Third Round Weekend: Dismal Toon’s Defeat Compounds Northeast Cup Misery

Stevenage Borough 3 Newcastle United 1

The Ronnie Radford award for giant-killing will surely be winging its way to Graham Westley and the Lamex Stadium as the League Two outfit ensured that fans on Tyneside joined those on Teesside and Wearside in finding their respective clubs out the competition all at the hands of lower league opposition. Second half strikes from Michael Bostwick and Peter Winn after a Mike Williamson own goal sent the home side through to the Fourth Round. Joey Barton netted what was to prove only a consolation for Newcastle from distance.

Stevenage were thoroughly the better side against a team more than seventy places higher up England’s football league pyramid. The Toon players with the exception of the much maligned Barton lacked any sort of motivation or enthusiasm for the tie. This attitude ultimately embarrassed both themselves and the club. Whilst the visitors weren’t up for it, Borough profited to achieve a famous victory and right the perceived wrongs of their encounters in the competition thirteen years ago.

Alan Pardew made a number of changes including playing utility man James Perch at left back, a position in which he has little experience. During a first half largely devoid of action Stevenage had the best of what little there was; captain Mark Roberts’s header from Winn’s corner and a twenty five yarder from Bostwick both being kept out by Tim Krul.

The tie burst into life after the break on fifty minutes when wide player Stacy Long’s shot took a huge deflection off the head of Williamson that gave the Magpies keeper no chance. Newcastle showed some signs of responding to going behind, but Kevin Nolan’s shot was tipped over by Chris Day.

Less than a minute later Borough were two up. John Mousinho’s run was charged down only for the ball to break to Bostwick on the edge of the area whose precise shot went in off the post. Cheik Tiote was brought on by the visitors to shore things up in midfield, but he got himself sent off just over ten minutes after coming onto the field. The Ivorian did make some contact on the ball, but it was a reckless lunge on Jon Ashrton. Nonetheless the decision by referee to Andre Mariner to brandish red will be questioned by Toon supporters and fans of the physical side of the game.

Barton tinged an otherwise encouraging display by throwing the ball at the head of a Stevenage player as frustration threatened to boil over amongst the visitors. In stoppage time the controversial midfielder cracked a thirty yard shot into the roof of the net to pull one back, but the Magpies completely switched off from the restart. Mousinho again dribbled his way into the final third, slipping a delightful diagonal ball through for Winn who placed it past the onrushing Krul to put the match to bed.

Newcastle’s defeat completes a hat-trick of Third Round exits for the Northeast’s top clubs. Middlesbrough were knocked out 2-1 losing away at League Two Burton Albion, whilst Sunderland slumped to a home defeat by the same scoreline at the hands of League One strugglers Notts County. They’ll be precious little cheer for Boro who now must focus on maintaining their Championship status under Tony Mowbray. Optimists will say at least there are no more distractions for the Teessiders.

As for both Tyne and Wear much of the disappointment will be forgotten as next weekend the second derby of the Premier League season takes place. The Mackems will be out to prevent the Toon from doing the double over them. That said defeats of this nature are not exactly ideal preparation and Pardew particularly should be concerned after such a poor display by his players tonight as they lacked commitment.