The late show with Joey Barton

Another stoppage time goal ensured Newcastle left London with only their second league win of the campaign and their first since the opening day. On what was a pretty dismal affair with both times lacking in guile and creativity Newcastle were awarded a 90th minute penalty in which Joey Barton converted. The game itself was abject with Newcastle looking only deadly from set pieces and the home side rarely testing Shay Given’s goal. Big Sam’s side started the better – passing the ball around nicely, one-two touch football and producing a few half chances. Fulham played through width, Hameur Bouazza putting some dangerous balls in the Newcastle penalty area. In the midst of Allardyce frantically barking instructions to his player’s, birthday boy Elliot Omozusi took down Alan Smith in the final minutes of the game. After a brief debate between Barton and Milner it was the new boy who stepped up and although Anti Niemi got the smallest of touches, the pace on the ball was too much. The goal sent the impressive travelling Toon Army into a frenzied rapture, which gives under pressure Allardyce a little more breathing space. A clean sheet and away win sounds nice but the overall quality of the game was somewhat concerning. With two winnable games coming up against Derby (h) and Wigan (a) Newcastle will be looking to extend their unbeaten run, with the ‘ugly football’ tag removed.