Magpies boast as they win 1-0

It was a party night on Tyneside with the Magpies boasting a virtually unassailable 5-0 lead, and an impressive second leg performance saw them to a comfortable 9-1 aggregate win over Royal Antwerp.

Whereas it was a case of putting on the style back in 1994, this time it was more of a case of mission accomplished with the minimum of effort.

The only party atmosphere was in the pubs and clubs of Newcastle with the city's revellers more than happy to take full advantage of the late licences granted for the ill-fated Love Parade

With around a quarter of St James Park closed on Saturday the atmosphere was muted despite the excellent turnout, with the most memorable sound of the first half coming from the over regular use of German referee Edgar Steinborn's whistle.

It certainly wasn't a game that will linger long in anyone's memory, and those watching in on events across Europe - especially inMunich - will have not been overly impressed with the quality of football on offer.

Lokeren proved to be a very poor side and in the shape of substitute Alen Mrzlecki possessed a player whose sole aim appeared to be to make life as difficult a possible for his teammates. His first touch, after coming on as a 24th minute substitute, was a back pass that wasn't as much misguided as comical.

Shola Ameobi couldn't believe his luck with the ball played straight to his feet in the box leaving him with a one on one with the impressive Dabanovic.

As Bobby Robson said "he has to take those sort of chances", but the teenager took the wrong option allowing the goalkeeper to smother when he tried to round him. The Mrzlecki show was far from finished, and after a few more misguided challenges another slip up in the 39th minute allowed Ameobi to cross but there were no black and white shirts closing in on goal and Nolberto Solano's return cross was cleared.

But the substitute from hell saved his best for the second half and after several more challenges that could best be described as agricultural, including a rugby tackle on Lomana LuaLua, the referee eventually gave him his marching orders for what appeared to be dissent. That apart, the crowd were treed to very little excitement and precious little action.

The first half saw Newcastle squander several chances starting with Craig Bellamy in the ninth minute. Their best move of the game saw Wayne Quinn slide a crossfield pass through to Ameobi on the edge of the box whose delightful dummy was straight into Bellamy's path. The new man fired across Dabanovic but the keeper palmed the ball away and the rebound found Ameobi unable to hit the target from a tight angle.

That was as good as it got in footballing terms throughout the game, and the Ameobi Bellamy link up did not carry on from where it left off n Belgium.

Robson expects big things from his teenage striker in the next few years but feels he needs time to develop.

"We forget that he is only a 'bairn' but he's going to be some player. When he's 23 or 2 he's going to be a real handful."

But Shola and United's hard work had been done in Belgium a week earlier and the priority for Bobby Robson's men was to get through the 90 minutes with the minimum of fuss and to avoid further injuries to what is a depleted squad.

That didn't quite go to plan with Christian Bassedas limping out with a groin injury, but Robson will be pleased to see his new striker Bellamy getting on the scoresheet in only his second game.

The goal came in the 60th minute after good work from Bassedas on the left saw him cross for Solano to head down and Bellamy steer home from close range.

The turnout of 29,000 was a new record for the competition, but with Munich 1860 arriving next week that record will no doubt stand for just ten days.

"A massive crowd for a match like this when you're 4-0 up away from home in the middle of July, that's just indicative of what they're (the fans) al about," said Robson.

"The crowd was terrific and although I wouldn't think they were expecting an avalanche of goals, they'd think when you win 4-0 away from home you expect to win 5-0 at home, but it never works like that.

"The object of the exercise was to get through and two weeks ago if you had said to me you'll win 5-0 on aggregate I would have accepted that."

Wednesday will be a far tougher affair but the old warhorse Robson will no doubt relish locking horns again with German opponents.

A near empty Munich stadium will be a far cry from Turin 1990, but Robson will demand and expect the best from his players and a much improved performance than Saturday's.

Robson was quick to point out that Munich 1860 will be a different proposition saying: "It's Bundesliga team and they'll be well organised. We know a lot about them and we're away first and then back here at home when it should be a pretty good game."

But first stop is Munich and that is where the game could be won or lost, with a vas improvement on Saturday's performance required f Newcastle are to head home on Wednesday night with anything to show for their travels.

JUDGING by the reception Robbie Elliot received on Saturday night at St James' you'd be forgiven for thinking that everyone of the 29,021 fans had just turned out to welcome one of their own back to Newcastle

A Tyneside-born player is always held in high esteem by the Magpie faithful, and after recent events concerning some of Newcastle's less than successful overseas imports, Elliott's transfer is seen somewhat as a prodigal's return.

The left sided defender admitted before the game he was looking forward to running out back on his old stomping ground and he would have been forgiven for suffering from an attack of the nerves.

But the fans made it a night to remember, and Elliot thrived on his return to put in an accomplished performance at left-back.

"It was an incredible turnout and it gave everyone a big lift," said Elliott.

"I just can't wait for the day when the ground's actually full, and we get few more in when it's a bigger game.

"We wanted to go and put on a show for them, score a few goals and show them what we're capable of. But Lokeren played a lot better than they did in the first leg. They had nothing to lose and made it difficult for us.

"It might have been different if we'd put away a couple of chances especially in the first half. "It would have been nice to score a couple more goals but we won and we kept another clean sheet which was important."

Elliot and his colleagues now face the far tougher obstacle of Munich 1860 on Wednesday, and a date at the Olympic Stadium."I've never had the chance to play there and it's something that you'll be able to remember at the end of your career.

"What we need is to get a god performance away from home and bring them back here and win the tie."

If Newcastle do overcome the German side they already know they will be playing the second-leg of the final back at St James'.

"It gives you a big advantage when you've got the fans on your side he, and obviously the Premiership will have already started by then so we should be fully fit.

"Saturday was only our second competitive game and bearing that in mind I think the lads performed ell.

"The next game we should perform better and then we should get better after that.

"The lads are progressing very well."

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