Liverpool 3 Newcastle 0

WHEN Michael Owen left Liverpool for Real Madrid five summers ago, his decision was made with a dream of winning the Champions League in mind – not helping to condemn Newcastle United to the Championship.

In a desperate attempt to improve on a record that now stands at just one goal and two points from his first five matches in management, Alan Shearer dropped longtime friend and former teammate Owen. The outcome, however, was the same – defeat.

After Yossi Benayoun and Dirk Kuyt had capitalised on the latest bout of calamitous defending to put Liverpool two up before the half hour at Anfield, time after time Steve Harper’s goal was peppered with efforts on goal.

And when Owen was introduced there was just no way back for a team clearly still bereft of confidence. A third from Brazilian Lucas three minutes from time hammered home the point.

Even actor Daniel Craig – aka James Bond 007, and a Liverpool fan sat in the stands – would struggle to come up with an escape plan to keep Newcastle in the Premier League now.

If Hull City claim an unlikely win at Aston Villa tonight, Shearer’s Newcastle will be four points adrift of Premier League survival ahead of next weekend’s round of fixtures, with just three matches remaining.

By the time they face Middlesbrough a week today it could be even worse. And given they head into those final matches without Joey Barton – shown a straight red for his ridiculous challenge on Xabi Alonso – it certainly hasn’t helped matters.

After a relatively bright start against title hopefuls, it soon became clear that regardless of Shearer’s selections, those wearing red were in no mood to give Newcastle a lifeline.

There may have been more made of Owen’s non appearance that the omission of the prolific Fernando Torres, and it soon became clear why.

On an afternoon when the away dressing room must have been initially buoyed by the absence of Torres on the teamsheet, Kuyt and Gerrard once again showed that they can also form a formidable link up.

Back in December – again without the Spaniard – the two were instrumental in the 5-1 win that convinced Shay Given it was time to leave St James’ Park, it could quite easily have been the same here – and more.

From the moment Gerrard skipped around Fabricio Coloccini as if he wasn’t there in the first Liverpool attack, it was quickly apparent that Newcastle would not have the stability at the back to hold out for 90 minutes.

In fact, after Steve Harper had been forced into saving two long range drives from Gerrard, and Kuyt had headed wide at the back post, Shearer’s hopes of returning to the North-East with a clean sheet lasted just 22 minutes.

And, like so often this season, Newcastle’s misery was largely their own doing.

Sebastien Bassong – the side’s best player this season – and Alan Smith both failed to clear a routine pass into the box.

Kuyt nicked the ball away from the latter before his low drive into the area was turned over the line by Benayoun, despite the Israeli appearing to be standing just offside.

From there, with Shearer’s frustration growing in the dug-out, there was no way back for Newcastle.

Every time United lost possession – and that was regularly – Liverpool looked like scoring.

And after Benayoun forced another save out of Harper, after the rejuvenated midfielder’s quick turn had taken out three Newcastle defenders, the second goal arrived just six minutes after the first.

Newcastle were again culpable.

Ger rard’s corner dropped where it would be expected to drop – in the middle of the area.

Kuyt casually worked his way free and out of sight of his marker, Habib Beye, and crashed his diving header beyond Harper.

With Barton back in the Newcastle team there was expected to be fire introduced into their play long before his sending off.

Instead, though, he was part of a midfield given a first half runaround by the team sitting second.

Xabi Alonso curled a stunning drive against the crossbar and a Daniel Agger thunderbolt brought a diving save from Harper. The surprise at the interval that it was only two.

Whenever Owen ventured out into the Anfield sunlight for a warm-up, the reception he received was the mark of a striker whose goals will never be forgotten on Merseyside.

But that failed to convince Shearer that his introduction was required, with Jonas Gutierrez the man asked to replace Peter Lovenkrands when the manager opted to dismantle the unsuccessful lone strike system.

It was a decision which needed to be made, but the timing of it bordered on pointless as Liverpool rolled comfortably towards victory, with Alonso and Gerrard both hitting the underside of the bar again.

There was no keeping out Lucas’s downward header, from Fabio Aurelio’s centre three minutes from time, however.

By then, though, it was not so much about the defeat, more about the latest controversial incident surrounding Barton.

He had been largely anonymous for the most part, but then found it necessary to throw himself two-footed into Alonso as he stood near the corner flag. A straight red card, a three-match ban and Barton will not be seen again this season. Whether he will be back in a black and white shirt in the Premier League is also very much in serious doubt.

Matchfacts

Goals: 1-0: Benayoun (22mins, on hand to tap Kuyt’s centre over the line) 2-0: Kuyt (28mins, simplest of diving headers from Gerrard’s corner) 3-0: Lucas (87mins, turned Aurelio’s centre beyond Harper with fine downward header)
Bookings: Smith (62mins, foul) Sent off: Barton (77mins, serious foul play)
Referee: Phil Dowd (Stoke-on- Trent) – Could have given offside for Benayoun’s opener, but otherwise on the spot 6
Attendance: 44,121
Entertainment: ✰✰✰

LIVERPOOL: Reina 6; Arbeloa 6, Agger 7, Carragher 6, Aurelio 7; Benayoun 7, Mascherano 7 (Ngog 89), Alonso 8 (Lucas 81), Riera 5 (Babel 63, 5); GERRARD 8; Kuyt 7. Subs: Cavalieri, Dossena, El Zhar, Skrtel

NEWCASTLE UNITED (4-5-1):
6 HARPER: Had a busy afternoon and kept the scoreline to just three
4 Beye: Failed to keep a rein on Kuyt for the Dutchman’s header
5 Bassong: Had one of his worst games of the season
4 Coloccini: All over the place – again. Not what you want in a relegation fight
4 Duff: Given the runaround by Benayoun, but he was out of position
4 Martins: Never looked capable of providing a threat after having an early shot deflect for a corner
4 Smith: His booking summed up a frustrating afternoon 4Butt: Largely anonymous from start to finish
2 Barton: Stupid and reckless lunge on Alonso, as he stood near the corner flag
5 Lovenkrands: Asked to provide the width down the left and rarely given a chance to do so
4 Viduka: Failed to provide the presence up front that he was selected for
Subs: Gutierrez (for Lovenkrands 46): Made a few fouls, otherwise quiet 5 Nolan (for Viduka 80) Owen (for Martins 80) (not used): Guthrie, Edgar, Carroll, Krul

MAN OF THE MATCH
STEVEN Gerrard – Who else? Dictated proceedings in the