How did the players fare in Newcastle's 0-0 draw at Cardiff?
CARDIFF (4-1-4-1):
Etheridge 7; Ecuele Manga 6, Morrison 6, Bamba 7, Bennett 7; Camarasa 5 (Decordova-Reid 76); MURPHY 8 (Mendez-Laing 78), Arter 7, Ralls 6, Hoilett 4 (Paterson 83); Zohore 4.
Subs (not used): Smithies (gk), Richards, Cunningham, Madine.
NEWCASTLE (4-2-3-1):
6 Dubravka: Didn’t have an awful lot to do, but claimed a number of crosses despite Cardiff’s physical threat
3 Manquillo: Floundered repeatedly against Murphy and probably breathed a huge sigh of relief when he was forced off
8 LASCELLES: Picked up where he left off last season as he dominated Zohore and won a series of important headers
8 Clark: Formed a rock-solid defensive partnership with Lascelles and more than justified his continued presence in the team
7 Dummett: A characteristically solid defensive display that was an important factor in Newcastle claiming a clean sheet
6 Shelvey: Hit a series of long-range passes in the first half and delivered a sensational cross that resulted in Perez’s volley being saved
5 Diame: Performed his defensive duties reasonably well, but wasn’t able to offer anything in an attacking sense
6 Ritchie: Was sacrificed after Hayden was dismissed – things might well have been different had he been able to take the spot-kick
6 Perez: Came close with a volley that Etheridge saved, and was always the most threatening of Newcastle’s attacking players
1 Kenedy: A horror-show from start to finish – didn’t complete a first-half pass, should have been sent off and missed a penalty
4 Joselu: Nowhere near as effective as he was against Spurs – it is surely time for Rondon to be promoted to the starting XI
Subs:
2 Hayden (for Manquillo, 46): Was all over the place during his 20 minutes on the field, and was dismissed for a reckless challenge
7 Muto (for Perez, 64): His bustling approach caused Cardiff problems, and he won the stoppage-time penalty
6 Murphy (for Ritchie, 70): Wasn’t able to match his brother’s impact, but was solid enough during his time on the field
(not used): Darlow (gk), Fernandez, Ki, Rondon.
Man Of The Match: JAMAAL LASCELLES – The Newcastle skipper dealt with everything Cardiff threw at him – he is set to be his side’s most important player once again this season.
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