SOCCER, Uefa Cup Round of 32, second leg/Newcastle 1 Zulte-Waregem (Newcastle win 4-1 agg): The formality completed, Newcastle United are into the last 16 of the Uefa Cup. The tie, against the lightweight Zulte Waregem of Belgium, was effectively over after Newcastle's 3-1 win in Ghent last week, but Obafemi Martins made sure with a 68th minute goal.
It was by no means an imposing performance from Glenn Roeder's side - it did not have to be - but at last, 18 games on from their previous one, Newcastle have another clean sheet. That should give them some heart for the trip to Wigan Athletic on Sunday.
Next in the Uefa Cup come AZ Alkmaar, managed by Louis van Gaal, Barcelona manager the night Tino Asprilla surged in the Champions League. Ten years on Van Gaal is guiding AZ upwards though it needed an 86th minute equaliser from Barry Opdam to send AZ through on away goals against Fenerbahce last night. But Van Gaal's team will be at least one step up in class from last night's opposition. Like Newcastle, AZ finished top of their qualifying group and won at the Uefa Cup holders, Seville, in the process.
Newcastle will have to be at their best. Roeder said that he would field a strong side despite Newcastle's comfortable lead from the first leg and he did so. The back four is likely to be the one that features at Wigan, the midfield could be Newcastle's first choice, and if there was one surprise it was in attack where Albert Luque was given his first start since November.
Little was expected of the lackadaisical Spaniard and he let no one down in that. There were a couple of nice early touches but soon after that Luque settled into the walking pace that has characterised his time on Tyneside.
On the one occasion that Luque did break into a trot it was in the 65th minute when he was substituted. He ran straight down the tunnel. By contrast, Zulte were working non-stop to close down. Having absorbed what Newcastle were offering them, when they could Zulte then looked to break at speed. Too often in Ghent they were caught offside but twice in the first half they got a blue shirt beyond the Newcastle defence. On each occasion it took a last-ditch tackle to end the move, the first from Titus Bramble, the second from Taylor.
At the beginning of the second half Newcastle applied some territorial pressure but the first on-target shot came from Wouter Vandendriessche.
Visibly growing in confidence, Zulte then worked another, even better opening for Bart Buysse. The left-back had sneaked beyond a clutch of black and white shirts at a free-kick and more of a connection with his forehead and Zulte would have been ahead.
Ten minutes after that, though, Buysse was given an example of how to finish. Martins had scarcely been involved in the game but when sent free by Damien Duff, the Nigerian scooped the ball over the advancing keeper, Sammy Bossut, and into the far corner.
NEWCASTLE UNITED: Harper; Solano, Taylor, Bramble, Babayaro (Huntington, 45 mins); Milner, Butt (Pattison, 65 mins), Dyer, Duff; Martins, Luque (Carroll, 65 mins). Subs not used: Srnicek, Edgar, O'Brien, LuaLua.
ZULTE WAREGEM: Bossut; Minne (Reina, 76 mins), D'Haene, Dindeleux, Buysse; Van Steenbrugghe, Van Nieuwenhuyze; Siani (Matthys, 56 mins), Meert, Vandermarliere, Vandendriessche (Sergeant, 56 mins). Subs not used: Merlier, Verschuere.
Referee: N Ivanov (Russia).
