Newcastle United 2 Watford 0

Dec 6 2009 by Neil Farrington, Sunday Sun

IF David Haye had seen Fabrice Pancrate in action a month earlier, he might have done more than merely beat Nikolai Valuev.

Armed with a lesson in late knock-out blows from Newcastle’s new French fancy, Britain’s latest world boxing champion would have laid the Russian out in that memorable last round in Nuremberg.

Never mind the Hayemaker, Watford were hit by the Flying Pan – and how – as United clocked up a sixth straight, but far from straightforward, victory.

Haye paraded his WBA belt on the pitch at half-time, having already seen some muscle from Newcastle’s own heavyweight – Marlon Harewood – tee up Peter Lovenkrands’ 20th-minute opening goal.

But the dismissal of Amir Khan’s mate Kevin Nolan four minutes after the restart left United bobbing and weaving on the ropes almost throughout the second period.

Enter Pancrate.

With seven minutes left, the previously unemployed Frenchman signed a fortnight ago on a mere season-long contract produced footwork worthy of Khan and a piledriver of a finish to finally draw the Hornets’ sting.

The goal was a thing of beauty to crown yet another ugly win.

Six wins on the bounce is a record unmatched at St James’ Park since 1996/97.

But the football which is taking United back towards the Premier League bears little resemblance – Pancrate’s strike apart – to that of Kevin Keegan’s cavaliers.

That fact was best summed up by Lovenkrands’ opener, which was set up by a wildly fortunate ricochet from Harewood’s challenge on visiting keeper Scott Loach.

There has been some decent football played at both ends before that point.

Preferred up front to a well-again Andy Carroll, Harewood produced a clever backheel to tee up Nolan for a shot which forced Loach into a fumbling low save.

Even better was a breakneck run and cross from Jose Enrique which went wasted by Lovenkrands.

But it was Watford, through Gateshead-born Danny Graham, who went closest to an early goal.

The former Middlesbrough and Carlisle (and Chester-le-Street) striker ghosted goal-side of Fabricio Coloccini, rounded Steve Harper and squeezed the ball goalwards from the tightest of angles, only for Steven Taylor to scramble it off the line.

Watford, though gutted, were galvanised. United, for a while, floundered.

With Newcastle target Tom Cleverley a yard quicker to the ball in midfield than anybody in black and white, the Hornets were buzzing.

But the luck that seemingly stays with top of the table teams was not about to abandon Newcastle. Not with another of Hughton’s fancies – Craig Cathcart – around.

The defender who United tried to sign in the summer sold Loach short with a backpass, Harewood slid in on the keeper and the ball quirted across goal for a disbelieving but delighted Lovenkrands to stroke home.