicer in favour of Antonio Nunez, and
Souness sent on Jermaine Jenas for Bowyer as time ran down - but the home side
were defending confidently.
Kluivert had a glorious opportunity to cement victory in the final minute of
normal time but dragged his shot just wide after mesmerising Carragher.
But Steven Gerrard wasted an equally good chance to equalise in injury time.
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