The Heed see off Spartans to set up a semi meeting with Darlington

FA Trophy Quarter Final

Blyth Spartans 0 Gateshead 2

by Ricky Butler at Croft Park

Two goals in five first half minutes was enough to send in-form Gateshead into the semi final of the FA Trophy at the expense of a spirited Blyth Spartans at Croft Park on Saturday.
 

The Tynesiders arrived on the back of a six game winning run that has seen them emerge as outsiders for a place in the Blue Square Bet Premier play-offs, and they started full of confidence.
 

Phil Turnbull had already seen a volley saved by Blyth goalkeeper Dan Lowson when former Gateshead defender Chris Swailes, who was released by his home-town club last summer, had the misfortune of slicing a cross from Michael Liddle into his own net after just 13 minutes.
 

The tie was then as good as settled five minutes later when James Curtis turned the ball home from close range after linking well with his central defensive partner Ben Clarke inside the six yard box for his first goal of the season.

The hosts from the Blue Square Bet North battled hard after that but the closest they came to some late consolation was when captain Paul Brayson fired an effort against the crossbar, while Robert Dale then saw his follow up saved by Gateshead goalkeeper Tim Deasy.

 

But the visitors always looked in control and could have added to their total in the closing stages through the free-scoring Nathan Fisher, who was first denied by Dowson before firing a far post volley wide of the target.
 

Manager Ian Bogie was relieved to see his side through to the semi final. he said: "In cup football when you are playing against your local rivals it's all about getting through to the next round, so to come away with a clean sheet and score two goals was very pleasing.
 

"At 2-0 it looked comfortable but I always felt we had another gear. To be fair we got a bit complacent in the second half, some of our passing was very sloppy and the chances they had towards the end were of our own making. Our final ball was poor and it was just a case of seeing the game out." he added.
 

"It was good to see James (Curtis) get on the score sheet as we have been trying to get him to score more from set pieces and we are hoping he’ll get a few more before the season ends."
 

When asked about his sides recent good form, Bogie responded by saying, "We have been on a great run, have had a great February but we are not getting carried away and will just be concentrating on Tuesday's trip to York."
 

The tie had an extra edge to it as twin brothers Stephen and Phil Turnbull were on opposing sides, but it was Gateshead’s Phil, an ex-Spartan, who came out with all the plaudits with a man of the match performance which impressed his manager.
 

"He was the best player on the park by a country mile. His partner in the middle, Kris Gate, does a great job which enables Phil to express himself and he was outstanding again today."
 

The draw for the semi final, made earlier today, paired Gateshead with North-East rivals Darlington so a team from the region is guaranteed a place at Wembley. The first leg of the tie will be at the Northern Echo Arena on Saturday March 12 with the return at The International Stadium a week later.

Blyth Spartans - Lowson 7, Groves 6, Cave 6, Deverdics 6, Swailes 5, Buchanan 6, Hocks 7, Turnbull(S) 6, Brayson 6, Alexander 6 (O' Maloney 6), Dale 7. Subs not used - Wright, Smith, Wilkinson, Cunningham.

Gateshead - Deasy 7, Gate 7, Curtis 7, Clarke 8, Brittain 7, TURNBULL (P) 9, Shaw 6 (Wake 7), Nelthorpe 8, Fisher 7 (Winn 5), Liddle 7, Tavernier 8 (Baxter 6). Subs not used - Farman, Gillies.

ATTENDANCE; 2,719

One down but three left to fight for...

So the quadruple is gone after yesterdays disaster at Wembley but the treble is still very much alive. The question now is can Arsene Wenger lift the team for the challenges that lie ahead in the next few weeks?
If history is anything to go by then you would have to say no. Whenever Arsenal have suffered a big defeat in the past it has usually been followed by a series of poor results as Wenger's sulking seems to rub off on his team.
It happened in aftermath of the 49 game unbeaten run in 2005, it happened after the Carling Cup final defeat in 2007, it happened again after the 2-2 draw at Birmingham in 2008 and it happened last season after losing at Spurs in the title run-in.
Yes his side lost a cup final they should really have won but out of the four trophies they were chasing the Carling Cup was the least important so winning any of the other three would more then make up for it. It is not a time to sulk it is a time to stand up and be counted. The club are on the verge of greatness and they need to grab this opportunity with both hands.
I don't go along with the idea that the they had to win yesterday. It would have been nice of course but if losing at Wembley, and the manner of the defeat in particular, means they come back stronger then it would have a price worth paying. They should be hurting and they need to focus that pain on the tasks that lie ahead. They need to take it out on Leyton Orient, Sunderland, Barcelona and Manchester United over the next ten days.
But talking of the final yesterday, lets forget all this about rubbish how great Birmingham were. They weren't. Yes they played above themselves but Arsenal should still have won. The fact that Ben Foster was man of the match merely illustrates this point. And look at the Birmingham goals. The first would not have looked out of place at Stoke while the second was just a monumental cock-up in the Arsenal defence. They didn't have to work for them they were gifted to them.

