CRAIG BELLAMY was crying tears of despair at St. James' Park on Wednesday night as the hero of Newcastle's Champions League campaign suddenly became the villain in one moment of madness.

With his side trailing to a goal in only 65 seconds by Inter midfielder Domenico Morfeo, Bellamy was sensationally sent off in the fifth minute for kicking out at former Everton defender Marco Materazzi in an off-the-ball incident.

Bellamy, lauded for the last-ditch goal against Feyenoord in Rotterdam a fortnight earlier which guaranteed Newcastle's first appearance in the last 16 of the competition, was overcome with grief as he left the field after referee Stephane Bre - a French policeman - flourished an instant red card.

Materazzi's fall may have been a little theatrical, but the pained expression on Bellamy's face told its own story.

The Wales striker, who has already served a three-match UEFA ban this season for headbutting Dynamo Kiev's Tiberiu Ghioane in the first group phase, now faces a similar stretch on the sidelines, ruling him out of the trip to Barcelona on Tuesday week, and the double-header with Bayer Leverkusen in the new year.

Newcastle skipper Alan Shearer can count himself lucky to have escaped the same fate as Bellamy in the 25th minute last night after swinging an arm which clearly caught the back of the head of Inter defender Fabio Cannavaro.

Shearer was given nothing more than a ticking-off, but ten minutes later Newcastle were two down and heading for their first defeat on home soil against Italian opposition in major European competition.

Turkish international Emre sent over a corner from the right and after Argentina strike ace Hernan Crespo had seen his shot on the turn come back off the near post, the ball broke out to international teammate Matias Almeyda who drove home from distance.

And in first-half stoppage time, Crespo, instrumental in the opening two goals, got in on the scoring act himself with his ninth in the Champions League this season.

Turkey midfielder Okan evaded the touchline challenge of Aaron Hughes and centred to the near post where Crespo swept in past goalkeeper Shay Given.

Inter, who had scored just four goals in their ten games in England before arriving on Tyneside, doubled their tally in one match as they claimed only their second victory in this country.

Uruguay star Alvaro Recoba, an 80th-minute replacement for Crespo, curled in a left-foot effort with virtually his first touch after being on the field only a minute, following a neat set-up by fellow substitute Stephane Dalmat.

But this was not before the recalled Nolberto Solano had finally given the home fans something to cheer with a 72nd-minute goal.

Half-time substitute Laurent Robert set off on a mazy run and threaded a clever through-ball to Solano inside the 18-yard box, and the Peruvian kept his composure to slot past goalkeeper Francesco Toldo.

This game heralded the beginning of a tougher level of competition for Sir Bobby Robson's side, who had demonstrated beyond all doubt in their previous six Champions League group outings that there was no disparity in quality between themselves and their rivals.

Emboldened by consecutive victories over Juventus, Dynamo Kiev and, decisively, Feyenoord in the first group phase, United stepped into the unknown last night without fear or trepidation.

Robson had ruminated over whether to alter his rearguard after their meek showing in Saturday's 5-3 defeat by Manchester United.

With right-back Andy Griffin shaking off a bout of gastro-enteritis, Robson ended up keeping faith with the back-four which looked so suspect at Old Trafford.

But their shortcomings soon resurfaced when Nikos Dabizas missed his tackle on Javier Zanetti. The Inter skipper broke to deliver the ball low across goal and after Crespo had applied the faintest flick of his foot, Morfeo was at the far post to ram into the roof of the net.

Worse was to follow when Bellamy received his marching orders in the most dramatic start imaginable.

Cannavaro then committed a costly foul on Shearer which left the United skipper on the deck and earned the Italian international a yellow card, ruling him out of his side's next Champions League game.

From the resultant free-kick Viana, who had returned to the United line-up after recovering from a knee injury, curled the ball into the danger zone where Dabizas sent his diving header just wide from around six yards.

Shearer and Nolberto Solano then did their best to raise United's spirits and the decibel level at a stunned St. James'.

Solano, back in the side after clear-the-air talks with Robson over his recent omission, produced a trademark centre from the right, and the United captain met the ball with a header which was always going too high.

United then won a free-kick and set-piece specialist Solano hit a wicked shot which Toldo was happy to fist away.

After Almeyda doubled Inter's lead, Shearer seized on slack defending by the visitors to unleash a half-volley that dropped just outside the far post with Toldo at full stretch.

A third goal prompted half-time action from Robson, who brought on Robert - only three weeks after he fractured a cheekbone in the Worthington Cup exit at the hands of Everton - in place of Viana.

Toldo had to make another crucial save from a Dabizas header before there was flashpoint in the 67th minute involving Griffin and Giovanni Pasquale, with the Inter man showing his studs to the Newcastle defender.

Solano squandered a good chance to score his second when he scuffed his shot well wide from Shearer's cross, but Recoba, a former Robson target, ended all hope for the Magpies.