Newcastle Utd 2 Everton 0

NEWCASTLE UTD: Given, Ramage, Boumsong, Elliott, Babayaro, Solano,Parker, Emre (Clark 79), N'Zogbia (Pattison 90), Bowyer, Ameobi.
Subs Not Used: Harper, Faye, Chopra.

EVERTON: Westerveld, Yobo, Stubbs, Weir, Nuno Valente, Osman,Arteta, Cahill (Carsley 74), Davies, Kilbane (McFadden 68),Beattie.
Subs Not Used: Ruddy, Naysmith, Vidarsson.


Last Wednesday Nobby Solano took Shola Ameobi to one side and showed him how to head a ball when the lone striker missed a sitter. The goal was gaping and Shola headed over from four yards, and the little Peruvian gave him a lecture 'head the ball down!'

On Saturday Nobby gave the fella another lesson in finishing with two superb goals. He slid a Charles N'Zogbia's cross past Westerveld on 64th-minutes, and then produced the sort of finish Henry or van Nistelrooy would have been hard pushed to better. A stunning curled finish 14 minutes from time to take his goal tally for the season to five.

However the visitors could have dented Glenn Roeder's amazing run of matches had it not been for Turkish midfielder Emre, who twice had to clear David Weir headers off the line before the break. But don't take anything from the Magpies, who were good value for their victory as they kept a fourth clean sheet under former defender Roeder.

No Shearer, and Emre was again asked to provide the support to lone striker Ameobi but, with his goal-line clearances, it shows how much ground he covers. Twice the former Inter Milan star hacked Weir headers off the line as a makeshift Newcastle defence, which was coping reasonably well in open play, lost their bearings from Mikel Arteta's corners.

Newcastle's best chance came in first-half injury-time when N'Zogbia escaped from Joseph Yobo on the left and squared for Solano, whose shot was palmed away by loan signing Sander Westerveld in the Everton goal.

Elliott had to block a Tim Cahill shot after Celestine Babayaro had neglected his defensive duties, but the breakthrough finally came at the other end with 64 minutes gone. Emre did well on the left to hold the ball up and the lay it into N'Zogbia's path, and the Frenchman cut into the box before delivering the perfect low cross for Solano to slide home the opener from close range.

United killed off any Everton resurgence with 14 minutes remaining when Bowyer rolled the ball into Solano's path and the South American curled a shot beyond Arteta with the outside of his right foot. It really was an amazing finish.

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