CARDIFF CITY 0
NEWCASTLE UNITED 1
Coca-Cola Championship
Cardiff City Stadium
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Kick-off 2.05pm

Craig Hope reports from the Cardiff City Stadium ... Click here for Match Preview, including pen pics on Cardiff City players ...

FULL-TIME SUMMARY

FABRICIO Coloccini sent Newcastle United back to the top of the Championship with the only goal at the Cardiff City Stadium as Chris Hughton's men extended their winning run to five matches.

The Magpies, who had skipper AlanSmith sent off for a second bookable offence in injury time, were camped in their own half for much of the second period but held firm to make it 496 minutes without concession.

The winning goal arrived on 18 minutes when Coloccini, who only arrived back in England less than 48 hours ago from international duty, climbed to head home Ryan Taylor's lofted centre from six yards out for his first for the Geordies.

United are now two points clear at the top with a trip to Blackpool next up on Wednesday.

The Argent

SECOND-HALF UPDATES (click refresh for latest)

Full-time, the Magpies have held on, 1-0!

90+2min - NEWCASTLE SENDING OFF - Skipper Alan Smith receives a second booking as he trips Bothroyd, poised to shoot, on the edge of the area. Chopra smashes the resulting free-kick into the wall and United survive.

90+1min - Steve Harper plucks Ledley's hanging centre from the air with blue bodies closing in - great take.

There will be four minutes added time. Can United hang on?

87min - Joey Barton makes way for Geremi.

84min - Home cries go up for a penalty as Coloccini topples Bothroyd on the by-line - appeals are waved away but that was close.

82min - Burke steals from Enrique on the right and sweeps a low cross into the feet of Michael Chopra, City's top marksman spins but sees his snap shot blocked by a brave Steven Taylor inside the six-yard area - great work from the Geordie defender.

77min - Nicky Butt replaces Ryan Taylor.

75min - Ranger's industry wins a corner for United on the left. Ryan Taylor's in-swinger is paddled away by the palm of a backpedalling Marshall.

73min - Bothroyd flashes a header wide of goal from Ledley's flighted free-kick - good climb but the effort was poor in its execution.

69min - Harper fists clear a Ledley corner but the hosts quickly recycle possession. The ball is worked to Rae 20 yards out, the Scottish midfielder takes aim but is thwarted in his attempt to find a leveller as Steve Harper kneels to save the daisy-cutter with ease.

68min - Kelvin Etuhu replaces Peter Whittingham.

66min - Alan Smith harshly enters the book as he is adjudged to have impeded Ledley.

63min - And so sounds the chant of "Signed on a free, from Germany, Peter Lovenkrands" from the away end.

62min - Peter Lovenkrands comes on for his second United debut with Danny Guthrie making way.

60min - Ryan Taylor's left-wing cross clips off Quinn and loops away for a corner. Taylor lifts into the area but Marshall steps up from his line to snatch from a cluster of heads.

55min - The hosts are in the ascendency and win a corner on the right. Whittingham delivers but a yellow head climbs to clear.

51min - Steven Taylor is caught in possession high in the Cardiff half and the hosts seize the opportunity to break. Chopra carries from halfway before sliding a pass between yellow shirts for Bothroyd to race on to. Steve Harper has read the unfolding danger and dashes from his line to dive at the feet of the City striker, the pair collide with the ball squirming free before Ryan Taylor hacks to the safety of the stand - Bothroyd is left in a heap and requires treatment.

48min - Danny Simpson slips a low ball across the face of goal but there are no United takers and Hudson clears.

No changes during the break as Cardiff get us started.

FIRST-HALF ACTION

Half-time, 1-0 to United.

45+1min - Guthrie clatters into Chopra 25 yards out and Cardiff have a free-kick. The former Magpie man takes but cannot beat the United wall.

There will be two minutes added time.

44min - Danny Guthrie is the next man to see yellow as he drags back Bothroyd on halfway.

43min - Ranger, still just 18, has led the line magnificently for the visitors.

39min - Enrique out-muscles Burke but it's at the expense of a corner as the ball trickles over the by-line. Whittingham's deep centre runs away for a throw-in - poor ball.

