Goals:
1-0: Cisse (37, controlled Janmaat’s right-wing cross and slotted home from close range)
Bookings: Hutton (26, foul), Lowton (45, foul), Williamson (53, foul), Agbonlahor (63, foul), Clark (83, foul), Cleverley (90, dissent)
Referee: Lee Mason (Bolton) – The vast majority of his yellow cards were justified and controlled the game effectively throughout 6
Attendance: 51,573
Entertainment: **
NEWCASTLE (4-4-2):
7 Krul: Made an important second-half save to deny Cleverley, and also thwarted Benteke and Sinclair with decent stops before the break
8 JANMAAT: Raised the tempo of the game as he closed down his opponents and pushed forward, and delivered an excellent cross for Cisse’s goal
8 Coloccini: Much improved from last weekend’s horror-show at the Etihad and ensured Benteke was forced to feed on scraps
7 Williamson: Won a number of important headers and held his position diligently to ensure Villa’s attackers had no space in the box
7 Haidara: Marked Sinclair out of the game and was a key defensive figure before injury forced him off midway through the second half
4 Obertan: Failed to impress on his return to the starting line-up, with most of his crosses failing to find their intended recipient
4 Abeid: Restored to a defensive midfield position, but was wasteful in possession in the first half and struggled to influence the game
6 Sissoko: Forced to play much deeper than usual, but responded with a mature display that helped keep things tight at the back
6 Ameobi: His work rate and commitment were impressive, even if some of his more speculative passes failed to come off
5 Riviere: Went close with a first-half header that drifted wide, but failed to impose himself on the Villa defence
7 Cisse: Converted the one genuine opportunity that came his way, displaying a fine technique and a coolness under pressure
Subs:
R Taylor (for Haidara, 61): Newcastle lost none of their defensive solidity following his introduction, and almost scored with an excellent free-kick 7
Perez (for Riviere, 73)
Gouffran (for Obertan, 78)
(not used): Woodman (gk), Anita, Gutierrez, Armstrong.
ASTON VILLA (4-4-2):
Guzan 7; Hutton 7, Okore 4, Clark 6, Lowton 6 (Bacuna 82); Sinclair 5 (N’Zogbia 66, 4), Delph 6, WESTWOOD 7, Cleverley 6; Benteke 5, Agbonlahor 4 (Weimann 73).
Subs (not used): Given (gk), Grealish, Sanchez, Gil.
Man Of The Match: DARYL JANMAAT – The Dutchman was a key part of a much-improved defensive display, and was also Newcastle’s most threatening attacker for a large chunk of the game.
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