Martins scores the winner at Wembley yesterday

The Gunners, on the other hand, played all the football and created all the best chances. Foster denied Samir Nasri on three occasions, along with good saves to stop Andrey Arshavin and Nicklas Bendtner, while Tomas Rosicky should have scored after a flowing move early in the second half. But credit to Birmingham, they made the most of the opportunities that came their way and ended up celebrating their first major cup success since 1963. Yes even longer then the current Arsenal trophy drought...
The important thing now is to forget all that. Its over. Done. The next four games are the ones that matter and will decide whether this season will be a truly monumental one for the young Guns or just another tale of what might have been. My hunch is they will probably blow it spectacularly but then I had a hunch they would beat Birmingham...

Full of Eastern promise...

So, having clearly read my blogs about how Arsenal can win the quadruple this season, Arsene Wenger comes out in the media this week to say the very same thing! Great minds and all that...
Strange then that he chose to pick a 'weakened' side against Leyton Orient yesterday. I use the term 'weakened' loosely as it still contained the likes of Bakary Sagna, Denilson, Alex Song, Tomas Rosicky, Nicklas Bendtner, Andrey Arshavin and Mauranne Chamakh - all of who have regularly figured in the first team squad this season. Perhaps that just shows the strength in depth we have now as Wenger can make ten changes and still field an experienced side who should have been good enough to see off a spirited but limited Orient.
But, just like the earlier rounds against Leeds United and Huddersfield Town, we again appeared to underestimate a lower division side and now face another fixture we could have done without. The performance stank of complacency. We always looked in control but lacked the urgency needed to kill them off, as though we thought it would just happen. Yes, if it wasn't for a decent near post save by their keeper from goalscorer Rosicky and an effort from Arshavin that came back off the post, we would have got the required result but sometimes you have to make your own luck.
Full credit to Orient who never gave up but the fact is the wrong attitude has cost us a place in the quarter final at the first attempt, which is even more frustrating as the reward awaiting us is a trip to Old Trafford.
Now normally that would be a draw you would want to avoid but not anymore, not this season. United have been ordinary for the most part and we will probably never have a better chance of beating them up there, assuming we don't come a cropper in the replay against Orient next week!
Should we make it through the team selection of Wenger for that tie will be interesting and will probably depend on the result of the second leg in Barcelona the midweek before the game. If we get the required result over there then I wouldn't be surprised to see him pick a similar side to the one that played at Orient, with perhaps the addition of Cesc Fabregas or Samir Nasri. No doubt Fergie will be thinking the same about his own team selection.
They say the FA Cup has lost much of its former appeal and perhaps this explains why. Ten years ago a quarter final between Arsenal and United would have seen a full strength side selected by both managers but with Premier League points and Champions League glory now the priority the FA Cup has suffered as a result.
But all that will be forgotten should Wenger and Fergie come face-to-face again next month. No matter which 22 players are selected a meeting between the Premier League's top two is always an occasion to saviour and the winners of this particular encounter will surely be favourites to lift the famous old pot again.

The greatest team in the world? But which one??

A few weeks ago I joked that Arsenal could become the first team to win the quadruple but after last nights magnificent win over Barcelona it may not be a joke after all.

