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Top Ten: 4-3 Scorelines Involving Newcastle United

Newcastle United’s 4-3 Carling Cup defeat at Blackburn Rovers last night, having beaten Nottingham Forest by the same scoreline in the same competition just one month ago, got Football Burp thinking: how many 4-3 scorelines have the Magpies been involved in in recent years? The answer being: quite a lot, since you ask. Here are ten other such occasions…

Top Ten 4-3 scorelines involving Newcastle United
Rollercoaster... Bit like a football match (Image courtesy of Michael Gray)

Chelsea 3-4 Newcastle United, 22nd September 2010

The home side took an early lead through Patrick van Aanholt before a Nile Ranger volley and Ryan Taylor free-kick saw the Toon Army celebrating a half-time lead. Soon after the break, Shola Ameobi pounced on a loose pass from Paulo Ferreira to put Newcastle 3-1 up in style and they threatened to run away with it after injuries left Chelsea with just ten men on the pitch. Nevertheless, Carlo Ancelotti’s side rallied and levelled the scores through a Nicolas Anelka brace, but Ameobi had the final say with a glancing header in stoppage time.

Newcastle United 4-3 Manchester City, 25th October 2004

After a goalless first half, the Magpies notched up a two-goal lead through French winger Laurent Robert and an Alan Shearer penalty, before a remarkable flurry of three goals in just five minutes saw the visitors level through Shaun Wright-Phillips and a Robbie Fowler penalty then go behind again to a Robbie Elliott header. Wright-Phillips made it 3-3 less than ten minutes later, setting the stage for Craig Bellamy – who of course would go on to play for City – stole the points for Newcastle with a flicked volley in the 89th minute.

Bolton Wanderers 4-3 Newcastle United, 26th December 2002

Trotters legend Jay Jay Okocha opened the scoring in the fifth minute of this Boxing Day thriller, with Alan Shearer equalising in the eighth minute and Ricardo Gardner restoring the home side’s lead after nine. A second half brace from Michael Ricketts saw Sam Allardyce’s Bolton threaten to run away with it, but two goals in ten minutes from Shola Ameobi and Alan Shearer left them hanging on to claim the points.

Leeds United 3-4 Newcastle United, 22nd December 2001

Bobby Robson’s top-of-the-table side took a 38th minute lead through Craig Bellamy but David O’Leary’s “babies” equalised a minute later and then took a second-half lead with goals apiece from Magpies-to-be Lee Bowyer and Mark Viduka. Ian Harte’s thumping effort put the home side 3-1 to the good before Robbie Elliott, prolific as he was on these occasions, pulled one back with a header a few minutes later. An Alan Shearer penalty levelled matters after Eirik Bakke handled in the box and then popular Peruvian winger Nolberto Solano stole the points in injury time from a Kieron Dyer pass.

Newcastle United 4-3 Manchester United, 15th September 2001

Sir Bobby Robson’s one hundredth match as Newcastle manager saw his side take the lead through a spectacular Laurent Robert free-kick after just four minutes, before Ruud van Nistelrooy equalised just before the half-hour mark. Goals either side of half-time from Rob Lee and Nikos Dabizas put the Geordies 3-1 up, a lead which was eradicated by two goals in three minutes from Ryan Giggs and Juan Sebastian Veron. An 82nd minute winner from Alan Shearer sent the St James’ Park faithful home in a celebratory mood, but not before Roy Keane was sent off for “unsporting conduct”.

Newcastle United 4-3 Bradford City, 2nd November 2000

Another League Cup match, Newcastle were three goals to the good through an Alan Shearer brace either side of a Daniel Cordone strike, all in six first-half minutes. Ian Nolan pulled one back for the visitors before the break before substitute Ashley Ward pulled the Bantams level with a brace of his own and very nearly rounded off a hat-trick with an 86th minute attempt that was well saved by Steve Harper. 20-year-old defender Steven Caldwell then won it with a goal on his first senior start for the Magpies.

Liverpool 4-3 Newcastle United, 10th March 1997

Not only was this the third of three 4-3 scorelines to feature Newcastle in the 1996-97 season alone but it was also the second campaign running that saw them lose by this score at Liverpool, a fact which still excites Sky Sports commentators to this day. Roy Evans’ Liverpool led 3-0 at half-time through Steve McManaman, Patrik Berger and Robbie Fowler, before the Magpies came storming back with goals in the last twenty minutes from Keith Gillespie, Faustino Asprilla and Warren Barton. Fowler then pounced in stoppage time to send Anfield into raptures.

Newcastle United 4-3 Leicester City, 3rd February 1997

Robbie Elliott put Kenny Dalglish’s Newcastle side ahead after just three minutes and they went on to dominate the first half without adding to their lead. This looked like it would be costly when second half goals from Steve Claridge, Matt Elliott and Emile Heskey put Martin O’Neill’s Foxes 3-1 to the good but a late hat-trick from Alan Shearer, the last of which coming in the third minute of stoppage time, settled a remarkable contest in Newcastle’s favour.

Newcastle United 4-3 Aston Villa, 30th September 1996

Dwight Yorke headed home from a corner to put Villa in front after just four minutes but his strike was cancelled out by Les Ferdinand just one minute later. Ferdinand then bagged his second with a header just moments after Yorke hit the post for Villa, before a goal from Alan Shearer gave Newcastle a 3-1 half-time lead, with Mark Draper sent off for a second bookable offence on the stroke of the break. Yorke went on to complete a hat-trick in the second half but his strikes sandwiched a Steve Howey winner for the home side. Yorke was unlucky not to bag a fourth when he had one seemingly wrongly ruled out for offside, while the win represented the fifth of seven consecutive victories for Kevin Keegan’s side, a run which culminated with that famous 5-0 win over Manchester United.

Liverpool 4-3 Newcastle United, 3rd April 1996

Voted Match of the Decade at the Premier League 10 Seasons Awards, this defeat put a major dent in Newcastle’s dwindling and ultimately unsuccessful title challenge in the 1995-96 campaign. Robbie Fowler put Liverpool ahead after just two minutes before goals from Les Ferdinand and David Ginola saw the Magpies turn the tables by the fourteen-minute mark. Fowler pounced again in the second half but was answered by Faustino Asprilla just two minutes later, before two Stan Collymore goals, one in the second minute of injury time, gave the Reds the first of two consecutive 4-3 wins at home to