Shearer and co hit the spot
Newcastle 3 Portsmouth 0 [ Saturday 25 October 2003 ]
Quite simply, Newastle were just too stoical in attack for Pompey who battled with great fervour throughout. The visitors managed to only force once save and a brief moment of discomfort for Shay Given both of which were courtesy of Shearer's former England Strike-partner Teddy Sheringham.
Bobby Robson must have been on cloud nine as he witnessed Lee Bowyer and Laurent Robert both turn in high-octane displays.
What with Lee Bowyer seemingly growing in stature with every game and Robert in a rich vein of form as well, they took the game to Pompey from the off and stormed into a 2-0 lead within 27 minutes.
Amazingly they could have been off the mark even quicker if it weren't for referee Paul Durkin not seeing Boris Zivkovic's seventh-minute tackle on Shearer as a penalty.
The opening goal happened mintues later when Ameobi left Sebastien Schemmel in his wake down the left flank and pulled the ball skillfully back for Bowyer, who managed to back heel it to Robert. The Frenchaman rolled a pass directly into the path of Speed, who hammered a low right-foot shot past the helpless Shaka Hislop to open the account.
Tragically for Pompey moments later Dejan Stefanovic had been deemed to of handled Bowyer's goal-bound effort to award a penalty to the Magpies.
Shearer stepped up to drive the ball decisively home from 12 yards to make it 2-0 - netting his 230th Premiership goal.
Pompey, for whom Patrik Berger and Yakubu Ayegbeni were lively, had to wait until the 41st-minute to test Given, but his relative lack of action had done him no harm as he got down well to palm away Sheringham's shot.
Newcastle were still the dominate side after the break, but Pompey managed to notch up a gear as Steve Stone sent a dipping shot over on the hour following a wonderful delivery from Berger, however Pompey's fate was sealed seconds later when Speed turned up on the right to send in a curling left-foot cross and Ameobi stooped to get in front of Arjan de Zeeuw to loop a header up over Hislop and in off the underside of the bar.
Bowyer sent the Portsmouth keeper sprawling across his goal with a long-range header on 67 minutes, but as time ran down, the game began to resemble a pre-season friendly with Pompey attempting to limit the damage and United content with their lot.
Towards the final closing minutes of the game Robson felt secure enough to withdraw Bowyer, Robert and Ameobi to give Darren Ambrose, Hugo Vianna and LuaLua a late run-out, as clearly all the hard work had already been done.
Newcastle (4-4-2)
Given, Hughes, O'Brien, Bramble, Bernard, Bowyer (Ambrose 79), Jenas, Speed, Robert (Viana 80), Ameobi (LuaLua 80), Shearer.
Subs (not used) Harper, Caldwell.
Booked
Portsmouth (4-4-2)
Hislop, Schemmel (Taylor 51), Stefanovic, de Zeeuw, Zivkovic (Foxe 72), Stone, Quashie, Faye (Sherwood 76), Berger, Ayegbini, Sheringham.
Subs (not used) Wapenaar, Roberts.
Booked Sheringham, Zivkovic.