Magpies Gain Valuable Point

Which teams will be going in to the weekend smiling? Predict the results in Midweek 10 and you could have something to smile about too!

Newcastle United gained a valuable point as they frustrated table-topping Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea have now dropped nine points at home already this season and the Londoners' inability to carve open defence-minded sides is becoming an increasing problem.

JOE KINNEAR

The simple fact is that Newcastle are in a relegation dogfight did not come for a victory. They sat back and absorbed the erratic attacks of the home side and came away with a 0-0 draw.

Shay Given produced a marvellous save on five minutes denying Frank Lampard's excellent downward header from eight yards out. The shot-stopper punched the ball away after Florent Malouda's left-wing cross had found the midfielder who seemed certain to open the scoring.

Malouda produced a piece of magic weaving his way through the Newcastle rearguard before losing his balance and the ball trickled to Given on 17 minutes.

Newcastle's first attempt on the Chelsea goal came from Jonas Gutierrez on 20 minutes but his shot zoomed high and wide of the home goal.

The game was very much attack versus defence as the visitors defended deep to repel the home side's advances.

An excellent ten-man move by Chelsea on 30 minutes saw Lampard pirouette and connect with a smart volley but Given saved well.

A minute later Jose Bosingwa opened up the Newcastle defence with a curling right-wing cross that fell to Ashley Cole at the far post, but the left-back was unable to steer the ball goal-bound.

A Branislav Ivanovic header from a Lampard free-kick on 33 minutes them flew inches wide of Given's crossbar.

A quick counter-attack on 38 minutes almost saw Michael Owen snatch a opener for the visitors but the ball from Gutierrez, from the right was cleared by John Terry before the ex-England striker had a chance to connect.

Joe Cole bundled the ball into the net on 54 minutes but he was judged to be offside after Malouda's shot had been parried into the air.

A Lampard curler, which was just wide a minute later, demonstrated Chelsea's superiority.

Chelsea felt that Given had pulled the ball over the line a minute later when the Irishman held onto a Lampard free-kick but the referee Phil Dowd decided in favour of the goalkeeper.

Luiz Felipe Scolari brought on Salomon Kalou on 60 minutes to pep up Chelsea's attack while Joe Kinnear brought on Shola Ameobi and Charles N'Zogbia.

But with Michael Ballack shooting into the side-netting in the closing moments that was as close as it got for Chelsea as Newcastle came away with a well-deserved point.

Disappointed Chelsea coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said after the draw: "Newcastle were very good. They played for a draw and got one. They didn't come here to play for a win - just a draw.

"They were better than us because they were only thinking about a draw and got one, while we were thinking about a win and didn't.

"Newcastle did not have one shot on goal in 90 minutes. We had 70 per cent of the possession but we didn't score a goal.

"If we had scored, maybe we would have scored three or four but we lost two points.

"Sometimes it is more easy to win away than at Stamford Bridge. When you are away, the home fans pressure their team to attack us, but you are at home, they don't want to attack us.

"I said congratulations to the coach and his team. They had a strategy to draw and it worked. We have now lost nine points at home. We had two or three chances to score and we didn't - this is football."

Newcastle's interim manager Joe Kinnear said: "Scolari congratulated me which was very kind of him.

"I make no apology for playing for a draw. In the last three days we've been planning to force Chelsea to play in front of us, which I thought we did very well.

"Although Chelsea had more possession than ourselves, they didn't create a clear-cut chance really. Everything was long shots and Shay Given pulled off a world-class save.

"It is probably the best team performance we've had away from home this year. Even though we drew 2-2 at Everton, I would say this is the best performance.

"We got bodies in the way and the two centre-halves were magnificent. They got their just rewards today.

"We dug in there and it feels like a win in the dressing room. We drew with Wigan at home and that felt like a loss, but this feels like a victory."

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