Chelsea 2, Newcastle 1

Dec 30 2007 by Neil Farrington, Sunday Sun

AT the end of a week in which a Boxing Day beating and Joey Barton’s latest alleged fisticuffs left him on his knees, Sam Allardyce was dealt the lowest blow of all.

But while he may stand as condemned by some as Barton, this dose of capital punishment should do Allardyce no terminal harm.

For he, his side and the fans depicted by some as a lynch mob-in-waiting were robbed yesterday. Plain and simple.

Linesman Mike Cairns aided and abetted Salomon Kalou to steal a winner three minutes from time.

And, in doing so, the feeble flag-waver rescued Chelsea Football Club from not only the loss of two potentially priceless points, but from disgrace.

Recent days have seen football’s great and good queuing up to condemn Newcastle’s supporters for piling “unwarranted” pressure on Allardyce.

But which manager was being baited with chants of “You don’t know what you’re doing” after barely an hour yesterday? No, not Big Sam, but Avram Grant, whose efforts to keep Chelsea in the title race are wasted on his fickle “faithful”.

Jose Mourinho’s name rang out around the ground as the Blues huffed and puffed in response to Nicky Butt’s 55th-minute equaliser.

And to think Newcastle fans are accused of living in the past . . .

Not only was Butt’s leveller – scruffy though it was – deserved, it also spared the blushes of Obafemi Martins.

The Nigerian struck the only duff note in a sound Newcastle performance – squandering three first-half chances and flouncing down the tunnel when replaced by Michael Owen 16 minutes from time.

Yet Martins would have had a hand in a United winner before he left, but for Juliano Belletti preventing his cross from presenting Damien Duff with a certain goal.

And Newcastle in general looked the likelier victors until Cairns’ intervention – or non-intervention.

Chelsea, bruised and battered from their own Boxing Day tear-up against Aston Villa, were as vulnerable as they will ever be at the Bridge.

And although Allardyce’s team, with Cacapa recalled at the back and Abdoulaye Faye in the midfield anchor role, bore a familiarly conservative look, they took the game to their hosts better than they ever did at Wigan on Wednesday.

Despite seemingly boasting more creativity among their subs – Owen joining Emre and Mark Viduka on the bench – than in their starting XI, United should have gone ahead within six minutes.

Having been wiped out on the left touchline by Alex, Martins ghosted behind the centre-back from Charles N’Zogbia’s free kick to be presented with a glorious chance.

But the Nigerian’s first touch betrayed him badly enough to allow home keeper Hilario to close down the angles and block his toe-poked shot.

Michael Ballack lashed wildly over a few minutes later after good work by Shaun Wright-Phillips.

But that was nothing next to the next opportunity to come Martins’ way.

A canny interception and fine pass by Butt put him away through the middle, but Martins’ frayed confidence was all too clear as he dithered long enough for both defenders to make up ground and crowd him out.

Martins’ misery might have been compounded moments later as Kalou met Ballack’s cut-back, but Shay Given beat out the striker’s drive.

And the Irishman did better still to claw away a shot by John Obi Mikel deflected goalwards by Butt.

But the pressure was mounting, as an angry finger-wagging argument between Steven Taylor and Cacapa proved.

Faye acted as peacemaker, but having frayed at the edges then, Newcastle’s rearguard was promptly ripped apart.

Alex should have scored before Essien’s opener, but directed a header straight at Given.

Yet there was no escape – if also little luck – for United moments later.

Wright-Phillips’ snatched shot took a deflection off Kalou which saw the ball fall perfectly for Michael Essien – despite Taylor’s lunge – to beat Given from close range.

The goal brought the inevitable warning of impending unemployment to Allardyce from the natives, but his side didn’t disgrace him.

Indeed, they might have gone in at the break level had Martins not made a terrible hash of his finish from Cacapa’s 42nd-minute pass.

Mind, Wright-Phillips made an even bigger hash of a far-post header in injury-time, having already delayed a cut-back to Kalou long enough for Butt to intercept and save a certain goal.

Having ended the half on top, Chelsea re-emerged intent on killing the game off.

But it was a self-inflicted blow which almost did for Newcastle, as Butt’s interception of another Wright-Phillips cross flashed goalwards and forced a fine save from Given.

Yet if Chelsea were teaching Allardyce the benefit of wingers, N’Zogbia was about to provide a happier lesson.

Having made a searing run down the left, the Frenchman broke a tackle from Juliano Belletti and unleashed a fierce low cross.

And although Martins made minimal contact, it was enough for the ball to elude Wayne Bridge and fall for Butt to scramble home.

Game on.

Asked to respond, Chelsea briefly did so. But so too Given, who saved smartly from a Kalou header and Ballack shot.

And with those missed chances seemingly went Chelsea’s belief – a fact summed up when Grant was given the bird for bringing off Cole and Ballack.

A scaffold might have been erected – for Grant – had Newcastle grabbed the winner that their football perhaps deserved.

But Martins saw Belletti beat Duff to the aforementioned cross; an agonising moment which preceded an unbearable late injustice.

Alex had miscued a header and Pizarro had shot wide, but United were defending relatively comfortably as the clock ran down.

That was until Essien let fly with a shot which hit Pizarro before falling for an offside Kalou.

Offside when the shot was fired. Offside when it was deflected. Offside, not by inches, but by five yards.

Kalou promptly stuck the ball away. United’s players turned as one towards Cairns, who bottled it.

The Premier League should now have the bottle to strike him off.