Morale blow for Spurs

English Premier League/ Newcastle United 3 Tottenham Hotspur 1 : Sam Allardyce spent much of the past week insisting Martin Jol had "dug himself out of a black hole" while Spurs had "turned the corner", but it appears Newcastle's manager may have been indulging in kidology.

His Tottenham counterpart is likely to feel he is in a dark place and his team in reverse this morning, after a morale-sapping defeat. Newcastle were ruthlessly efficient - and their use of the long ball continues to be leavened by the skills of midfielders such as Emre.

Allardyce fielded a vertically challenged strike force here. Although Michael Owen and Obafemi Martins lacked the injured Mark Viduka's ability to rough up Michael Dawson and Younes Kaboul, their scorching changes of pace and direction soon had Dawson looking nervous. Owen forced Radek Cerny into a fine save and with the interval beckoning, Martins beat Paul Robinson's understudy.

Martins' goal was route one. When Jose Enrique lofted a long pass forward, Martins beat Dawson to the dropping ball before dinking it beyond Cerny who had advanced off his line.

Abdoulaye Faye nearly headed Newcastle into an early lead from a Charles N'Zogbia's corner, leaving Spurs relieved to see his effort rebound off the woodwork.

From Emre's corner early in the second period Claudio Cacapa stole in front of Jol's defenders to angle a near-post header beyond Cerny.

Cacapa had restricted Darren Bent and Robbie Keane to a chance apiece but with Dimitar Berbatov warming up, Spurs got back into things. Newcastle's defence failed to read Pascal Chimbonda's ball into the area and when Bent's header crashed back off a post Keane was on hand to steer the rebound home.

Watching Berbatov hold the ball up and chip a high-calibre pass for Bent to run on to and fire wide begged the question as to why Jol had him on the bench.

Joey Barton - making his league debut for Newcastle after fracturing a foot in pre-season - came on and they swiftly extended their lead, James Milner directing a volley beyond Cerny from the edge of the area

• Guardian Service

NEWCASTLE : Given, Beye, Faye, Cacapa, Jose Enrique, Geremi, Butt, Emre (Barton 71), N'Zogbia (Milner 46), Martins, Owen (Rozehnal 79). Subs not used : Harper, Ameobi. Booked : Beye, Butt. Goals : Martins 45, Cacapa 51, Milner 73.

TOTTENHAM : Cerny, Chimbonda, Dawson, Kaboul, Lee, Malbranque (Berbatov 58), Jenas, Zokora, Bale (Tainio 19), Keane, Bent (Lennon 78). Subs not used : Forecast, Gardner. Booked : Bale, Chimbonda. Goals : Keane 57.

Referee: Steve Bennett (Kent).

© 2007 The Irish Times

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times