Newcastle win at last

Newcastle 5 NAC Breda 0

Striker Craig Bellamy rediscovered his scoring touch to launch Newcastle’s new European adventure in style.

The Welshman, who went into the game without a goal for his club in 10 appearances, collected two within six first-half minutes to pave the way for a crushing victory over NAC Breda in the UEFA Cup first round, first leg.

Titus Bramble, Alan Shearer and substitute Darren Ambrose completed the rout as United finally shook off their ring rust to remind a crowd of 36,007 of the excitement they have enjoyed over the last two seasons.

It was the Magpies’ first win at St James’ Park since May 3, and it was greeted by a collective sigh of relief.

The victory left Sir Bobby Robson’s side all but in the second round with the return leg to come in Holland next month, and ready to take on Arsenal at Highbury on Friday with Bellamy and Laurent Robert firing on all cylinders.

Newcastle went into the game having failed to win any of the four home matches they have played so far this season and facing a Dutch team buoyed by a stunning 4-2 win over Ajax at the weekend.

United emerged in determined fashion, and as the home supporters implored them to rediscover the form which has made them one of the most exciting teams in England in the last two years, they did just that.

It did not happen immediately as the technically-adept visitors demonstrated their ability to retain possession and attack on the counter, but with Kieron Dyer handed a probing role wide on the right side of midfield and Robert playing the way his manager knows he can, the signs were good.

But it was perhaps Bellamy’s return to the limelight which proved most pleasing as the Welshman, starved of personal success and well-shackled so far this season, finally found the overdrive switch.

The game was 31 minutes old when, as the pressure mounted on the Breda goal, Shearer got up above Mark Schenning to flick Andy O’Brien’s long ball into his strike-partner’s path, and he calmly drew keeper Gabor Babos before deftly lobbing him for the opening goal.

Six minutes later, Bellamy turned up on the end of the type of move which has become United’s trademark in recent times, Dyer surging clear from halfway to find Robert, who unselfishly squared for his team-mate to side-foot into the empty net.

A huge weight had been lifted from Newcastle’s shoulders, and although Shay Given had to pull of two fine saves to deny Johan Elmander and Tamas Peto as half-time approached, St James’ was a happy place when referee Nikolay Ivanov blew the whistle.

Bellamy came within inches of completing his hat-trick with less than two minutes of the second half gone when Schenning’s attempted clearance hit Nebojsa Gudelj and dropped to the striker, but although he lifted his shot over Babos, the ball came back off the bar.

However, the third goal arrived a minute before the hour-mark when Bramble timed his run to meet a Robert corner with a bullet header which gave the Breda keeper no chance.

From then on, it was really only a matter of by how many United would win, and Shearer passed up a glorious opportunity to make it 4-0 20 minutes from time when he got on the end of Robert’s inviting cross but could not keep his shot down.

But Shearer made amends within seven minutes when, after the Frenchman tapped a short free-kick to him, he took one touch before rifling a dipping shot into the bottom corner.

Robson immediately withdrew Dyer to hand Ambrose a home debut, but there was still the task of keeping a clean sheet to be completed and substitute Marcel Koning kept Given on his toes with a long-range effort nine minutes from time.

However, it was Ambrose who added the finishing touch a minute from time when he headed home another Robert cross.