FA Carling Premiership Game 26: Sunday 22 February 1998 Newcastle United 1 - 1 Leeds United (Half-time: 0 - 0) Crowd: 36511 Referee: G Willard (Worthing)
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Newcastle Blues - Adie T

Soon after a stage crowd piled in including naked bloke, there left after around 10 minutes in which time most only managed 1/2 a pint.

The others arrived and Gav told his tale again and again and also had a snarnie thta he moaned about for the rest of the day. We left and walked/limped to the ground got some food and went in.

First Half

Newcastle started the game the better though didn't really make that many clear chances, Bruno set Plonker up with a good cut back but the chabce was wasted. Jimmy was strong up front and kept getting grief off of Shearer at set pieces. Nigel made a top save from a Shearer shot and the midfield battled well, though all(?) were booked.

Second Half

The crowd really started to get behind the team and we started to play a lot of neat passing football for once, the gloves came out to my left and the team went forward making a number of chances. Newcastle looked dangerous when going forward if only because Shearer was diving whenever he wasn't moaning at the linesman.

The goal from what i remember was from a neat bit of passing Bruno into Jimmy(?) who slotted back for Plonker to finish well. They made a couple of changes and the rest as they say is history, long shot under Nigels body 1-1. You could see how gutted he was at the end of the game.

Scores Etc

Nigel-soft goal but some good saves as well 7
Maybury-Looked better than last week links well with Kelly going forward 7
Halle-coped well in defence little going forward 6.5
Wetherall-Solid as always 7
Molenaar-good return form the big man. 7
Kelly-still not sure about him in midfield though better than anyone else 6.5
Daft Alfie-quiet start though got into it more later on stuck to the task well 6.5
Bruno-getting the hang of the central role now, plently of tackles on Batty buy of the season? 7
H-nice touches helped out in defence though at times trys one fancy trick to many when the simple things would work 6.5
Wallace-good finish for the goal should have had another linking well with
Jimmy-handful up front caused problems all game long 8

Ref-dressed in black and white lets Shearer get away with too much 6

Crowd-loads of noise in the second half 8

Martyn falls from saving grace - Michael Walker

Men called Nigel make unlikely heroes and villains. But one of that name, Mr Nigel Martyn, goalkeeper of Leeds United and England, was both at St James' Park yesterday.

Having kept Newcastle United and Alan Shearer in particular at bay with two superb, acrobatic saves - the second only a minute before Rod Wallace's magnificent volley looked as if it would bring Leeds all three points - Martyn dived to collect what he later described as a "routine" shot from the substitute Temuri Ketsbaia.

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