Best makes first start for Magpies

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew went into tonight’s Barclays Premier League with former club West Ham without both of his first-choice strikers.

Shola Ameobi, whose goal at Wigan on Sunday clinched all three points, joined Andy Carroll on the sidelines as Republic of Ireland striker Leon Best was handed a first top flight start for the club and a chance to break his goalscoring duck on Tyneside.