Columns: Fulham Away / Aston Villa Home.

By Mark Deeks
May 2 2003

I must offer my sincerest apologies. I have been moving house for the last two weeks so have been in an ever increasing state of bedlam! I still have some boxes to unpack, but am going to spend the next hour or so catching up. Apologies again, Mark.

FULHAM AWAY / ASTON VILLA HOME.

Sorry folks......sorry for the delay in these columns being done. You see your beloved ambassador for all things toon related here in sunny Wakefield has been moving house and an almighty state of bedlam has ensued. And that's not referring to the NUFC defence either!

Our season seemed to be in danger of severe anti climax after these two results. Coming on the back as they did of a controversial defeat (Everton) and a good ol fashioned spanking (Man U), another two games without victory was the last thing we needed, especially with our rivals for Champions League places Chelsea and Liverpool hitting form at just the right time.

A scrappy game at Fulham's temporary home of QPR's Loftus Road seemed to be edging our way when Super Al buried a trademark bullet header to give us the lead. But a once-in-a-career strike from one of Fulhams' foreign brigade (they all blur into one!) and a you-have-got-to-be-yanking-my-chain drive from LEE CLARK sent us tumbling.

Let's just think about Lee Clark for a minute. For years he was the essential selection in the toon midfield, primarily for his endless energy as well as his never say die love for NUFC. (He was even my mother's favourite!) But finishing was never his strong point, and he became known as Jigsaw on the training ground (work it out...).

Since he left his beloved St James' he has hardly set the world alight. His forever bemusing decision to join the Mackem Circus down the road was only rectified in toon fans' eyes by his involvement with a bunch of Newcastle fans on Wembley way whilst being photographed wearing a "Sad Mackem B*****d" T Shirt (whilst still being a Sunderland player)!!! Priceless.

But his time at Fulham has been blighted by one injury setback after another, and his name has hardly been a regular on the scoresheet. Enter NUFC, desperate for 3 points to set us on the way to another season of European adventure. Clarkie chooses now to drive home from the edge of the area with 5 minutes left on the clock! I have never seen a more guilty looking scorer.

Then comes Villa at home on Easter Monday. Surely this would see us put some things to rights. A good first half performance (especially from Boss Man Hugo Viana revelling in his chance in the middle of the park), and a beautifully executed top corner free kick from Nobby, was followed by a lacklustre, mistake ridden second period. We let a training ground manouevre result in Dion Dublin of all people planting a firm header into the Gallowgate net and that was that. 1-1, and the chance for opportunities to claim a top four finish starting to slip us by.

The afternoon was made even worse when we discovered that both chelsea and Liverpool had won again. The toon slipped to fourth and us Geordies were starting to look increasingly nervous. A few tense weeks ahead.

Keep the faith.