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Match Report

Newcastle v Portsmouth 25 October 2003

MAGPIES EASE PAST POMPEY

Newcastle 3-0 Portsmouth

Alex Livie reports

Newcastle made it four wins on the spin in The Premiership with a comfortable 3-0 victory over a below-par Portsmouth.

The Magpies hardly had to come out of second gear to see off Pompey, with goals from Gary Speed, Alan Shearer and Shola Ameobi, although the latter may lose his effort when the dubious goals panel sit, sending the visitors back to the South Coast with their tails between their legs.

The tone was set in the first minute when tenacious play from Laurent Robert set Ameobi free but he saw his goal-bound effort flicked wide by the boot of Shaka Hislop.

Newcastle should have had a penalty on eight minutes but referee Paul Durkin somehow failed to see Boris Zivkovic's foul on Alan Shearer.

The Magpies' superior play did produce the opening goal on 17 minutes, with fine link-up work between Ameobi, Lee Bowyer and Robert presented Speed with a chance to fire past Hislop with his right foot from 20 yards.

Pompey were rarely seen as an attacking force, with Yakubu Aiyegbeni having their first noteworthy chance 25 minutes in but his effort failed to test Shay Given.

Newcastle may have been hard done to in the penalty stakes early on, but Durkin did give The Magpies a spot-kick by adjudging that Dejan Stefanovic had handled Bowyer's shot. Shearer did not need a second invitation, as he powered his effort past Hislop.

Pompey, who were ineffective for most of the game, fashioned a rare chance just before the break, but Given was able to turn Teddy Sheringham's drive wide of the post.

The pattern of play continued after the break, with The Magpies probing, and it came as no surprise when the third goal arrived.

The effort was somewhat fortuitous, as Ameobi failed to make true connection with his header and the ball looped over Hislop via the head of Arjan de Zeeuw, but was no more than Newcastle deserved for a polished display.

Report From , For full report and stats, click here.