Football: FA Cup, third-round replay: Newcastle United 4-1 Stoke City
Tony Pulis turned 50 yesterday but the Stoke City manager was left with precious little to smile about. He watched his side's 12-match unbeaten run brought to an abrupt halt and his birthday celebrations were overshadowed by the daddy of all gate-crashers, one who will no doubt ensure this part of the world is nursing a collective party-induced headache for some considerable time.
A fourth-round trip to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday week may preclude a lengthy run for the returning manager in a competition Newcastle have won six times. But if Kevin Keegan's mere presence in the directors' box, from where he answered with a simple "I'm home" when asked how he felt to be back, helped to secure a first victory in seven games, imagine the galvanising effect the new manager can have when he makes it back into the home dressing room.
It was an area of the ground Keegan, who has signed a 3½-year contract, made immediately for after the final whistle to acquaint himself with his new charges. Bolton Wanderers, visitors to St James' Park on Saturday for the returning hero's first game back in charge, be afraid. Be very afraid.
"Was there a Kevin Keegan factor in that score-line? I don't know, you decide," said the caretaker coach Nigel Pearson, who admits his position is uncertain at best following yesterday's remarkable events. Pearson was simply relieved to see Newcastle score for the first time in four games as their most comfortable victory of the season went a little way to erasing memories of the 6-0 annihilation at Old Trafford. He added: "It's been a tough period and ultimately this result was paramount."
Victory over a workmanlike Championship side, who failed to exploit their dominance in the first meeting 11 days ago, hardly merits talk of a new dawn. But a club that has for the past week been on the brink of disarray will gladly take any small mercies to come their way.
Pearson, who picked a cavalier front six, of which Keegan would have been proud, was again missing Joey Barton, who has been bailed to reappear before magistrates on assault charges on March 12. He added: "I've just seen Kevin very briefly in the corridor. He would have come into the dressing room before the game had he got here earlier. We discovered what was happening late this afternoon and the biggest factor was to keep focused."
Michael Owen's first goal in three months, stabbed in from close range at the near post as the forward reacted first to James Milner's knock-down, ensured the ideal start after eight minutes. Emre's justified sending-off after his bungled attempt at retribution shortly after coming off second best in a challenge with John Eustace appeared to swing the contest back in favour of the visitors. "I've got no complaints but what happened before contributed heavily towards it," said Pearson.
However, before Stoke worked out a way to round on weakened opponents, Claudio Cacapa rose unmarked to head home Charles N'Zogbia's 31st-minute corner. Milner's confident angled drive from the edge of the area settled the contest on 68 minutes, a three-goal advantage embellished seven minutes later by Damien Duff, who easily slotted home the fourth as Newcastle capitalised on a three- on-one break against tiring opponents.
Liam Lawrence curled in an 89th- minute consolation. It was impressive - but totally academic and Pulis admitted: "We needed to be right on our game but we were carrying seven or eight players.
"I don't think it helped that it was announced about Kevin's appointment just before the game. It gave them a great lift. To be honest I thought they'd go for Alan Shearer, because they need a hero, but in Kevin they've certainly got one."