Newcastle United snatched their first away win since the first game of the season at Fulham tonight after a dramatic stoppage time penalty from Joey Barton.
The Scouse midfielder slammed home the ball late in the day to extend United’s unbeaten run to three games and grab United’s first win on the road since the 3-1 success at Bolton.
United ran out at Craven Cottage in their light blue kit with Big Sam making just one change to the side that had beaten Birmingham City as 4,000 Toon fans roared their side on to the field.
With Steven Taylor out injured with a hamstring injury Brazilian defender Cacapa returned to the starting XI for the first time since the 4-1 capitulation against Portsmouth.
Cacapa took his place in the heart of defence alongside David Rozehnal while last week’s goal hero Habib Beye played at right-back, Charles N’Zogbia was on the left hand side of the back four.
United lined up with skipper Geremi, Nicky Butt and Joey Barton in midfield and the attack consisted of Alan Smith as the target man with James Milner to his left and Oba Martins to his right.
Beye must have thought he’d scored again on seven minutes but Simon Davies managed to get in a crucial intervention with his head after Geremi’s flag kick.
However, on 12 minutes Shay Given was called into action when Clint Dempsey played in Northern Ireland star David Healy but his right footed effort was palmed away by the Toon keeper.
Two minutes later though a superb cross from Milner down the left was headed goal-wards by the unmarked Barton from close range but Antti Niemi got down well to scramble away the danger.
Yet there was little danger of any keeper picking the ball out of their respective nets until two minutes before the break.
N’Zogbia ventured forwards down the left but even then his daisy cutter went gratefully into the arms if Niemi to close the curtains on a poor first period.
With 11 minutes on the clock in the second half United’s goal was under threat for the first time since the re-start but Healy’s effort went straight at Given after he latched on to a long ball.
Big Sam changed things on 59 minutes when captain Geremi was replaced by Emre as Newcastle looked for a breakthrough with Smith taking the armband.
Emre was on hand six minutes later to whip in a free-kick after a foul on the Turk by Healy but Niemi gathered once again as Butt’s header failed to trouble Fulham.
Newcastle won a free-kick again on 77 minutes when Dempsey handballed.
And at this point Big Sam introduced Mark Viduka for Martins who reluctantly made his way off the field after a quiet afternoon.
Fulham actually nodded off by the time the set-piece was taken but Rozehnal dragged an effort wide from Milner’s free-kick and the game remained deadlocked.
United’s best effort arrived with four minutes left after Beye’s long throw was cleared into the path of Barton but his snapshot was held by Niemi.
But there was drama in stoppage time as ref Webb pointed to the spot after Omozusi’s foul on Smith.
Barton stepped up in front of the Toon Army and slotted the ball into the net past Niemi to hand Newcastle three points.
FULHAM: Niemi, Bocanegra, Stefanovic, Healy, Davis (Kuqi 75), Hughes, Omozusi, Dempsey, Bouazza, Davies, Murphy.
Subs: Warner, Seol Ki-Hyeon, Smertin, Baird.
UNITED: Given, Beye, Rozehnal, Cacapa, N’Zogbia, Geremi (Emre 59), Butt, Barton, Martins (Viduka 77), Smith, Milner.
Subs: Harper, Enrique, Edgar
Ref: Howard Webb (South Yorkshire)
Crowd: 24, 959
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