Sign up to The Irish Times Archive (1859 - 2008)My Account »

Mon 09 Sep 2007Viduka barges over some suspect West Ham defenceNewcastle 3  West Ham Utd  1:The stricken local bank, Northern Rock, used Newcastle's advertising hoardings to persistently flash up the message "Rock Steady" yesterday. If financial analysts might disagree with that most brazen assertion, it was difficult to argue with those cynics who have labelled Michael Owen Tyneside's "Northern Crock". The England striker, who was withdrawn after 52 minutes, was subdued in the extreme, seemingly afraid to accelerate and, as Sam Allardyce confirmed afterwards, may require a hernia operation this week.Small wonder then that concerns about Owen's troublesome groin and the consequent implications for England overshadowed a wonderful performance from Mark Viduka, who scored twice and won virtually everything in the air during a home victory which suggested Allardyce's formidably functional side could yet end this season in Europe.