Newcastle United 0 Bristol City 0

Oct 4 2009 by Neil Farrington, Sunday Sun

HAVING got themselves in a pickle over Kevin Keegan, Newcastle found a Gerken hard to swallow yesterday.

And when gutsy stand-in goalkeeper Dean Gerken wasn’t defying United, referee Graham Salisbury left them sick to the stomach.

With knocking on wood also bringing them no luck, little wonder the fact that Newcastle lost no ground for another two points lost was, well, lost on their players and public.

Only told he was playing at five to three after the Robins’ first-choice Adriano Basso strained his groin warming up, Gerken was caught anything but cold.

Two stunning saves in the space of a few seconds from Danny Guthrie and Kevin Nolan inspired City’s second-half rearguard action.

The sight of United twice being denied by the crossbar, in even quicker succession, further suggested this just wasn’t their day.

And Salisbury – and linesman Phil Bramley – all but confirmed as much by denying Marlon Harewood what appeared a clear-cut penalty after he tumbled over substitute Jamie McCombe.

That was frustration upon frustration for Harewood, who had been thwarted by a post early on in a dismal opening period.

Never mind whether he could find Nacho Gonzalez on YouTube, Keegan need not bother surfing for first-half highlights of this game.

Against the club which provided KK’s first opposition as their manager, the Magpies faded badly after a brightish start.

The Robins – like so many sides in this division, neither any great shakes nor total mugs – knocked Newcastle out of their early stride all too easily.

But the second half was one-way traffic . . . until United hit the combined roadblock of referee, goalkeeper and woodwork.

Caretaker boss Chris Hughton rang the changes – three by choice, one enforced – after Wednesday’s minor tale of woe against QPR.

Jose Enrique’s tight hamstring meant Danny Simpson switched to left-back, with Jonas Gutierrez in from the off, and midweek saviour Harewood making his maiden start up front with Peter Lovenkrands – rather than Andy Carroll or Nile Ranger – for company.

That meant Kevin Nolan retreated into a conventional midfield role.

But although Nicky Maynard had a long-range early strike which forced Steve Harper into a sprawling save, it was United who, unlike in midweek, made the early running. And none initially looked more up for it than Harewood.

The burly striker had already had two shouts for handball against City left-back Jamie McAllister ignored when fortune eluded him again in the seventh minute.

Gutierrez sent Lovenkrands scampering down the left, and the Dane dinked the ball delightfully into the path of Harewood, leaving him bearing down on Gerken.

But although Harewood’s jabbed finish easily beat the keeper, it clipped the inside of the left-hand post and somehow fell to safety.