34min - From the same attack Enrique finds himself the first man in the book for a tug on Burke on the right flank. Ledley whips low into the danger zone and it's Smith again, this time diving to head over the crossbar, who saves the day for the hosts. The corner, delivered by Whittingham, is cleared by United.

33min - United are on the back foot here and only a well-positioned Alan Smith, inside the six-yard box, blocks Gavin Rae's fizzing, goal-bound strike after Enrique had only half cleared Whittingham's centre.

27min - A let off for the Geordies as Michael Chopra, beating the offside trap, cushions a volley across goal and into the path of the fast-arriving Gavin Rae. The former Rangers man has Steven Taylor for company and the United defender's presence is perhaps enough as the midfielder skies a first-time shot high into the stands from just six yards.

22min - Nile Ranger is back on defensive duty as he towers highest among a cluster of bodies trying to get on the end of Ledley's high corner - great leap by the Toon frontman and good header to avert the danger.

18min -  NEWCASTLE GOAL (0-1): From Ryan Taylor's flag-kick Nile Ranger leaps with keeper David Marshall, the ball drops and is prodded back to Taylor by FABRICIO COLOCCINI. The wideman delivers to the far post where Coloccini climbs to head into the bottom corner for his first for the club.

17min - Ryan Taylor's shot, from 20 yards, cannons off two blue shirts before rolling away for a corner.

16min - Kevin Nolan concedes a needless free-kick as he barges into Jay Bothroyd 25 yards out. But the Scouser makes amends as he stands strong in the yellow-shirted wall to block, before clearing, Whittingham's stinging strike.

14min - United have dominated these early exchanges and are knocking the ball around confidently.

9min - Danny Simpson furrows into the Cardiff penalty area and wins a corner when his cross is blocked by the studs of Capaldi. Ryan Taylor lifts to the far post but Steven Taylor, straining to connect, is unable to direct the ball on goal and the chance is gone.

8min - There's been a break in play to allow for treatment to Capaldi who clashed heads with Simpson climbing to meet Coloccini's long punt forward.

3min - Barton drives up the left flank before rolling a short pass to Danny Guthrie supporting infield. He knocks the ball by Rae but is denied a shot on goal by the sliding Hudson who pokes behind for a corner. Ryan Taylor delivers at speed but the ball evades the flying head of Nile Ranger and runs away for a throw-in.

The Magpies, kitted in their yellow change outfit, get the game started.

Bright blue skies cover the Cardiff City Stadium as the teams emerge into a noise-filled arena.

TEAM NEWS

MANAGER of the month Chris Hughton recalls Fabricio Coloccini to his backline for this afternoon's televised clash at the Cardiff City Stadium.

That means Danny Simpson, who played centre-back in the 1-0 win over Leicester City, reverts to right-back.

Ryan Taylor moves up into midfield where he is joined by Foxes match-winner Danny Guthrie, skipper Alan Smith, Joey Barton and Kevin Nolan.

Nile Ranger, who netted for England Under-19s during the week, ploughs a lone furrow at the forefront on United's attack.

Nicky Butt returns to the bench after an ankle layoff and Peter Lovenkrands is also named among the Magpie substitutes for the first time after returning to the club on September 1.

TEAMS

CCFC: David Marshall, Paul Quinn, Anthony Gerrard, Mark Hudson (c), Tony Capaldi, Peter Whittingham, Gavin Rae, Chris Burke, Joe Ledley, Michael Chopra, Jay Bothroyd
Subs: Peter Enckelman, Gabor Gyepes, Adam Matthews, Mark Kennedy, Kelvin Etuhu, Solomon Taiwo, Steve McPhail

NUFC: Steve Harper, Danny Simpson, Fabricio Coloccini, Steven Taylor, Jose Enrique, Joey Barton, Alan Smith (c), Danny Guthrie, Ryan Taylor, Kevin Nolan, Nile Ranger
Subs: Tim Krul, Tamas Kadar, Geremi, Nicky Butt, Kazenga LuaLua, Peter Lovenkrands, Ryan Donaldson

Referee: Andrew Hall
Attendance: 25, 630