SOCHAUX'S Stade Auguste Bonal lies at the heart of a massive Peugeot car factory. But by earning their first win on French soil in the stadium last night, it was Newcastle who were able to motor into the knock-out phase of the UEFA Cup.

Goals from Lee Bowyer, Shola Ameobi, Craig Bellamy and Laurent Robert fired the Magpies to an impressive four-goal away win.

While manager Graeme Souness chose to rest some of his more established stars, United's supposed lesser lights underlined the depth of talent available to him.

Ameobi has been largely ignored since Souness replaced Sir Bobby Robson in September. But while the striker looked understandably ring-rusty at times, he helped to lay on Bowyer's opener before stealing into the right place at the right time at the start of the second half to double United's lead.

Bowyer's form has been called into question in recent weeks, but his clinical first half finish capped a much-improved performance as Newcastle rode out Sochaux's early storm before delivering a devastating four-goal blitz with their first four shots that found the target.

Bellamy's second goal in the space of six days made the three points safe and, while Shay Given produced three wonderful saves to keep Sochaux at bay, Robert rounded off Newcastle's most impressive win of the season - a success that was just reward for a thoroughly professional display.

Souness' team selection suggested he would have taken the one point needed to ensure qualification. Darren Ambrose and James Milner made rare starts in midfield, while Ameobi lined up alongside Bellamy in attack.

That left Robert, Patrick Kluivert, Kieron Dyer and Jermaine Jenas warming the bench.

It was proof that, to Souness at least, last night's game was of secondary importance to Sunday's crucial Premiership clash with in-form Everton.

The players on the pitch saw things differently although, initially, the visitors were of secondary quality to a Sochaux side lying third in the French top-flight.

Newcastle's early attacking play was largely lethargic, with their front two struggling to break free of the imposing Souleymane Diawara, while their defending was ragged against impressive Brazilian Ilan.

Bowyer's 11th-minute foul summed up United's disjointed start. The former Leeds midfielder threw himself into a needless challenge, which earned a booking that will keep him out of next month's game with Sporting Lisbon.

Titus Bramble held things together with a series of thumping challenges, although Sochaux almost profited from his 16th-minute foul on Wilson Oruma on the edge of the Newcastle box.

Jeremy Menez curled the resultant free-kick around the Magpies' wall but, with the ball creeping into the left-hand corner, Given produced a magnificent tip round the post at full stretch.

Newcastle had hardly ventured into the Sochaux half at that stage. But the visitors suddenly took a surprise lead that would eventually turn into an emphatic success.

Bellamy had wasted the only previous opportunity by shooting over, but Bowyer was far more clinical on the half-hour mark.

Ameobi caught Sochaux centre-half Gregory Paisley ball-watching, and the ball broke kindly for Bowyer to drill a precise finish into the bottom corner.

The lead was almost doubled in bizarre fashion two minutes later but, after Given had dribbled round Menez before finding Bellamy, Milner fired the Welshman's right-wing cross over the crossbar from six yards.

Given is better known for sharp glovework than silky footwork, and the more conventional side of his game came to the fore twice in the latter stages of the first half as Sochaux's forwards exploited worrying gaps in the United backline.

The Irish international made a great block to deny Ilan after Sochaux's leading scorer had powered into the heart of the penalty area.

The Given produced a fine reflex save to deny Michael Isabey after he raced onto Ilan's intelligent through-ball.

With Jeremy Mathieu also curling narrowly over the top from 20 yards, the French side finished the first half with a flourish.

But they started the second in a daze as Newcastle doubled their lead within 49 seconds of the re-start.

Paisley's nightmare night continued as he missed Olivier Bernard's low cross in his own six-yard box, and Ameobi was left all on his own at the back post to steer the ball home from close range.

Both of Newcastle's goals had come from nothing, but Sochaux almost grabbed a lifeline in even more unexpected fashion shortly after the hour mark.

Given parried substitute Santos' shot after it had taken a wicked deflection off Robbie Elliott. But with United's defenders looking on incredulously, a linesman drew referee Megia Davilla's attention to the slightest tug on the shirt of Sochaux skipper Isabey.

The decision to award a penalty was barely believable, but justice was served when Mathieu rolled a terrible spot-kick past the right-hand post.

Bellamy rubbed salt into the wound in the 75th minute, slotting home from close range after Aaron Hughes had broken the Sochaux offside trap to make the most of Dyer's defence-splitting pass.

With the game taking place in eastern France, it was fitting that substitute Robert had the final say.

With the Magpies breaking at will, the former Paris St Germain star showed his customary French flair by curling an inch-perfect free-kick into the corner of the net.

Result: Sochaux 0 Newcastle United 4.

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