Fulham v Newcastle: Key Moments

By Dan King - Newcastle United Club Reporter

Fulham 2 (Sidwell 19, Rodallega 63)
Newcastle United 1 (Ben Arfa 54)

SECOND HALF UPDATES

 90+4mins: Newcastle's wait for a first away win of the season goes on - they've lost at Fulham with former player Damien Duff involved in both goals. Steve Sidwell gave them a first-half lead through Duff's cutback and although Hatem Ben Arfa equalised with a stunning goal, Duff supplied the ammunition for Hugo Rodallega to head home the winner.

90mins: Gutierrez crosses from the left and Ba adjusts his body well to divert a header towards the far corner but, with Schwarzer beaten, it dropped just wide. There will be four added minutes.

89mins: Sub Petric almost seals the points for Fulham with a blockbuster; his powerful strike from range flew just over with Krul at full stretch - it may even have clipped the bar.

88mins: After Berbatov's snapshot is saved by Krul, United mount an attack of their own and Cisse feeds Ba, whose shot is blocked by Baird.

 86mins: A double substitution for Newcastle: Anita comes off for Sylvain Marveaux and Gael Bigirimana replaces Tiote. For the home side, the lively Rodallega is off for Mladen Petric.

84mins: Now it's Gutierrez's turn to test the veteran Fulham keeper but again, his drive isn't hit hard enough to find a way past the Australian.

83mins: Ameobi gets in a low shot but it lacks the power to beat Schwarzer and the same applies to a strike from Ba a matter of seconds later as United throw everything at the Cottagers.

75mins: Berbatov retrieves Duff's cross and after a lovely touch from Dejagah on the right-hand side of the area, Sidwell gets a sight of goal but fires over.

72mins: This is now an open, end-to-end game and as Fulham mount an attack, Rodallega squirms into a shooting position but his effort is weak and Krul saves.

71mins: Coloccini hits the post - the skipper won the ball just inside the Cottagers box and curled a shot towards goal only to see it crash back off the woodwork. He could have had two goals tonight with a little bit more luck.

 70mins: Duff is involved again as his cross falls to Sidwell, who dinks the ball into the path of Berbatov only for Coloccini to get a vital foot in to steal the ball off his toe. Hatem Ben Arfa makes way for Shola Ameobi in Newcastle's first substitution.

67mins: Ba plays in his compatriot Cisse, whose strike hits the post but the flag is up against the United number nine so it wouldn't have counted anyway.

 63mins - FULHAM GOAL: Duff has his second assist of the night as Fulham regain the lead. The former Magpies winger sends in a delightful free-kick from the right and Rodallega loses his man to head past the helpless Krul from six yards. Parity lasted just nine minutes for United, who must now do it all over again if they're to get back into this.

 62mins: Danny Simpson loses out to Kacaniklic who feeds Rodallega, who in turn plays in Berbatov and the Bulgarian picks out the run of Sidwell but the excellent Krul is off his line instantly to thwart the midfielder, who thought he was in. Fulham take off Kacaniklic in their first change of the evening, with Ashkan Dejagah coming on.

61mins: Riise gets down the left and crosses for Rodallega, who chests the ball down intelligently but Kacaniklic blazes over the bar from the edge of the area.

58mins: Cisse again holds play up well, heading the ball down to Ba who sizes up an effort from 25 yards but doesn't get enough power behind it, allowing Schwarzer to scoop the ball up as he dives to his right.

 54mins - NEWCASTLE GOAL: What a sensational strike from a sensational player - Hatem Ben Arfa has equalised out of nothing. He received the ball from Anita out on the right, checked back inside and then sent a wonderful shot arrowing into the top corner with Schwarzer anticipating the ball going to the other side. He got nowhere near it and on his return from injury, the Frenchman has his third of the season and one to rival his effort against Aston Villa earlier in the season.

51mins: After Rodallega's clever lay-off, Berbatov sprints into the box from the left and scoops a shot into the side-netting. The two Fulham strikers' link-up play is impressive when their team-mates get the ball up to them.

49mins: Today's attendance is 25,270, with the Newcastle end packed to the rafters for a televised Monday night trip to the capital.

47mins: Cisse holds the ball up well and tees up Anita on the edge of the area, with the Dutchman's searing strike going just over the bar - it's an encouraging start to the half from United as they look to carry on where they left off at the end of the first period.

 46mins: There are no changes at either side as Newcastle get the second period underway after making the long walk from the Craven Cottage dressing rooms to the dugouts on the other side of the pitch.

