GRAEME Souness last night urged Shola Ameobi to use his derby-day double as a springboard for the rest of the season, claiming that his languid exterior hid a striker of genuine class.

Ameobi, whose reputation has always tended to exceed his ability, scored Newcastle's opening two goals as they edged a rip-roaring five-goal thriller with arch-rivals Sunderland.

The 24-year-old's general performance caught the eye as he ensured the Magpies did not miss injured England international Michael Owen.

The challenge now is for Ameobi to repeat his heroics on a regular basis.

But while a return of 16 goals in 125 Premiership games prior to yesterday hardly augurs well, Souness is confident the Nigeria-born frontman has the ability to confound his many critics.

"Our supporters have to understand that, like my predecessor, I think there's a player in there waiting to come out," said the Magpies manager.

"In this game, he came out.

"If you go up to our training ground then you'll see what I mean. For two days out of the five that we train, he is absolutely unplayable.

"That's not just in terms of his physique, I'm also talking about his touch and his control. We have to get that off the training ground and on to the pitch.

"There's generally a feeling that players who have come through the ranks are not accepted as readily as players who have arrived for a big fee.

"I can understand our supporters' frustrations with Shola. He's got that loping style and sometimes, it looks as though he is not sprinting when really he is.

"I can understand why people get frustrated with him, but I know what he's capable of. We have to get that out of him."

While Ameobi took the goalscoring honours before the break, Emre's 63rd-minute free-kick was ultimately the difference between the two sides.

The Turkish midfielder was making only his third Premiership start for the Magpies, following a succession of hamstring problems since his move to Tyneside in the summer.

With Nolberto Solano shaking off a thigh injury to make the first appearance of his second spell, Newcastle are finally getting some of their most creative players onto the pitch.

In Souness' eyes, at least, that process is crucial.

"We've been stubborn," he admitted. But that's all we've been in recent weeks.

"We have been solid - prior to (yesterday), we had conceded two goals in five games - but we have not been creative.

"The simple reason for that is that we have not had our creative players on the pitch.

"We've not had Kieron Dyer, we've not had Nobby (Solano), we've not had Emre and we've not had Albert Luque.

"That's why we've been what we've been in recent weeks. But, as we've said all along, judge us when we get everyone fit.

"In the first half, with Nobby and Emre in there, I thought we played some really good football."

Souness also thought that, despite Sunderland's spirited second-half showing, his side deserved their narrow win.

"Over 90 minutes, we were the better team," claimed the Scot. "But credit to Sunderland - they've played a big part in a cracking game of football.

"That was a cracking advert for the Premiership, a cracking derby, and a cracking advert for the North-East.

"We felt we played well in the first half, got our goals and were disappointed that Sunderland scored two very good goals with the only shots they had before the break."

A bullish Mick McCarthy saw things differently.

The Sunderland manager pointed to his side's plentiful possession and numerous chances and felt deprived of a point.

Had Stephen Elliott's 83rd-minute chip not rattled off the crossbar with Shay Given beaten, he would have got it.

Nevertheless, the Black Cats boss was proud of his players' efforts and argued that their spirited showing offered hope for the future.

"There's a sense of pride in our performance and the way we've played," said McCarthy.

"We came into the eye of a storm and we've quietened that storm for long periods of the game.

"The width of the crossbar has been the difference between a really great performance and a great result, and me sitting here feeling really disappointed.

"I can only admire my group of players - we're getting every last drop out of them, although I think there's more to come.

"There are a lot of those lads that were playing in the Championship and below that 12 months ago.

"They stepped up here into a place that's very difficult to visit.

"I thought we were the better side in the second half, but it doesn't matter.

"They've got the bragging rights because they beat us. But I can only admire the performance."

Sunderland twice came from behind, with picture-book strikes from Liam Lawrence and Elliott cancelling out Ameobi's first half double.

They were unable to level for a third time, although McCarthy questioned both the decision to award the decisive free-kick for Stephen Caldwell's challenge on Ameobi and Rob Styles' refusal to award a penalty when Lawrence tumbled over Charles N'Zogbia in the box.

"I don't have a sense of injustice, although there were things that happened in the game that went against us," said the Black Cats boss.

"I didn't doubt they'd get a free-kick on the edge of the box at some stage.

"And, I didn't doubt we wouldn't get a penalty when Lennie went down towards the end.

"There was as much chance of me making my own way home by flapping my hands as there was of us getting that."

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