Souness praises minnows

GRAEME SOUNESS paid non-league Yeading a huge compliment when he revealed he had been forced to substitute defender Titus Bramble for his own good during their third-round FA Cup tie yesterday.

Second-half goals from Lee Bowyer and Shola Ameobi gave Newcastle a 2-0 victory over the Ryman League side which owed more to the Premiership club's superior fitness than any vast gulf in class.

The Newcastle manager, however, explained Yeading were causing his side so many problems in a goalless first-half he feared Bramble, booked for a 28th minute foul on Darti Brown, would get sent off.