The ball hits the Barca net at the Emirates last night

If ever a team had total belief in themselves and in their manager it was the Gunners last night. After chasing shadows for long periods of the first half they didn't panic, stuck to their guns and ended up with one of the greatest European performances seen by an English club side.
The hype surrounding Barca looked to be justified in the first half, where their passing and movement was a joy to behold, but Arsenal worked hard and even created two or three good chances themselves; Robin van Persie's volley from a lovely chipped Cecs Fabregas pass being the best of them.
But Barca should have been out of sight by the break. Lionel Messi, the best player in the world, missed what can only be described as a sitter when one-on-one with Wojciech Szczecny while the little Argentinian then had a close range header ruled out for a marginal offside decision. By then David Villa had already put Barca ahead and you feared the worst for Arsenal as they trooped off at the break, but whatever Arsene Wenger said to them at half time it certainly did the trick.
They were transformed in the second half and that forty-five minutes will go down as among the greatest of Wenger's time at the club. For long spells his side made Barca look ordinary and while the goals came late on there can be no doubt they were fully deserved. The second, from substitute Andrey Arshavin, was a magnificent effort on the break as Arsenal out-Barca-ed Barca!

Arshavin celebrates his winner last night

But while van Persie and Arshavin rightly took the plaudits for the goals it was the performance of young Jack Wilshere that really stood out. In a midfield containing World Cup winners Xavi and Andres Iniesta little Jack not only held his own but was the best player on the pitch. His birth certificate shows he is just 19 years of age but in footballing terms he is a man, and if the recent transfer fees being paid for average English players is anything to go by then this lad is worth £100million already! Yes Messi is the best player in the world at the moment but he was very much in the shadow of young Wilshere last night.

Wilshere shows a World Cup winner how its done

Meanwhile the much criticised Arsenal defence also rose to the challenge. Laurent Koscienly has had his critics this season but was magnificent against Pedro and Messi while Johan Djourou, Arsenal's best defender this campaign, showed once again what an excellent player he is. But every single one of them worked for the cause, threw themselves at everything and made sure they have a lead to defend in the Nou Camp in a fortnights time.

But will 2-1 be enough? I am confident Arsenal will score over there so Barca would then need three. Possible? With their attacking quality of course it is, but if Wenger's boys show the same spirit, determination and desire again then I see no reason why they cannot finish the job and who would bet against them doing the quadruple then??

A winters day in Oldham...

The life of a Daggers away match reporter is not as glamorous as it sounds. Take my latest assignment for example, Oldham away in the rain in February!
It is a well known fact that Boundary Park is the coldest ground in the country so before the fixtures come out you are hoping it will be in either September or April, but no February it was. Cheers fixture computer!
My only previous visit had also been in February, 1993 on that occasion for a Premier League match between Oldham and Arsenal, and it was one of the coldest games I have ever been to. Thankfully it was nowhere near as cold this time but it was wet. Very, very wet!
After parking the car in the bumpiest and most puddle-ridden road in the whole of Lancashire, my faithful assistant Emerson and I made our way to the box office to collect my press pass. Well when I say box office it was actually just a security guard with a clipboard, but lets not split hairs!
As it turned out the press box was at the back of the main stand and had a distinct lack of power points. Luckily I had charged my laptop the previous night so it was not a major problem but the good news was I sitting next to Radio Stu, who was broadcasting the match for Daggers Player. This guy is a legend around the Essex media scene so it was a pleasure to watch him work...
After obtaining the password for the wi-fi connection I set my laptop to the BBC Sport site to watch the Premier League scores come through and Emerson, of course, had half an eye on the Arsenal match at Newcastle.
With our start delayed for reasons unknown we were kept amused by the score from St. James' Park. While their was still no sign of the teams here Arsenal were already 2-0 up so our day had already improved significantly. Now if only could the Daggers do something similar...
The first half was not the most exciting affair but the Daggers defended superbly and even came close to the opening goal when a fine volley from Nuresy was somehow kept out by their keeper, who I was later informed was on loan from Manchester United.
The excitement at St. James' Park though was reaching unprecedented levels with Arsenal now 4-0 up. And to think I turned down tickets for that to be here...
The second half got off to the worst possible start for us with Oldham taking the lead with a well worked goal just five minutes in and Robbo then came into his own with a series of saves to keep us in it. With all this going on I was unable to keep track of the scores on my computer screen but it soon became clear that amazing things were happening all over the country.
As Newcastle began the mother of all comebacks the goals were flying in left, right and centre elsewhere with eight at Everton, seven at Wigan and four at Villa Park, but the only one I was interested in was the one headed in by Romain Vincelot that brought us level seventeen minutes from time.
I now fancied us to go on and win it but after the late dismissal of Gainey we had to settle for just a point, a great result all the same.
Next was the usual round of post match interviews, the best part of the job for me. First up was John Still and he was in a buoyant mood. No matter how many times we go through this I still cannot get over the look on Emerson's face when he comes face to face with the people he admires the most and John always shakes his hand and says hello to him now.
After recording the wise words of the boss it was down to the changing room area to grab a word or two with some of the players. We really wanted Romain and Scott Doe but as they were in the shower we managed to get Damian Scannell instead.
He was buzzing from the result and his own performance, saying how he hoped to get a run in the side now he was fully fit and that he was convinced we will stay up.
Then, despite feeling down about his red card, Gainey came out for a chat. He was full of praise for the lads and said how much competition we had for midfield places now, which was great for the club. He also said he was unsure as to why he been shown red but seemed in good spirits none-the-less.
John was still hanging around so we stayed for a bit and had a conversation about a young player he has discovered playing for a local side near Heathrow. He was very excited about him although he would not divulge any further information...but remember where you heard it first!
Emerson was now getting cocky and as the players emerged from the changing room he was saying hello to every one of them as though they were all his mates! Very funny to see...
Eventually we left the ground and saw Robbo next to the team coach sending texts on his mobile, probably about how well he had played! Emerson was very excited and wanted a photo with the great man, who of course was only too happy to oblige. Another great memento for him in a season he will never forget. Emerson that is not Robbo...although having said that!

