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It all started out so very wrong for Newcastle United today at Loftus Road (or about as you might have expected if you're a long-time Newcastle fan). Within 11 minutes, QPR were on top, instantly sending a collective pucker through the bums of the Toon support. Loïc Rémy put the London club up on a penalty awarded after Mathieu Debuchy fouled Junior Hoilett outside the box - and the Canadian did what he does, continuing the run into the box before falling down. Lee Probert bought it and awarded a somewhat soft penalty to the bottom club in the Premier League.
It wouldn't be too very long before the Frankie Goes To Hollywood Edict took effect. Newcastle were awarded a penalty of their own when Jose Boswinga did his best to rip Hatem Ben Arfa's jersey straight off his body in the QPR box. Hatem immediately snapped the ball up, not entertaining ANY thought of another player taking the penalty and he dutifully smashed it into the top of the QPR net. It was so very very close to smashing the bar and going out... but SO unstoppable.
It would be Jose Boswinga who would feature in Newcastle's second goal of the match as well. The former Chelsea man short-legged a back pass to Rob Green which Jonas Gutierrez saw and chased down like a champ causing a tremendously poor clearance that fell to Yoan Gouffran just outside the 18. Still with a fair amount to do, Gouffran cooly volleyed the ball into the net and set Newcastle up to take the needed result from Loftus Road.
The first half would play out about as you would expect, and Newcastle entered the break at 2-1. Harry Redknapp made two changes at halftime, taking off Newcastle's best offensive threat Boswinga and taking off Stephane M'Bia who looked like he could have eventually been sent off for butchery and other related activities. Chiek Tiote would follow them off with a knock/injury of some sort and James Perch comes on for the CIV international (of course). That was about as interesting as the second half got (save for when Rob Elliot inexplicably handled outside the box (his contention, surely, was that the whole ball hadn't crossed the whole line of the box... but when you're on a yellow, why the hell would you take the chance?) and was dismissed. Fortunately, Newcastle had Steve Harper on the bench. Fittingly, the long-time servant of the club will get the start v. Arsenal in his final match as an active player. Now:
