Magpies woeful again
Liverpool forward Andrei Voronin (L) sees his effort thwarted by Luton goalkeeper Dean Bill during their FA Cup third round clash at Kenilworth Road in Luton on Sunday.Photo: AFP
Newcastle missed the chance to give manager Sam Allardyce a morale-boosting win after the struggling Premier League side became the fourth top flight team on Sunday left facing an FA Cup third round replay.
A goalless draw away to Championship high-flyers Stoke City did at least end a run of three straight defeats and was likely to stall calls from some fans for Allardyce to be sacked.
But the Newcastle boss shrugged off the pressure and said he was pleased with his team.
"I thought we controlled the game, the first half particularly," he said.
"I am a little disappointed over 90 minutes but it's a very, very good draw. We will see who we get (in the fourth round draw tomorrow) and hopefully try to finish the job off."
Stoke manager Tony Pulis admitted his side had taken time to get going.
"I thought we were a bit tepid in the first-half. The second-half was more like us," said Pulis.
"It's desperately disappointing because we had numerous opportunities but, give Newcastle credit, they defended well."
Pulis, sympathising with Allardyce, added: "Every manager up and down the country is under pressure. Sam is up to his neck in it."
Meanwhile, Liverpool were held to a 1-1 draw by cash-strapped Luton Town.
Luton, 60 places below Liverpool and in the relegation zone of third tier League One, had only been able to pay their players two weeks' wages in two months after entering administration.
The Hatters kept the match scoreless at their Kenilworth Road ground, north of London, until the 74th minute when England striker Peter Crouch scored for six-times FA Cup winners Liverpool.
However, three minutes later, Luton saw their endeavour rewarded when Liverpool's John Arne Riise put Drew Talbot's cross through his own net to leave Luton looking forward to a money-spinning replay at Anfield.
Fulham and Derby both did just enough to make it into Monday's fourth round draw and avoid joining the four top-flight teams already knocked out of the tournament by lower league sides.
The Cottagers, second-bottom in the Premier League, twice had to come from behind at home to Bristol Rovers to salvage a 2-2 draw while top flight basement side Derby, who had been 2-0 down, had to fight hard for a 2-2 draw at home to Sheffield Wednesday.
Reports in several British newspapers Sunday suggested Liverpool's Spanish manager Rafael Benitez, who had had run-ins with the club's American owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks, could quit Anfield at the end of the season, possibly with a view to taking over at Real Madrid.
But Benitez, who controversially omitted star striker Fernando Torres, insisted he had no intention of leaving Liverpool, currently 12 points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal.
"I love the club, I love the fans. I'm really happy here and I want to stay for a long time," said Benitez.
Luton manager Kevin Blackwell, asked how this gutsy performance would help his side in their quest for new owners, replied: "I hope this now makes us a much more attractive proposition and people will move in quickly."
Rovers went ahead against Fulham through Danny Coles's third-minute strike before Northern Ireland striker David Healy equalised five minutes before half-time.
The visitors regained the lead in the the second-half with Craig Hinton heading in Chris Lines's free-kick. However, minutes later Fulham's former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy made it 2-2 with a 20-yard half-volley.
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