Europa League: Newcastle United v Club Brugge full-time report

up Gabriel Obertan (left) scores

Newcastle United 1 Club Brugge 0

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English clubs might have largely struggled in the Champions League this week, but Newcastle United continued their progress in the Europa League with a 1-0 win over Club Brugge at St James’ Park, even if United rode their luck a bit as they extended their unbeaten home record to 24.

Alan Pardew, the Newcastle manager, retained only two of the team who started Sunday's derby draw at Sunderland as he already had one eye on the Premier League fixture against West Bromwich Albion.

As is the increasing view to every competition outside of the Champions League, Pardew drew from the other elements of his squad as he looked to cement Newcastle's place at the top of Group D.

Sammy Ameobi was making some early progress down the left flank for Newcastle but it was Shane Ferguson who set up the first clear-cut scoring chance from that side of the pitch in the 15th minute with a an inch-perfect cross for Papiss Cissé, which he only managed to direct to the grasp of Bojan Jorgačević, the Brugge goalkeeper.

Brugge, currently top of the Belgian League, did not pose Newcastle too many problems in the first 20 minutes that were not of their own making, such as the moment when Tom Hogli's low cross was cut out by Steven Taylor, but he hit his clearance into James Perch. From the following corner, Steve Harper dropped the ball under no pressure at all and was grateful for that.

Ameobi, now coming down the right, cut inside and tried his luck with a shot but dragged it just wide of the post in the 30th minute and again Newcastle were let off the hook by a defensive error a couple of minutes later when a sloppy pass from Cheick Tioté left Maxime Lestienne in for a run on goal but a shot that started wide and just kept going while Cissé’s headed attempt from a corner seven minutes before half-time summed up the half - just not quite up to the mark – although he did better with a shot in the closing minute that Jorgačević had to beat away.

Shola Ameobi, Sammy’s elder brother, was brought on for the second half to sharpen Newcastle’s attacking potential but it was the younger brother who set up the only goal of the game with a break down the middle in the 48th minute. He then delivered an accurate pass to his right which set up Gabriel Obertan for a shot across the Brugge goal that Jorgačević could not stop.

There would have been no stopping the 64th-minute header from Carlos Bacca which thudded into the ground and then over the bar from Maxime Lestienne’s cross-cum-shot, which was given as a slightly dubious offside, and Brugge had the bit between their teeth at this point. With that in mind Pardew brought on Fabricio Coloccini, whom the manager had likened to Bobby Moore, which seemed less of a compliment and more like a millstone to anyone who had seen the late England captain play against the likes of Pelé.

But Brugge did not have anyone one of that class to call upon which was evidenced when Ivan Tričkovski attempt to fashion something from outside of the six-yard area went well outside Harper’s left-hand post in the 86th minute.

Tričkovski had another chance three minutes later but Taylor headed away.

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Paul Wheeler

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