There was disappointment for Fulham at St James’ Park, where Papiss Ciss netted a late winner. Here’s how we rated the players in their 1-0 defeat.
Mark Schwarzer: 6
A mixed display from the veteran keeper. Produced a couple of good saves but was shaky when dealing with balls into the box.
Sascha Riether: 5
A poor performance by the German’s high standards. Was beaten on several occasions and was sometimes unusually sloppy on the ball.
Brede Hangeland: 7
Kept Newcastle at bay with a number of important interventions, including a great block to deny Cisse in the first half.
Phillipe Senderos: 6
Committed, but continues to look vulnerable at the heart of the Whites defence. Beaten on the ground and in the air at times, but also produced some important challenges.
John Arne Riise: 5
Had problems defensively and was ineffective going forward. Missed a decent chance of a goal too.
Stanislav Manolev: 6
A surprise inclusion in the starting line-up and did little to suggest he could become a regular choice. Neat and tidy but offered no real attacking threat or defensive cover.
Giorgos Karagounis: 6
Worked hard in midfield but could not influence the game. Missed Steve Sidwell alongside him.
Eyong Enoh: 5
A difficult full debut for the midfielder, who chased shadows before being replaced early in the second half.
Damien Duff: 6
Decent on the ball and a threat when he came inside, but generally make little impact against his former club.
Bryan Ruiz: 7
Did very well in the first half but was less influential in the second as he dropped deeper in order to stop Fulham being swamped in midfield.
Dimitar Berbatov: 7
Led the line cleverly and was denied a goal by the brilliance of Magpies keeper Tim Krul.
Emmanuel Frimpong: 6
Fortunate not to concede an own goal after coming on but was otherwise more effective than Enoh.
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This post was last modified on 08/04/2013