Newcastle v Fulham : Key Moments

By Dan King - Newcastle United Digital Editor

Newcastle United 1 (Ben Arfa 86)
Fulham 0

SECOND HALF UPDATES

90+4mins: Another fine contribution from Stockdale, who thwarts first Gouffran and then Sissoko who follows up, but it matters little - the whistle goes moments later and Newcastle have claimed their first three points of the season. Hatem Ben Arfa's late goal was decisive and it was a strike worthy of winning any game.

90+3mins: Sissoko crosses from the right and Cabaye just can't turn it home. Then as United attack again, Gouffran dribbles into the box and lets fly but Stockdale makes a superb one-handed save to push the ball over the bar.

90+2mins: Cisse decides to shoot from 25 yards and it goes over the bar but at least it wastes a few more seconds for Newcastle.

90mins: Fourth official Neil Swarbrick signals that there will be four minutes added on.

88mins: Having played for a draw for the last 88 minutes, Martin Jol now has to change tack and replaces Steve Sidwell with Hugo Rodallega.

86mins - NEWCASTLE GOAL (1-0): Now that's hard to take for Fulham - but it's no less than Newcastle deserve. Hatem Ben Arfa brings the ball down on his chest, jinks into the box and curls a stinging shot past Stockdale, who doesn't even move. He would have got nowhere near it even if he had. There are great scenes of celebration in the stands and on the pitch as even Krul rushes to join in - now United must see the job through.

85mins: Fulham almost snatch it was Riise's cross is cut out by Fabricio Coloccini but falls straight to Tarrabt, who is denied by a fine reaction save from Krul. That would have been hard to take.

84mins: Another chance goes begging for Newcastle - Ben Arfa's corner from the left is headed goalwards by Debuchy but it goes just wide. Fulham would definitely settle for a draw right now but United are going for it.

82mins: Cabaye is booked for a late tackle on Alex Kacaniklic before Darren Bent is substituted for Adel Taarabt.

80mins: The increasingly influential Ben Arfa arcs a beautiful cross towards Gouffran at the far post and his downward header goes wide - he should have scored.

79mins: Remy releases Gouffran, whose low delivery flashes all the way across goal to Ben Arfa who skips inside and sees his low drive blocked by the outstretched leg of Stockdale.

78mins: Ben Arfa crosses from the right and Cisse's header crashes off the top of the crossbar - that's the closest either side has come to scoring and Newcastle are beginning to turn the screw now.

76mins: Riise is booked for a foul on Remy, whose pace is already starting to trouble Fulham.

75mins: Cabaye's left-wing corner is met by the head of Gouffran but not for the first time, Stockdale is in the perfect place to save without too much fuss.

74mins: Now comes United's third and final change and it's a debut for Loic Remy. He replaces Sylvain Marveaux and it looks as if Newcastle are effectively playing three up front now.

73mins: Martin Jol makes his first change and it's a straight swap - Matthew Briggs is on for Sascha Riether, who seemed to hurt himself as he blocked a Gouffran shot a couple of minutes earlier.

67mins: Cabaye's first action is to concede a rather harsh free-kick on the edge of the area and Ruiz's effort is heading towards the top corner before Tim Krul pushes it away with his first save of the match.

65mins: Gouffran replaces Ameobi, who has battled well but had little change out of Hughes and Hangeland, while Cabaye is on for Vurnon Anita.

64mins: Fulham's players are throwing themselves in the way of Newcastle shots - first Cisse's goalbound effort was heroically kept out by Riise, then Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa's strike is deflected away from danger. Desperate stuff from the Cottagers but it's working for them so far. Pardew will now bring on Gouffran and Cabaye.

62mins: Debuchy makes a good interception to toe-end the ball towards Cisse, who in turn finds Ben Arfa. He cuts inside from the right and Stockdale is relieved to see the United man's deflected effort fall kindly into his arms.

59mins: Yohan Cabaye warms up for the first time today, along with Loic Remy and Yoan Gouffran. It's a mixed reception for Cabaye, whose Newcastle future remains unclear, but he could well be called upon to help unlock this stubborn Fulham backline.

