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| Kevin Keegan gets hero welcome |
Newcastle 0 Bolton 0
NEWCASTLE UNITED had to settle for a point tonight as Kevin Keegan made an emotional return to the dugout at St James's Park.
Keegan recalled Shola Ameobi to the starting line-up for the first time since the Carling Cup tie since Arsenal last September.
Ameobi replaced Mark Viduka (calf) while David Rozehnal was also back in the team with Emre suspended.
Meanwhile Michael Owen captained United in the absence of Geremi and Nicky Butt, who missed out due to suspension along with Alan Smith.
The Messiah made his entry to a packed St James’s Park amidst a white hot atmosphere with the clash with Bolton a sell out.
Bolton actually dominated the first 20 minutes of the game and forced three corners but poor finishing in the final third let them down.
And every time United went forward the home crowd roared on the black and whites with Keegan also urging his side forward from the touchline.
With 25 minutes on the clock Owen forced a corner but N’Zogbia’s flag kick was cleared and Enrique’s long range effort went wide.
Two minutes later a Steinsson foul on Owen earned United a free-kick and N’Zogbia’s set-piece found the head of Taylor but his header was deflected wide.
Yet despite the anticipation of a goal laden first half the teams went in at the break.
In the second half United poured forward on the five minute mark when N’Zogbia’s cross found Carr but the right-back blazed it over the bar.
Just before the hour Newcastle won a free-kick 30 yards from goal but N’Zogbia curled it over the bar.
On 64 minutes a Milner cross fell to Rozehnal just in front of goal but the Czech headed over from eight yards.
Then on the next attack a Milner cross cum shot had to be clawed to safety by Jaaskelainen with United starting to turn the screw.
Bolton tried to sustain the pressure when they hauled off Kevin Nolan and replaced him with Ivan Campo.
Wanderers escaped a late penalty scare when an N’Zogbia cross appeared to catch Kevin Davies on the hand but ref Wiley waved away protests.
"I told the players not to be disappointed.
"We were missing a lot of players. Take that into consideration and forget the hype and it is actually a good result.
"It will improve from here. Maybe we will get players in - we are a quality squad but we are a small squad."
"It was a good point for us and it was a good performance - but we have still got to improve.
"When we play as well as we did in the first half, we need to sustain it a lot better than we did.
"We are making substitutions not because of technique but because of the fitness work we need to do."
Newcastle: Given, Carr, Taylor, Cacapa,
Jose Enrique, Milner, Rozehnal, N'Zogbia,
Duff (LuaLua 80), Owen, Ameobi.
Subs Not Used: Harper, Edgar, Troisi, Carroll.
Booked: Duff.
Bolton: Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Andrew O'Brien, Michalik, Gardner, Joey
O'Brien, Nolan (Campo 67), McCann (Cohen 75), Guthrie, Davies, Taylor (Samuel 79).
Subs Not Used: Al Habsi, Giannakopoulos.
Booked: Nolan, Taylor.
Att: 52,250
Ref: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire).