Hat-trick hero Nolan helps boss Hughton look the part

MAYBE it’s down to the new ‘whistle’ he’s been sporting of late.

Whatever the reason, with this kind of stunning victory which leaves his side well entrenched in the top half of the Premier League, Chris Hughton is certainly making it difficult for the Newcastle hierarchy, who continue to stall on opening talks on a new contract with their increasingly popular manager.

The only Geordie with a cloud hanging over him on Tyneside last night was Steve Bruce, who had seen his Sunderland side utterly outplayed and fortunate to escape with just a four-goal deficit.

It’s only 13 miles from the Stadium of Light to St James’ Park but somewhere along the way Sunderland must have got lost because they simply didn’t turn up.

Three goals down at the interval, any slender hopes the visitors may have been clinging to of mounting an unlikely second-half revival were undone almost immediately after the break as Titus Bramble, the former Newcastle defender who headed a good chance wide early on, earned a straight red card for scything down Andy Carroll, who despite failing to get his name on the scoresheet was a constant threat Sunderland simply failed to come to terms with.

From that point on for the 10 men it was damage limitation against the rampant hosts.

They held on until 20 minutes from time before shipping the fourth, Shola Ameobi following up from 10 yards to volley home his second goal after Carroll easily out-jumped his markers to head Danny Simpson’s cross against the bar.

Shortly afterwards it was five, Kevin Nolan rounding off a richly deserved hat-trick, the first of his career and Newcastle’s first in this fixture since Peter Beardsley achieved the feat 25 years ago, heading in from close range after Ameobi flicked on a corner from Joey Barton.

Sunderland are now without a win on Tyneside for more than a decade and their only consolation, a scant one at that, came deep into stoppage time, as Darren Bent poked home from close range.

By then it simply didn’t matter and the majority of the visiting supporters had long since headed for the exits, many no doubt braced for a week of hell from their Newcastle-supporting work colleagues.

The game ended with St James’ Park giving a hearty rendition of ‘cheer up Stevie Bruce’ to the tune of the Monkees’ classic once reserved in these parts for ex-Black Cats manager Peter Reid.

While they no doubt raised a glass or two to Bruce junior at his Newcastle’supporting dad’s Wallsend Social club watering hole, the Sunderland manager’s counterpart could have wished for no better riposte to the quite unfathomable speculation that has surrounded his future of late.

Hughton will be in a rather strong bargaining position if and when the powers that be get round to talking about extending his current deal, which is due to expire at the end of the summer.

Rumours continue to circulate that the St James’ Park board would like an incumbent with a rather more high profile than the modest Londoner.

Any club that’s safely ensconced in the top half going into November immediately following promotion from the Championship would be foolhardy in the extreme to part company with its manager.

As a contest, the 143rd Tyne-Wear derby was over the moment Ameobi found the bottom corner from the penalty spot in first-half stoppage-time after Nedum Onuoha upended Jonas Gutierrez in the box.

By that point Nolan had already got to work, with an agile overhead finish from close range as Sunderland failed to deal with Mike Williamson’s header from Barton’s 26th-minute corner.

Just eight minutes later it was two, the unmarked Newcastle skipper having time to take a touch when Carroll’s deflected shot fell kindly to him in the box.

Nolan has become Newcastle’s most celebrated landlord after offering refuge to Carroll on condition of the forward’s bail on an assault charge. It has led to a new nickname of Rigsby, Leonard Rossiter’s celebrated character of cult 1970s sit-com Rising Damp.

It’s a rather harsh comparison, given the former Bolton midfielder and his family have been nothing but the perfect hosts.

How Nolan redressed the balance, however, to take a comfortable lead, seven to his tenant’s five. Call it Rigsby’s revenge, if you like.