46mins: No changes for either side as Newcastle take kick-off, attacking towards the Gallowgate end.

FIRST HALF UPDATES

45+1min: Chris Foy blows for half-time and while Newcastle have looked to make things happen here, they've yet to find a way through against a dogged visiting side who look happy to take a point based on this opening 45 minutes. Today's crowd is 46,402 including 460 Fulham fans. Click here for the half-time report.

45mins: Scott Parker is booked for pulling Marveaux back. There will be one minute of stoppage time.

44mins: Now Hatem Ben Arfa comes forwards but shoots high into the crowd from distance - Fulham are frustrating the Magpies at the moment and the supporters are starting to get edgy too.

43mins: Two half-chances for Newcastle - first Cisse heads wide then after Marveaux's clever weighted pass, Debuchy blasts into the stand when a cross may have been a better option.

37mins: Loic Remy comes to warm up, followed by Yoan Gouffran, and both receive generous applause. Alan Pardew said in midweek that Remy was only fit enough to play a small part today but as the match goes on, his pace and ability might be needed to break down this determined Cottagers outfit.

32mins: Cisse gets a lucky bounce off Riise to get a shot away from ten yards but Stockdale pushes his shot away at his near post. It was a narrow angle and the goalkeeper was always favourite but again, it's Newcastle who are asking all the questions here in what has been a fairly dull match so far.

31mins: Bent lays the ball off to Ruiz but the midfielder's effort is horribly off target. It's their first shot of the game. Dan Gosling, Sammy Ameobi and Paul Dummett are then sent to warm up, receiving warm applause from the Leazes faithful.

29mins: Sissoko breaks play up in his own box as he tackles Berbatov, then gets the ball back to clip a perfect pass towards Papiss Cisse. Alas, the striker's touch just lets him down - had he controlled it, he was clean through on goal.

22mins: After something of a lull, the game bursts into life as Debuchy tries his luck from 30 yards and David Stockdale, the former Darlington goalkeeper, does well to get behind it. Newcastle look the most likely so far but in Bent, Berbatov and Bryan Ruiz, the visitors will always pose a threat on the break.

10mins: Moussa Sissoko bursts past a challenge on the halfway line from Brede Hangeland and advances towards goal but his shot is blocked by John Arne Riise. We saw glimpses of it against West Ham last weekend and that was another example of the Frenchman's pace and power.

5mins: Ameobi wins a corner as he draws a challenge from Hughes and Sylvain Marveaux's delivery is met by the head of Fabricio Coloccini but blocked by a Fulham defender.

3mins: Mathieu Debuchy's floated diagonal ball is chased by Shola Ameobi, who bullies his marker and former team-mate, Aaron Hughes, and wins the header but can only divert it wide of the goal. That'll be some battle today between two men who are complete gentlemen off the pitch but will fight for everything on it.

1min: Fulham take kick-off, attacking towards the Gallowgate End, through Dimitar Berbatov and Darren Bent. The Cottagers are in red shirts with white shorts and red socks with United in black and white. There's only a small away following here but most of the home areas are full.

Newcastle United (4-4-2): Tim Krul; Mathieu Debuchy, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, Fabricio Coloccini (c), Davide Santon; Hatem Ben Arfa, Moussa Sissoko, Vurnon Anita (Yohan Cabaye 65), Sylvain Marveaux (Loic Remy 74); Shola Ameobi (Yoan Gouffran 65), Papiss Cisse

Subs not used: Rob Elliot, Paul Dummett, Dan Gosling, Sammy Ameobi, Loic Remy

Fulham (4-4-2): David Stockdale; Sascha Riether (Matthew Briggs 73), Brede Hangeland (c), Aaron Hughes, John Arne Riise; Alex Kacaniklic, Steven Sidwell (Hugo Rodallega 88), Scott Parker, Bryan Ruiz; Dimitar Berbatov, Darren Bent (Adel Taarabt 82)

Subs not used: Neil Etheridge, Derek Boateng, Giorgios Karagounis, Damien Duff

Referee: Chris Foy