18 mins Titus Bramble swung a leg at a right wing cross at the Clock End that he only needed to get his ample frame in the way of. The ball skidded off the outside of his boot perfectly for Henry to knock in at the far post. 0-1

26 mins A well worked move down our right, although Aaron Hughes looked like he scuffed his cross rather than pass inside. Nevertheless Kieron Dyer was able to scamper to the byline before pulling the ball back for Laurent Robert to finish from close range. 1-1 

Half time: Arsenal 1 Newcastle 1

Walking away from Highbury down dimly-lit rain-soaked streets, it was
difficult not be at least slightly despondent about our brave but ultimately
flawed effort.

A home win in this fixture probably wasn't a shock, but the apparent
inevitability of the defeat was tinged with strong notions of what might
have been.

Pre-match pub logic had it that we'd suffer some sort of backlash after a
week that saw the Gunners demonised for their antics at Old Trafford. In the
event, despite what the ITV muppets who script the Premiership would have
you believe, Arsenal were grateful for  yet more defensive generosity from
the Toon for their three points.
            
The comic cuts started with an air shot from the unfortunate Titus that left
Given helpless, continued with Jenas attempting to mark a leaping Gilberto
by standing on the ground looking at him and concluded with the same
midfielder inexplicably fisting a cross away.

But in keeping with the contrariness that is Newcastle United, we twice hit
back to level and make the home side think again. Unfortunately, despite the
loss of Vieira and various other gunners resembling walking wounded, we
weren't astute enough to exploit the situation that presented itself at 1-1
and 2-2 and couldn't recover from the third self-inflicted wound in time to
preserve our unbeaten away record this season.

Now, we may have had to dry our kit on the radiator so we could wear it
again after Wednesday, but surely playing two games so quickly couldn't
cause the brain failures we endured.

To go to Highbury and score twice is admirable. But to still lose is rather
less so and to lose to a team a shadow of their usual fearsome self is
utterly frustrating.

There's a certain amount of residual pride to be taken nonetheless from our
gutsy display, and it was easy to come away with the conviction that referee
Riley had been only too willing to assist Wenger's men in their time of
need, with a refusal to produce the yellow card for a home player and some
decisions against us that took no account of the aquatic conditions.
           
For once we'll not dwell on performances, except to say the team played more
like a team and showed good application and spirit. The manager declared
himself dissatisfied with the contribution of Bowyer, so we'll not need to
repeat that line. If anyone was below the mark it was Bellamy, who didn't
have a great deal to offer in his second outing in 72 hours.

While the players trudged off after their third game in 7 days for some R +
R (or Rn'B), the fans were left to make their way back to wherever they'd
come from, with plenty to ponder on their return journey.

For ninety minutes they'd been singing in the rain (at least the occupants
of the first ten rows had, in return for their £31.) And for what? Two
moments of ecstasy and three of gut-wrenching heartache. Pride in the team
that we weren't hammered and had a go, but. While this was better than we
had perhaps feared, we still got nowt for our efforts on and off the park.

Then for a many a return journey to the north east with an early morning
arrival, sick, tired, damp, hoarse, hung over. Train fares, bus fares, tube
fares, petrol money, skiving off school, slipping out of work.
  
Something that many though are only too willing to endure, for the chance of
magic moments such as those that unfolded in front of the away end here in
December 2001. Those days are few and far between here, as toon teams in
better fettle than ours at present have been dispatched in the past.

It's a good job we're immune to it - the rain, the dashed hopes and the
frustration of missing out on a chance to post a result that would have
nicely rounded off a week that was progressively improving.

As it is we have to face the Saints and Sewpa Kev thankful that a late
Bolton equaliser on Saturday kept us off Rock bottom. The fear factor
remains.
                 
Robson's epitaph may well read "cut out the defensive mistakes".
Whether his players will ultimately bury him before his time though remains
to be seen. September has gone - we await the October Revolution.

Biffa