This era of Premier League goals for Newcastle will probably be best remembered for the impressive title challenge that we mounted in the 1995/96 season. A disappointing second half to that season meant that the title slipped from our grasp (in a different sense of the word "slip" to Steven Gerrard). However the excellent run of accumulating just one defeat before Christmas meant that it was the vast amounts of goals that were giving us the points we were earning in order to have a title challenging season.
Date: 10th September 1994 to 24th February 1996 (532 days)
First goal
Newcastle United 4 (Andy Cole 66) Chelsea 2 - 10/09/94
Cole wrapped up the three points to make it five wins from the first five games of the new season and part of an unbeaten run that went on to last twelve matches. Darren Peacock got possession back for Newcastle and fed the ball to Cole. Cole found Rob Lee who was making a threatening run into the box and with Lee surrounded by three Chelsea defenders, he managed to feed the ball to Cole who showed good attacking instinct to get into a position where Lee was able to put it on a plate for him and Cole simply does not miss in those circumstances. The game finished 4-2 to keep Newcastle at the top of the table.
Most important goal
Newcastle 1 (Peter Beardsley 90) Arsenal 0 - 19/03/95
Following the departure of Andy Cole to Man United the previous January, Newcastle's form was still consistent enough to land a firm European place going into the match against Arsenal in mid-March. To keep that run going, Peter Beardsley scored a last minute winner to make it seven wins in nine matches. With Newcastle in the midst of a good passage of play, Barry Venison found Beardsley about twenty-five yards away from goal. Capitalizing on the lack of closing down from the Arsenal defenders, Beardsley let fly from that long range distance and found the bottom left corner. With nine matches remaining in the season after that match, our form took a bit of a nosedive by getting only nine points from as many matches in the final quarter of the season which meant that we slipped from a firm third place to sixth - just missing out on the European places despite a 3-2 home win over Crystal Palace on the final day of the season.
Best goal
Newcastle United 1 (Robbie Elliott 30) Leeds 1 - 17/04/95
Goal 143: There were a vast array of excellent goals from this era that could have easily won the award for best goal but the tough decision went in favour of Robbie Elliot's equalising goal against Leeds. Beardsley floated in a corner towards the centre of the box on the eighteen-yard line. A Leeds defender managed to glance it away but only as far as Elliott who was given just enough time to control the ball with his chest and strike a powerful half volley right in the corner of the net from twenty yards out. The pace and placement of the shot simply gave the goalkeeper no chance.
Most goals in a match
Newcastle United 6 (Steve Howey 31, Les Ferdinand 35, 40, 63, Lee Clark 59, Philippe Albert 84) Wimbledon 1 - 21/10/95
A rampant Newcastle playing at their best were in a convincing 3-0 lead shortly before the hour mark when things went from bad to worse for Wimbledon as their goalkeeper, Paul Heald was sent off. After making all three of their allocated substitutions by the 47th minute, defender, Vinnie Jones was forced to don the gloves and the goalkeeper jersey for the final half hour as the score finished 6-1. Les Ferdinand scoring his only Premier League hat-trick for Newcastle in excellent style with two headers and a left footer. The day was made rather special with two local lads in Howey and Clark as well as two legends in Ferdinand and Albert all getting on the scoresheet.
Favourite opponents
Wimbledon (Peter Beardsley, Paul Kitson x2, Ruel Fox, Steve Howey, Les Ferdinand x5, Lee Clark, Philippe Albert, Kenny Cunningham own goal) - 13 goals.
With playing four matches in this era against Wimbledon and three of those matches being high scoring fixtures, it's understandable that we scored a total of thirteen goals against the Dons but those matches were not dominated in our favour in the way that the scoring chart suggests. A 3-2 defeat at Selhurst Park and a 3-3 draw in that fixture the following season shows that Wimbledon were not afraid to give us a good game. Two wins from two at St. James' Park however highlighted the good quality in the squad that we had.
Highest scorer
Les Ferdinand (Coventry, Bolton x2, Middlesbrough x2, Man City x2, Chelsea x2, Everton x2, QPR, Wimbledon x5, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Arsenal, Sheff Wed) - 21 goals.
After signing for Newcastle United from QPR, Ferdinand had the big shoes to fill that were once worn by Andy Cole. Following Cole's departure in January 1995 and the disappointing end to that season which followed, there was a lot of pressure put on Ferdinand to deliver the goods in the no.9 shirt, whether he felt that pressure is a question only he knows the answer to. Fortunately, Ferdinand was in excellent goalscoring form throughout his two years at the club including an excellent start with scoring fourteen goals from his first twelve games in a Newcastle shirt.
Statistics
Right foot: 54 (down 19 from Goals 1-100)
Left foot: 24 (up 2)
Header: 20 (up 15)
Other: 2 (up 2)
Inside the box: 74 (down 16)
Outside the box: 26 (up 16)
Open play: 83 (Unchanged)
Penalty: 7 (down 2)
Set piece situation: 10 (up 3)
At St. James' Park: 64 (up 1)
- Leazes End: 37 (up 2)
- Gallowgate End: 27 (down 1)
Away from home: 36 (down 1)
Midfielders: 48 (up 26)
Strikers: 35 (down 35)
Defenders: 14 (up 8)
Own goals: 3 (up 1)