That 'Late Leveller' That Rocked The Smogs

Last updated : 12 March 2010 By Footy Mad - Editor

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Manager of Huddersfield Town, he says his ambition is to take over the Toon hot-seat "some time in the future", and who is to say one day it won't happen.

He was part of the Kevin Keegan bandwagon that won promotion with 96 points in 1993, and Clark feels that total could well be bettered.

Lee Clark: “It is a derby and the one thing with derbies is if you cannot win, don’t lose.

“If Newcastle can emerge with three points then that would severely dent Middlesbrough’s play-off chances.

“It will be a tough game and one you do not want to be coming off the pitch with regrets in.

“I think they can beat the 96 points total we managed.

“They go into every game thinking they can win and they are capable of winning.

“To be honest that will not be their focus – they are just concentrating on going up.

“If they can beat the points tally then great.

“They even have a chance of beating Reading’s record of 108 points.

“If they keep winning then it is going to be too hard for the other teams.

“I cannot see them dropping nine points between now and the end of the season.”

NU

As for that goal against the Smogs back in January 2006 ...

2005/6 TOON 2 BORO 2

NEWCASTLE: Given, Ramage, Bramble, Boumsong, Elliott (Babayaro 45), Solano, Faye, Clark, Ameobi (N'Zogbia 45), Shearer, Luque. Subs Not Used: Harper, Chopra, Brittain.

BORO: Schwarzer, Parnaby, Riggott, Southgate, Pogatetz, Morrison, Doriva, Mendieta (Bates 69), Cattermole, Viduka, Yakubu (Hasselbaink 74). Subs Not Used: Maccarone, Jones, Johnson.

Att: 52,302

Geordie Lee Clark spared manager Newcastle boss Graeme Souness with a last-gasp derby equaliser against Middlesbrough just as the Toon Army started to turn.

The 32-year-old struck deep into injury-time to hand the Scot a reprieve after substitute Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink looked to have piled on the pressure with an 87th-minute strike.

Nolberto Solano had fired the home side ahead with a superb 27th-minute free-kick, but Aiyegbeni Yakubu's 53rd-minute strike had dragged the visitors back into it.

Newcastle were unable to take advantage of a series of second-half chances to win the game, and looked to have lost it when Hasselbaink slid the ball past Shay Given, but Clark rescued his side - and his manager - with his first goal for his home-town club since January 1997.

That might not have been enough for the Geordie faithful, many of whom among a crowd of 52,302 made their feelings known on the final whistle, but with Michael Owen facing three months on the sidelines, it might buy Souness a little more breathing space.

The Scot has suffered more than his fair share of misfortune during his time at St James' Park and went into the game with £27.5million of his summer investment in the treatment room in the shape of Owen, Scott Parker and Emre, with Kieron Dyer and Steven Taylor also injured, Lee Bowyer suspended and Stephen Carr missing after a reported training ground bust-up with the manager.

However, the Scot has by no means had a monopoly on bad luck and opposite number Steve McClaren arrived on Tyneside without key midfielder George Boateng, star winger Stewart Downing, promising full-back Tony McMahon and Brazilian Fabio Rochemback, and with £7.5million summer signing Yakubu having passed a late fitness test on a hip problem.

With both sides having had a disappointing Christmas - Newcastle suffered back-to-back defeats at Liverpool and Tottenham and Boro took a single point from home games against Blackburn and Manchester City - hopes were not high for a thriller, although the fare on offer before the break kept both sets of fans interested.

Boro, perhaps less depleted than their hosts despite having to field 17-year-old midfielder Lee Cattermole, were the more compact and in Stuart Parnaby and James Morrison down the right, had an outlet which troubled the Magpies repeatedly.

Gaizka Mendieta and James Morrison were the main providers, although too often, the service to front two Yakubu and Mark Viduka was simply not good enough.

However, it was they who should have taken the lead on 25 minutes when the Australian met Parnaby's cross four yards out, but lifted his shot over the crossbar.

Boro had strong claims for a penalty waved away three minutes before the after Robbie Elliott fell on the ball in the midst of a goalmouth scramble, but by that point, they were already behind.

The travelling fans were still wondering how Viduka had missed when Chris Riggott was adjudged to have fouled Shola Ameobi 25 yards out, and Solano took full advantage to curl a trademark free-kick past Schwarzer.

Albert Luque had earlier hit the post and twice failed to make the most of one-on-ones with Schwarzer as a makeshift home side worked desperately hard, and indeed, they were causing the greater problems.

Souness addressed the problem down the left at the break when he withdrew Elliott and Ameobi and sent on specialists Celestine Babayaro and Charles N'Zogbia, and the move gave the Magpies a more solid look.

Titus Bramble, who had looked solid before the break, atoned for his own 48th-minute error when he cut out Yakubu's through-ball to Viduka having initially handed it on a plate to the Nigerian, but the defender was not so fortunate on 53 minutes.

He charged upfield before needlessly giving the ball away and Morrison exchanged passes with Viduka to escape from Babayaro and send in a low cross which Yakubu turned past Shay Given with the minimum of effort.

Solano was not gifted similar space and time two minutes later when Cattermole's sliding challenge prevented him from getting a clean strike to Shearer's pull-back with Newcastle looking for a swift response.

N'Zogbia fired into the side-netting and Luque wasted a good opportunity to cross, but Mendieta forced Given to collect a low cross at the near post as the game opened up.

McClaren replaced Mendieta with Matthew Bates on 69 minutes, and he found himself under pressure almost immediately when Luque ran on to Clark's pass and crossed for Solano to head just over.

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink arrived in place of Yakubu with 16 minutes remaining, but it was Clark who twice had shots charged down in quick succession at the other end as the home side pushed for a winner.

However, the Dutchman made no mistake when played in behind Jean-Alain Boumsong, sliding the ball beyond the advancing Given to make it 2-1.

But there was just one more late twist to come, and when Schwarzer cleared Solano's 92nd-minute corner to Clark, he fired a left-foot volley through a crowded penalty area to level.