Newcastle United

1-0

Southampton

Dyer 68

 

 


The FA Cup Fifth Round Proper
St. James' Park
Saturday 18 February 2006
Winning club receives £120,000
18 February 2006
VIDEO: Fifth Round - Newcastle United 1-0 Southampton

Southampton gave Newcastle a run for their money until Kieron Dyer's classy second half effort sealed the tie.




Kieron Dyer marked his long-awaited comeback with the goal that booked Newcastle's place in the last eight of The FA Cup.

Injury-plagued Dyer, in his first start since August, stood in for the sidelined Alan Shearer. And the Magpies' skipper, ruled out with calf trouble, was smiling on the bench when Dyer struck in the 68th minute to avert an upset.

Plucky Championship strugglers Southampton looked capable of embarrassing the home side before Dyer cashed in on Charles N'Zogbia's verve and vision.

The teenage Frenchman tore the Saints' defence apart with a brilliant run before sliding the ball to Dyer, who drilled a right-foot finish inside the near post to break the brave resistance of Bartosz Bialkowski.

The Polish keeper had performed miracles, but was stretchered off in the 81st minute with a jarred knee as the visitors, having used all three subs, ended the game with one of them in goal - striker Dexter Blackstock.

This was Newcastle's third straight win under caretaker boss Glenn Roeder, but Saints head coach George Burley has now won only three of his 14 games in charge since he took over just before Christmas.

Newcastle pressed from the start. N'Zogbia whipped the ball across the face of goal from the left and Shola Ameobi just failed to get on the end of it before Nobby Solano emerged at the far post to force a smart save from Bialkowski.

Four minutes later, Scott Parker set up Ameobi on the left of the Saints' box and, although Bialkowski had it covered at the near post, the ball struck the outside of the upright.

Dyer brought another stop from Bialkowski after delightful interplay with Solano. The pair exchanged passes before Dyer raced on to the final ball to squeeze in a shot that the Polish keeper saved low to his left.

Bialkowski, 18, then produced a superlative reflex save to turn aside Ameobi's ferocious left-foot shot from close range.

But he was fortunate soon afterwards when Boumsong - making his 50th Newcastle appearance - beat the keeper to Emre's right-wing corner to head against the angle of post and bar.

At the other end, Newcastle keeper Shay Given was also kept busy and made one outstanding save from Saints striker Kenwyne Jones. But in the end it was Shearer and Roeder who were left smiling as the Magpies go into the hat for the Quarter-Final draw at Soho Square on Monday.

Newcastle United
Given, Ramage, Bramble, Boumsong, Elliott, Solano, Parker, Emre, N'Zogbia, K Dyer (Bowyer, 76) , Ameobi (Luque, 70)
Subs not used: Harper, Faye, Clark

Southampton
Bialkowski, Ostlund, Powell, Lundekvam (Potter, 46) , Brennan, Cranie, Wright, Jones (Blackstock, 76) , Oakley, Pahars (N Dyer, 46) , Madsen
Subs not used: Smith, Kenton, 

Referee: M Atkinson

Attendance: 40,975