ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: Newcastle Utd 5 West Ham Utd 0:REVENGE DOES not come sweeter, or more reassuring, than this.
It is four years since Alan Pardew was sacked by West Ham but, quite apart from getting his own back in truly spectacular fashion, Newcastle’s new manager learned his team really can thrive without Andy Carroll.
If Leon Best’s hat-trick confirmed that unexpected reality, doubts immediately resurfaced about the survival prospects of Avram Grant and his supine side.
Pardew has condemned what he describes as the “disgusting” abuse Joey Barton routinely receives from opposing fans. The only consolation for Newcastle’s right-sided midfielder is he has rarely played better than during recent weeks.
A typically accurate Barton cross opened up West Ham’s defence only for Best to head wastefully wide. Best would never have started had Carroll and Shola Ameobi not been injured but, revelling in a rare opportunity to step out of the St James’ shadows, the striker did not take long to atone for that miss.
After flicking on a long forward punt in Peter Lovenkrands’s direction he advanced to meet the Dane’s dropping return ball before directing a low volley into the bottom corner.
It was Best’s first goal for Newcastle and the news of its belated arrival may leave Chris Hughton with mixed feelings. Pardew’s predecessor supposedly earned a few boardroom black marks for paying €1 million to recruit the hitherto perceived under-achiever from Coventry last winter.
Nifty one-twos were proving something of a theme. Another, played along the ground this time, between Scott Parker and Radoslav Kovac resulted in the former fully testing Steve Harper’s reflexes with a stinging shot, the home goalkeeper did well to repel.
Once of Newcastle, Parker was, not for the first time, Grant’s best player. Very much the oil in West Ham’s midfield, Parker repeatedly initiated and sustained visiting counter-attacks, but few Premier League midfielders can upstage Barton right now and, from a set piece, he created Best’s second.
Confusing Grant’s defence with a clever free kick, struck low and to the left, Barton watched with considerable satisfaction as Lovenkrands crossed for Best to lash home at the far post.
Pardew’s team were further ahead by half time. Goal number three was gifted when James Tomkins’s attempt at clearing Jonas Guttierez’s left wing cross flew straight to Kevin Nolan whose sidefoot shot did the rest.
Best’s trusty left foot completed a personal hat-trick midway through the second half. After Jose Enrique and Lovenkrands had combined to conjure an opening, Best switched the ball from his right to left boot, took aim and watched it flash past Robert Green.
Lovenkrands deservedly connected with a Barton cross to claim Newcastle’s fifth as Geordie fans taunted Grant’s side with chants of “Are you Sunderland in disguise?”
- Guardian Service
NEWCASTLE UTD:Harper, Simpson, Steven Taylor (Williamson 46), Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Barton, Nolan, Tiote, Gutierrez (Ferguson 66), Lovenkrands, Best (Ranger 64). Subs not used: Krul, Guthrie, Routledge, Perch.
WEST HAM UTD:Green, Ben-Haim, Tomkins, Upson, Gabbidon, Sears, Parker, Kovac (Obinna 46), Noble (Hines 70), Piquionne (Behrami 46), Cole. Subs not used: Boffin, Reid, Barrera, Spector. Booked: Kovac, Hines, Obinna, Ben-Haim.
Referee:Mike Dean (Wirral).
