Nolan stars as Magpies rout sorry Cats

IT is difficult to know whether to talk first about the trick Kevin Nolan played on Sunderland or the collective treat Newcastle United had in store for those on Tyneside.

Either way, this was one of the happiest Halloweens experienced by those in black and white, while the memories will haunt those on Wearside for ever.

Not since the days of Jackie Milburn and Bobby Mitchell have the winners emerged from a Tyne-Wear derby in such emphatic style.

Newcastle were simply unstoppable; Sunderland were plain awful.

It was a four-goal win for the first time in 53 years that understandably arrived with heroes, most notably hat-trick grabbing skipper Nolan and two-goal Shola Ameobi.

Newcastle were, though, outstanding from start to finish.

From the moment Nolan instinctively hooked the opening goal over his head to put the Magpies in front on 26 minutes, Newcastle never looked back.

Sunderland, courtesy of a Nolan second and an Ameobi penalty, were three down by half-time.

Then, once former Newcastle defender Titus Bramble was red carded eight minutes after half-time, Chris Hughton could relax and admire one of the finest victories ever recorded on the banks of the rivers Tyne or Wear.

Ameobi volleyed in his second 20 minutes from time to grab the sixth goal of his career against Sunderland, taking him level with Albert Shepherd, and only Milburn (11) boasts more against the old foes.

And five minutes later Nolan became the first player to score a derby hat-trick since Peter Beardsley in 1985 to leave Sunderland, who added an injurytime consolation through Darren Bent, totally embarrassed.

There might have been hundreds of paper aeroplanes – made from the thousands posters distributed on the seats – to deal with, but there was far more for Sunderland’s players to worry about than handmade flyers.

It was, as expected and anticipated, an adrenaline-fuelled opening, with the only African, Cheik Tiote among the two starting line-ups initially looking as if the occasion might get to him.

Newcastle had opened like a home team should, pressing from the first whistle, but Tiote was in need of time to adjust to his surroundings, which should have handed Sunderland the lead.

The Ivory Coast international dallied in possession half way inside the Sunderland half.

Steed Malbranque, whose bright start brought an early booking for his marker, dispossessed him, with Danny Welbeck charging through.

Welbeck’s pace turned defence in to attack but rather than slot in the unmarked Bent he chose to keep going, which only earned a corner that came to nothing.

The frenetic nature of the start was always going to lead to at least one goal and there were opportunities for that to happen long before it arrived.

Despite a powerful half volley from Jordan Henderson, however, Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul was not the man between the posts having to be on his guard.

Phil Bardsley, the Sunderland left-back, had to make a couple of timely blocks to thwart Carroll and Joey Barton, but he was powerless to prevent the two chances inside two minutes that changed the game.

The aerial threat from corners from Newcastle was made clear from Barton’s first deep corner. Carroll headed back across goal, Fabricio Coloccini dived to head only for Ameobi to deflect for a goal-kick.

Moments later, after Mignolet had turned Barton’s low drive for another corner, the influential Newcastle midfielder’s flag-kick led to the crucial first goal.

Floated to the back post, Mike Williamson and Ameobi jumped with a number of red shirts and the ball dropped loosely six yards out.

Nolan, back to goal, cleverly hooked over his head and high in to the roof of Mignolet’s net.

Sunderland were shellshocked, while Newcastle never looked back. Bruce tried to change things by going two up front and introducing Asamoah Gyan once the second had gone in, but that had little impact.

Nolan’s second arrived courtesy of some clever football and some awful defending. When the Magpies captain laid off to Jonas Gutierrez to shoot, he then turned and made a run in to the box which went undetected.

Gutierrez’s shot was blocked by Henderson, then volleyed goalwards by Carroll and Nolan was left unattended to simply side-foot in to Mignolet’s bottom left.

Sunderland, even with record signing Gyan on for the ineffective Ahmed Elmohamady, had nothing to give.

There might have been initial complaints over referee Phil Dowd’s decision to award a penalty, but Gutierrez was clearly barged over in the area by Nedum Onuoha.

Ameobi, on his 200th Premier League appearance, calmly slotted in to Mignolet’s bottom right.

Surely it could not get any worse for the visitors? Once the early pressure from Sunderland was dealt with by the Newcastle defence, however, it soon did.

In what was effectively Newcastle’s first foray forward of the half, Gutierrez’s knock down fell nicely for Carroll, whose touch got him away from Bramble. But Bramble’s last ditch lunge, with the striker two yards from the penalty area, was deemed to have been cynical and desperate by the official.