FIRST HALF UPDATES

 45+1mins: It's half-time and Fulham, seeking a first win in seven, are in front. But Newcastle ended strongly and if they can keep that level of performance up they could well get back into this. Click here for the half-time report.

45mins: From the resulting corner, Anita's deliverery is flapped at by Schwarzer and falls to Ba, whose shot is blocked on the line by Riether - the second goal-line clearance he's made in this match. There will be one minute of stoppage time.

44mins: Coloccini receives the ball in his own half and then, after a one-two, plays in Gutierrez with a clever pass. He has a shot from 22 yards as it takes a deflection off Brede Hangeland to take it wide. United are pressing hard at the end of this half.

39mins: Lovely skill from the supremely gifted Berbatov sees him feed Sidwell, who in turn picks out John Arne Riise on the left and his rising shot goes over the bar. United won't want to allow the ex-Liverpool man too many sights of goal.

32mins: An inventive corner kick routine from United almost pays off as Anita floats a right-wing cross towards Coloccini, who arrives from nowhere to send a powerful header towards the top corner but Riether heads it off the line. So unlucky - the skipper almost had Newcastle back on level terms but at least it shows United are working hard on set-pieces after having little joy from them this season.

30mins: Rodallega slips in Sascha Riether, the marauding Fulham full-back, on the right and his cross is palmed away by Krul but only as far as Berbatov, who takes a touch and then shoots. Krul gets something to the ball and that proves crucial as Williamson is able to hack it away - it's another let-off for the Magpies.

24mins: A Jonas Gutierrez cross from the left is half-cleared by the Cottagers and falls to Santon. The Italian, still looking for his first goal for Newcastle, lets fly from 25 yards but his effort takes a slight nick off a white shirt and that takes the pace off the shot, allowing the ball to roll into Schwarzer's hands.

20mins: It's almost 2-0 as Tiote concedes possession cheaply allowing Dimitar Berbatov to race through the middle. The exposed Tim Krul stands up tall, though, and makes a vital save to keep United in the game.

 19mins - FULHAM GOAL (1-0): Duff, who always seems to play well against his old club, is involved again as the Cottagers take the lead midway through the half. He burst down the right and jinked into the box, leaving Davide Santon on the ground before cutting the ball back to Steve Sidwell. His shot might have been going in anyway but hit Williamson and went in off the crossbar.

18mins: Duff crosses from the right and Hugo Rodallega beats the offside trap and takes the ball on his chest, but fires over the bar with his acrobatic effort.

15mins: Newcastle break from a Fulham corner through Hatem Ben Arfa, Vurnon Anita, Demba Ba and Coloccini, with Anita eventually having a shot from 22 yards which goes harmlessly wide. Then Schwarzer's poor goal kick leads to United regaining possession and the keeper has to make amends by beating Ba to Papiss Cisse's cross from the right.

3mins: Vurnon Anita's high free-kick tempts Mark Schwarzer from his line but he doesn't get much on the ball and it comes out to Danny Simpson, whose delivery from the right is met by the head of Williamson; alas, his effort loops wide.

 1min: Fulham take the kick-off under the floodlight's at the unique and charming Craven Cottage with both sides currently level on points and eager to move up the Barclays Premier League table. The hosts, who are one place higher courtesy of a better goal difference, are seeking a first win in seven games while United should be buoyed by their victory over Wigan seven days ago. Alan Pardew's side are in their burgundy change kit with Fulham in white shirts and black shorts and are kicking towards their travelling fans in the opening period. But inside the opening seconds it's Martin Jol's team who go on the attack, with Damien Duff slipping in Alexander Kacaniklic who is only denied a clear run on goal by a superb tackle from Fabricio Coloccini.

Fulham (4-4-2): Mark Schwarzer; Sascha Riether, Brede Hangeland (c), Aaron Hughes, John Arne Riise; Damien Duff, Steve Sidwell, Chris Baird, Alex Kacaniklic (askhan Dejagah 62); Dimitar Berbatov, Hugo Rodallega (Mladen Petric 86)

Subs not used: Neil Etheridge, Philippe Senderos, Giorgos Karagounis, Mahamadou Diarra, Kieran Richardson

Newcastle United: (4-2-3-1): Tim Krul; Danny Simpson, Mike Williamson, Fabricio Coloccini (c), Davide Santon; Cheick Tiote (Gael Bigirimana 86), Vurnon Anita (Sylvain Marveaux 86); Papiss Cisse, Hatem Ben Arfa (Shola Ameobi 70), Jonas Gutierrez; Demba Ba

Substitutes: Steve Harper, James Tavernier, Shane Ferguson, James Perch

Referee: Lee Mason

Attendance: 25,270