BEN Chief Soccer Writer Gordon Sharrock with all the match stats

NEWCASTLE 3 Wanderers 2 WANDERERS (4-1-4-1)

JUSSI JAASKELAINEN ... 7

The unfortunate victim of an over-zealous referee; good saves though.

ANTHONY BARNESS ... 6

A good duel with Robert; was he ball-watching on the second goal?

GUDNI BERGSSON ... 6

Won't be happy that the two Newcastle strikers scored with headers.

MIKE WHITLOW ... 6

"They were third top, we were third bottom. Could you tell? Three-two says it all!"

SIMON CHARLTON ... 6

Solano and Hughes posed a double threat on the Newcastle right.

NICKY SOUTHALL ... 8

A great goal and a good performance in the 'Warhurst' role

FREDI BOBIC ... 6

Had to work hard on the right, tracking back and getting forward.

KEVIN NOLAN ... 6

Neat touches but was repeatedly irritated in a busy midfield.

GARETH FARRELLY ... 6

Rarely appreciated by the fans but Robson reckoned he posed a threat.

RICARDO GARDNER ... 9

Switched off on the second goal but he was Wanderers' liveliest performer.

MICHAEL RICKETTS ... 7

Often ploughed that lonely furrow but he never let up.

Substitutes: Henrik Pedersen for Nolan 81 mins, Dean Holdsworth for Bobic 85 mins, Bo Hansen for Ricketts 87 mins; Not used: Gerald Forchelet, Kevin Poole.

NEWCASTLE UTD (4-4-2)

SHAY GIVEN ... 8

Vital saves from Charlton and Gardner at crucial times

AARON HUGHES ... 8

Good opportunism; burst forward to get in two telling crosses.

ANDY O'BRIEN ... 7

Stopped a goalbound Whitlow shot; kept busy by Ricketts.

NIKOS DABIZAS ... 7

Stubborn and powerful with some neat touches.

SYLVAIN DISTIN ... 6

Over-eleborated at times; his rushed clearance led to Southall's goal.

NOLBERTO SOLANO ... 8

They like 'Nobby' on Tyneside; his lovely touch for the third goal showed why.

GARY SPEED ... 7

Returned in midfield to offer the hand of experience.

JAMIE McCLEN ... 6

The youngster was "mugged" by Gardner for the first goal.

LAURENT ROBERT ... 7

Always positive and always a threat; tested Jaaskelainen with a powerful shot.

ALAN SHEARER ... 9

The Geordies love him, opponents loathe him but he's crafty, cunning and still top class.

CRAIG BELLAMY ... 8

A threat in the first 15 seconds, he got his reward in the end; a real pocket dynamo.

Substitutes: Clarence Acuna for McClen 81 mins. Not used: Robbie Elliott, Shola Ameobi, Olivier Bernard, Steve Harper.

Referee: David Elleray (Harrow-on-the-Hill).

Attendance: 52,094.

Goals: Newcastle - Shearer 23 and 43, Bellamy 79; Wanderers - Gardner 19, Southall 34.

Shots/headers on target: Newcastle 6, Wanderers 5.

Corners: Newcastle 12, Wanderers 6.

Offsides: Newcastle 3, Wanderers 3.

Fouls committed: Newcastle 8, Wanderers 12.

Booking: Wanderers - Jaaskelainen 23 mins (dissent).

Man of the Match

RICARDO GARDNER

WITH Wanderers aiming to return to their counter-attacking best, his pace and penetration were always going to be central to the tactics. He started lively and got even livelier after picking McClen's pocket to fashion a goal for himself out of nothing.

Moan of the Match JAASKELAINEN held the ball for nine seconds - no argument - but he was not trying to waste time or seeking to gain an advantage. Shearer was in his way. Would referee Elleray have awarded the free kick without Shearer's prompting?

Magic Moment

NICKY Southall has dreamed all season of striking his first Premiership goal and it was certainly worth waiting for. "It came out nicely to me," he said, "I hit it and luckily enough it went in the top corner."

KICK BY KICK

15 secs: Solano feeds Bellamy, the flag stays down and Jaaskelainen is forced to push the Welshman wide; a let-off.

13 mins: Bobic fires across the face of goal, inches wide of the far post and Ricketts just inches away from the vital touch.

GOAL!

19 mins: Gardner robs McClen, darts between Dabizas and O'Brien and pokes a left-footer, in off the post.

GOAL!

23 mins: Jaaskelainen is penalised for not releasing the ball in six seconds; Solano tees up the free kick and Shearer shoots through the wall.

GOAL!

34 mins: Ricketts causes chaos in the penalty area, Distin clears but Southall - positioned just outside the box - hits a right-footer into the top corner.

36 mins: Jaaskelainen gets his fingertips to a smart Bellamy header from Distin's cross.

37 mins: Gardner breaks out and feeds Charlton, whose powerful shot is superbly saved by Given.

41 mins: Jaaskelainen does well to save and hold a McClen shot with Shearer and Bellamy waiting to pounce.

GOAL!

43 mins: Hughes chases Solano's pass to the bye-line; Gardner eases off and, as the cross goes in, Shearer gets between Bergsson and Barness to power in a header Jaaskelainen can't keep out.

Half-time: Newcastle 2, Wanderers 2.

49 mins: Farrelly is the provider and Whitlow lashes in a shot which is on its way in until O'Brien gets in the way.

54 mins: The Geordies are rampant, Bellamy crosses, Shearer is almost there then a Solano shot whistles across the area.

66 mins: Southall and Ricketts combine, Gardner takes it on and whacks in a swerving shot Given does well to keep out.

75 mins: It's Jaaskelainen to the rescue this time, getting both hands to Robert's shot as Newcastle have men over.

GOAL!

79 mins: Bellamy dashes in to head home Hughes' first-time, half-volleyed cross after clever improvisation by Solano.

Final score: Newcastle 3, Wanderers 2.