Nerves jangling and not a calm head in sight, Newcastle survived a frenetic second-half onslaught yesterday to beat Liverpool for the first time since Kevin Keegan was king of Tyneside.
Having gorged themselves on such rip-roaring entertainment, the Toon army left purring in rowdy satisfaction. The visitors, losers for the fifth time in eight away games this season, departed the north-east in disbelief.
"I just cannot work football out," said the Newcastle manager Bobby Robson. "We've beaten the best side to come to St James' Park this season but we've lost to lesser teams. The moment I do work it out I'm going to retire."
With his other options stuck on the treatment table, Robson assembled his ninth central defensive partnership of the season by employing Warren Barton at centre-half. "We rode our luck and had to fight hard," said Robson, "but this was a gigantic result for us."
The home side's blistering start illustrated its importance. Newcastle tore into their visitors and, on the rare occasions they escaped Liverpool's offside trap, prospered. After only three minutes Jamie Carragher's attempted clearance ricocheted against Nolberto Solano, who advanced and slotted beneath Sander Westerveld.
The Dutchman was then grateful to clasp Rob Lee's volley and watched Gary Speed fire first wide and then over, as Liverpool's pretty passing merely added to the congestion in their own half.
"We don't have a defensive jinx or anything," their manager Gerard Houllier insisted. "We are trying to play more attacking football and it leaves us unbalanced occasionally. I will not sacrifice that style; we just need everyone to be better at closing down."
Liverpool's early inability to threaten in attack prompted puzzled looks from both dugouts and it took half an hour for the visitors to find their rhythm.
With the home rearguard crying off-side, Steven Gerrard's clever angled cross found Robbie Fowler unmarked, but his downward header was clawed away by Shay Given. Barely a minute later, Sami Hyypia's flicked effort from Nick Barmby's corner was tipped on to a post, Fowler spearing the rebound wide of an open goal, his blushes spared by an assistant referee's flag.
Newcastle, increasingly unconvincing, were spared on halftime as Barmby's shot under Given was cleared off the line by Andy Griffin. But the barrage continued. Gerrard's cutback was hopelessly missed by Vladimir Smicer and Given dived smartly to block Marcus Babbel's venomous follow-up. Sprawled on the turf he deflected the shot away, only for the ball to pinball off Didier Domi and fly wide.
Newcastle were in a panic, exemplified by Barton's bizarre back-pass that bobbled in the mud and had Given clearing desperately from under the crossbar. Then, from such chaos, they broke swiftly when Alan Shearer nodded on for Kieron Dyer to chase. He sprinted from the halfway line, turned inside Hyypia and, to gasps of delight, planted the ball beyond Westerveld.
Emile Heskey's brave lob over the goalkeeper reduced the arrears, the England striker latching on to Dieter Hamann's pass. Then, with tension gripping the stands, Fowler chased down Aaron Hughes's back-header and was denied at the last by Given.
Newcastle: Given, Barton, Domi, Lee, Shearer, Dyer, Bassedas (Acuna 79), Speed, Griffin, Solano, Hughes. Subs Not Used: Harper, Cordone, Lua-Lua, S. Caldwell. Booked: Speed, Griffin, Barton. Goals: Solano 4, Dyer 70.
Liverpool: Westerveld, Henchoz, Babbel, Heskey, Fowler, Hyypia, Murphy (Smicer 57), Hamann, Gerrard (McAllister 74), Barmby, Carragher. Subs Not Used: Arphexad, Vignal, Partridge. Booked: Babbel, Henchoz. Goal: Heskey 78.
Referee: Barry Knight (England).
