IT WAS Murphy's Law at Anfield last night as the lights all but went out on Newcastle's Premiership title challenge.

Everything that could go wrong did go wrong for the Magpies as they discovered a new Liverpool Nemesis in midfielder Danny Murphy.

A floodlight failure seven minutes before the scheduled 8pm kick-off delayed the start by half an hour as Anfield temporarily became the Stadium of Dark.

But Murphy proved the bright spark, adding two more goals to the one he scored in Liverpool's victory at Newcastle this season by the same scoreline.

United boss Bobby Robson had asked centre-back Andy O'Brien to track the mercurial Michael Owen, who had scored 12 goals in his seven previous appearances against the Geordies.

But Robson reckoned without former United target Murphy, who struck in the 32nd minute and eight minutes into the second period to further lift the spirits of manager Gerard Houllier ahead of his imminent return to work after five months' recuperation from life-saving heart surgery.

A worry, however, for Houllier - and watching England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson - was the exit of Owen in the 71st minute with what was immediately feared to be a recurrence of hamstring trouble.

Following his late substitute appearance in Newcastle's 2-0 home defeat by Arsenal, Carl Cort made his first start for ten months.

Shola Ameobi dropped to the bench as Cort lined up alongside skipper Alan Shearer to renew a partnership which has scarcely had chance to flourish because of the duo's mutual injury problems since the former Wimbledon striker arrived in a £7m deal in the summer of 2000.

Owen, rested on the bench for the 2-0 win at Fulham, was restored to the Reds' starting line-up where he found himself in tandem with Niclas Anelka.

Emile Heskey was deployed wide on the left, but soon popped up in the middle to nod over from Vladimir Smicer's right-wing corner.

Owen ran at the Newcastle defence in the seventh minute but just as he was about to weave his way into a shooting position, Aaron Hughes made a timely interception on the edge of the area.

The game began at a frantic pace and there was no let-up as Owen tumbled in the box under the challenge of Nikos Dabizas, who turned on the England striker to complain that he had taken a dive.

Newcastle responded with a Laurent Robert drive which nestled in the side-netting.

But Liverpool resumed their onslaught, with Anelka leading the charge. When Smicer found him on the right in the 17th minute, the Frenchman lashed a ferocious effort which Shay Given somehow managed to touch on to the near post.

A minute later, Anelka emerged on the right to collect a long ball from Stephane Henchoz and check before disappointing the home fans by firing high across the face of goal.

Given was a keeper under siege and he did well to parry a header from Heskey, who was waiting at the far post for Owen's right-wing delivery.

Liverpool felt they had been denied a penalty for the second time when Heskey crashed to the ground - and again the finger of suspicion was pointing at Dabizas.

But the goal they so richly deserved wasn't long in coming. The rampaging Anelka broke brilliantly down the right and crossed into the middle.

Owen was there but the ball was beyond him and it was Murphy who seized his chance, hitting a crisp left-footed drive just inside the near post.

Newcastle were forced to make a change five minutes later when Clarence Acuna took over from Gary Speed, who appeared to be feeling some discomfort with his hamstring.

And Acuna almost made an immediate impact.

Jermaine Jenas was bundled over by Heskey on the right edge of the box and when Robert swung in the free-kick, keeper Jerzy Dudek could only push the ball away as he saw it late through a forest of legs.

Liverpool then failed to clear the danger and when the ball was knocked back in, Acuna missed a great chance to level as he hooked over from close range.

The home side were soon back on the offensive, however, with former Newcastle midfielder Didi Hamann unleashing a trademark 30-yard strike which Given was content to palm aside.

Liverpool began the second period with similar intent, Heskey lifting the ball over from Smicer's cross.

And both men were involved when Murphy doubled the Merseysiders' lead.

Heskey found Smicer, who laid the ball off for Murphy, and the Crewe Alexandra product forced his way through the middle to beat Given with a shot the keeper could only help into the net.

Given fared better when he raced from his line to block Owen's shot, and at the other end Jenas raised Newcastle's hopes with an effort which went agonisingly wide.

There was more despair for the Magpies when Cort had the ball in the net, but referee Jeff Winter ruled he had used his hand on the end of Nolberto Solano's free-kick.

And Hamann increased the pain when he guided home an angled 20-yarder to make it an unhappy night for Shearer on his 300th Premiership appearance, as United suffered their eighth straight League defeat here.

* Shay Given is ready to pledge his best years to Newcastle.

The Republic of Ireland keeper will giveUnited a huge shot in the arm by committing himself to the club until 2008.

He said: "My contract is up next year and it would be nice to get something sorted out.

"We had a meeting last week on the contract talks. I want to stay here for most of the rest of my career."

Defender David Beherall has turned his loan move to Oldham into a permanent deal.

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