China captain Zheng Zhi helped lift Charlton's spirits as he
steered them to a 2-0 win over Newcastle on Sunday.
Zheng scored his first Premiership goal for Charlton on his full
debut before winning a late penalty that Jerome Thomas buried to
take Alan Pardew's side to within four points of safety.
Since taking over at Christmas, Pardew has revived the south
London club, which has gone from being a relegation certainty to
being feared after a three-match unbeaten streak.
Fourth from bottom Sheffield United are being hunted while Wigan
and Manchester City will also feeling the heat as the battle for
Premiership survival switches up a gear.
While Newcastle are free from the relegation fight, this defeat
at The Valley completed a miserable four days for Glenn Roeder's
side, who were dumped out of the UEFA Cup on Thursday.
After only three substitute appearances since joining on loan
from Shandong Luneng, Zheng was handed a debut and veritably seized
the moment.
Roeder's team were unlucky in the sixth minute when Antoine
Sibierski ran onto Damien Duff's pass, but his poor first touch
enabled Souleymane Diarwara to get back and make the saving
tackle.
Zheng came into his own early on winning a free-kick that Talal
El-Karkouri blasted inches over the bar.
Darren Bent recovered from a knee injury to start for Charlton
but the forward, who is included in England's squad for their
forthcoming Euro 2008 qualifiers, found his teammates lacking in
provision during a somber first half.
Newcastle did survive a late first-half scare but Nolberto
Solano coolly headed the ball off the line after Marcus Bent's
cross had Shay Given beaten.?
The Addicks came back in reenergized and found the opening in
the 53rd minute after Amady Faye fouled James Milner.
Darren Bent's curling free-kick cleared the wall but rattled the
bar. With Given unable to get back, the ball rebounded towards an
unmarked Zheng who headed into the empty net.
Charlton tasted blood and piled forward for the second. They
were unlucky a few minutes later when Dennis Rommedahl's tap-in
goal was ruled to be offside.
Newcastle's season is devoid of any meaning following their UEFA
Cup capitulation against AZ Alkmaar and their habitual guts left
them as Charlton outplayed them across the park.
Captain Shay Given bravely kept out a Jerome Thomas corner which
Darren Bent failed to connect with.
Despite some misses, Darren Bent ran the Newcastle defence and
he could have doubled Charlton's lead when he turned Rommedahl's
cross into the side-netting with 20 minute on the clock.
Charlton's intrepid style paid off and Thomas finally sealed a
crucial win from the spot in the 88th minute after Solano fouled
Zheng.
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(CRI via AFP March 19, 2007)
