Sports: Newcastle Ends Chelsea unbeaten Record

Premier League leaders Chelsea have suffered
their first defeat of the season after they were
beaten 2-1 by Newcastle in a dramatic encounter
at St James' Park.
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho was looking for a first
ever League win at Newcastle but Papiss Cisse
came off the bench to put the hosts 2-0 up.
The Magpies then had Steven Taylor sent off and
Didier Drogba pulled a goal back for Chelsea but
the hosts held on to secure a famous win.
Chelsea were comfortably the better side for the
first half-hour and Willian twice put shots from the
edge of the area just wide of Rob Elliot's post,
while Gary Cahill headed over from a Cesc
Fabregas corner.
However, the hosts eventually roused themselves
and almost took the lead when Ayoze Perez
played in Jack Colback with a delightful little
reverse pass, only for Thibaut Courtois to charge
off his line and pull off a fine save.
But the visitors finished the half in the
ascendancy and Oscar was not far wide with an
acrobatic overhead kick just before half-time.
Newcastle goalkeeper Elliot picked up an injury
when making a clearance just before the interval
and had to be replaced by Jak Alnwick.
And the promising youngster was soon called into
action, punching a Fabregas free-kick clear as
Chelsea made a lively start to the second period.
Newcastle boss Alan Pardew decided a further
change was necessary and his decision to bring
Cisse on for Remy Cabella paid a swift dividend.
Moussa Sissoko made inroads down the left before
setting up Sammy Ameobi for a low cross which
Cahill failed to cut out at the near post, allowing
Cisse (57) to turn the ball into the net from close
range.
Sissoko then headed over the bar after the ball
had bounced around following a corner, and
Mourinho decided his side needed a revamp.
Andre Schurrle came on, and swiftly tested
Alnwick with a low effort from 30 yards out, and
he was soon followed off the bench by Drogba
and Filipe Luis.
Chelsea began to dominate possession but
Newcastle defended valiantly, led by captain
Fabricio Coloccini, who brilliantly blocked a Diego
Costa shot.
And Eden Hazard was then unlucky to see a shot
come back off the post after he had been picked
out in the box by Branislav Ivanovic.
But Newcastle then stunned the leaders by
doubling their lead with a breakaway goal.
The hosts worked it neatly in the middle of the
park, allowing Colback to play Sissoko in on goal
and, although the midfielder got his legs in a
mess and seemed to have squandered the
chance, he poked the ball across to Cisse (78),
who calmly fired into the empty net.
Chelsea were on the ropes but they got a lifeline
when Taylor picked up his second yellow card of
the match for a lunge on Schurrle 30 yards out.
And there was even greater encouragement for
the visitors when Fabregas chipped the
subsequent free-kick into the goal mouth and
Drogba (83) got there before Alnwick to nod
Chelsea right back into contention.
With seven minutes left, plus ample injury-time,
Chelsea laid siege to the Newcastle goal and
Alnwick produced a great save to tip a Costa shot
over the bar.
The Newcastle goalkeeper then kept out a raking
Luis drive from distance but there were more
scares to come in six minutes of injury-time.
However, Ivanovic shot wide and Drogba glanced
a header the wrong side of the post from
Chelsea's point of view, as Newcastle hung on to
triumph after a tumultuous second-half which
opened up the Premier League title race

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