The red card came out, Bramble had to endure the walk of shame in front of thousands of goading fans, and Sunderland had ten men for the final 37 minutes.

In Lee Cattermole, who riled the Newcastle players with numerous crunching challenges, and Bardsley, Sunderland had two men displaying the desire and determination to at least fight for pride.

In truth, the second half improvements provided no consolation to an afternoon in which Newcastle were far superior.

Ameobi added the fourth 17 minutes from time.

Danny Simpson’s delivery was headed against the bar by Carroll and his strike partner unleashed a rasping drive in to the Sunderland net.

And, to rub salt in to the wounds of the Sunderland fans high in the Leazes End, there was a fifth. Barton’s corner, a problem all afternoon for Sunderland, was headed down by Ameobi and Nolan headed in from yards out.

Match facts

Goals:

1-0: Nolan (26mins, cleverly hooked the knock down over his head and high into the Sunderland net)

2-0: Nolan (34, left in far too much space to slot in Carroll’s wayward acrobatic shot)

3-0: Ameobi pen (45, slotted his spotkick low and to Mignolet’s right)

4-0: Ameobi (70, thunderous drive after Carroll had headed against the bar)

5-0: Nolan (75, close range header after turning Ameobi’s header goalwards)

5-1: Bent (90, poked over Mensah’s knock down after Henderson’s corner)

Bookings: Tiote (6, foul); Carroll (14, foul); Malbranque (31, foul); Onouha (40, foul); Simpson (44, dissent); Bardsley (63, foul); Catermole (68, foul); Turner (73, foul); Mensah (83, dissent)

Sending-off: Bramble (53, foul)

Referee: Phil Dowd (Stoke) - Sunderland will be looking to blame someone, but they can’t blame the official 8

Attendance: 51, 988

NEWCASTLE UNITED (4-4-2):

7 Krul: Showed a safe pair of hands but was certainly never given the pressure that he might have expected on derby day

7 Simpson: Defended solidly from start to finish and kept his line well with the centre-backs

8 Williamson: Made a number of telling headers in the box and helped Coloccini keep Bent quiet

7 Coloccini: Has played better this season, but he never really had to find his best against lacklustre opponents

7 Enrique: Similar to Simpson, in that he defended strongly and joined in with the attacks when he could

9 Barton: Was brilliant from start to finish, sending over a number of corners that caused panic every time

7 Tiote: After a nervy start he grew in stature and finished well on top of the Sunderland midfield

9 NOLAN: Was outstanding outside the box and was clinical when he was in the box.

Superb box-to-box display

8 Gutierrez: Was the outlet for the Newcastle defence when they were under pressure, which was what Sunderland lacked

9 Carroll: Might not have scored any of the five, but his presence caused all manner of problems for Bramble and Co

9 Ameobi: An assist for Nolan’s hat-trick and two perfectly taken goals to push him up the derby day record books

Subs:

Ranger (for Ameobi 83)

(not used) Routledge, Lovenkrands, Perch, Smith, S Taylor, Soderberg (gk).

SUNDERLAND (4-2-3-1):

4 Mignolet: Never given the protection he would have liked and rarely looked like making telling saves

3 Onuoha: Guilty of conceding the penalty when he brought down Gutierrez late in the first half and lacked his usual composure

4 Turner: Found it difficult to keep Ameobi and Carroll in check, which was basically where the damage was done

3 Bramble: His mistimed lunge on Carroll that earned him a red card summed up his afternoon on his return to St James’ Park

7 BARDSLEY: Was by far his team’s best player in the first half and never gave up after the restart

4 Henderson: After a brilliant 18 months, the local boy was a poor also-ran against Sunderland’s rivals

6 Cattermole: Kept plugging away in the middle even when the game had gone, but could have been sent off after frustrations started to boil over

4 Elmohamady: Unable to have the influence he has enjoyed in his other matches this season and paid the price when Gyan was introduced early

6 Malbranque: After a bright start in which he ruffled Tiote, his influence waned as Sunderland collapsed

3 Welbeck: Wasted a fantastic opening in the first half to play in unmarked Bent when the score was still goalless

4 Bent: Managed to get on the scoresheet again but that was little consolation

Subs:

Gyan (for Elmohamady 40): Introduced to change the game, but failed. 5

Richardson (for Welbeck 55): Entered too late to make a difference. 5

Mensah (for Cattermole 76)

Subs (not used): Gordon (gk), Da Silva, Ferdinand, Zenden.