Emerson with the legend that is Robbo

Before the drive home we decided to stop off at McDonalds where we discovered that Manchester United were losing at Wolves. After the shock of Arsenal's capitulation this certainly helped cheer us up and listening to the second half on the radio on the way home made a great finish to another great day following the Daggers.

So glamorous it may not be but bloody good fun it is....

Super Newcastle comeback will be forever tarnished

Was it a second half collapse, an amazing fightback or just a serious of appalling decisions from the officials? Either way the match at St. James' Park on Saturday will live long in the memory of everyone who witnessed it.
For fifty minutes Arsenal looked every bit potential Champions. They had the game seemingly won inside ten minutes with goals from Theo Walcott, Johan Djourou and Robin van Persie, and when the Dutchman then added a fourth midway through the first half it was just a matter of how many more they wanted to score.

van Persie heads Arsenal 4-0 up.

But everything turned on the dismissal of Abu Diaby five minutes into the second half. The challenge on him from Joey Barton was robust and possibly a foul but that did not excuse his subsequent reaction and referee Phil Dowd was right to brandish the red card. What followed though was simply incredible.
With just over twenty minutes left and Arsenal looking home and hosed, Dowd and his motley crew decided to offer them a helping hand. Yes there was contact as Leon Best went over under a challenge from Laurent Koscienly inside the area but to give a penalty for it was harsh to say the least.

Phil Dowd, Newcastle's man of the match?

Barton tucked away what liked like a consolation but as he and Kevin Nolan went to retrieve the ball Arsenal keeper Wojzech Szczchesny refused to hand it over. The reaction of Nolan was no less aggressive then the one which had seen Diaby dismissed earlier as he grabbed the Pole around the neck and tried to wrestle him to the ground. And all this in front of the assistant referee. The verdict? A yellow card for both Szczchesny and Nolan. One rule for one then...
The same assistant then ruled out a perfectly good goal from Best, who was being played at least five yards onside by Tomas Rosicky, before Best did get his reward with a close range finish as the match moved into its final quarter.
But that was not the end of the drama or controversy. With eight minutes left Mike Williamson jumped for high ball into the box with Koscielny and Rosicky in close attendance and amazingly the same assistant awarded Newcastle a second penalty. Was there contact? Well there certainly did not appear to be any and if that is a penalty offence then there would be 10 penalties in every match...
Barton dispatched his second spot kick beyond Szczchesny and there was only going to one outcome now. Yes Cheik Tiote's twenty-five volley that brought the Geordies level was a hell of a strike but the free kick awarded by Dowd that led to it was harsh at best.

Tiote celebrates his late leveller.

With St. James' Park now in uproar van Persie looked to have completed his hat-trick at the other end but in keeping with the farcical nature of the second half the assistant on the other side got in on the act with an offside flag that was every bit as wrong as the one that had earlier denied Best.
So instead of praising what was an amazing comeback by Alan Pardew's men, the whole of the second half has now been tarnished by the shocking decisions of Dowd and talk of a possible betting scam. The record books may show that the match ended in a 4-4 draw but I think we have not heard the last of this by a long way...