Carroll puts Villa to sword

22 August 2010 16:01
Andy Carroll plundered a hat-trick as Newcastle demolished Aston Villa with a stunning 6-0 victory. Six days after the Magpies' return to Barclays Premier League began in sobering fashion with a 3-0 defeat at Manchester United, they hit hapless Villa for six without reply. John Carew let the home side off the hook when he skied a 10th-minute penalty high over the bar, but Newcastle were far more clinical when they got the opportunity. Carroll, watched by Alan Shearer, the man who wore the number nine shirt he has now inherited, stole the show with a fine treble after Joey Barton had opened the scoring with a 12th-minute piledriver and Kevin Nolan had made it 2-0 with 32 minutes gone. Nolan struck again at the death before Carroll claimed the match ball in injury time to round off an impressive display in front of a delighted crowd of 43,546. The Magpies were handed a further boost at half-time when they announced the signing, subject to a work permit, of Ivory Coast international Cheick Tiote from Dutch club FC Twente. But for managerless Villa, who ultimately sent the Magpies down in May last year, their trip to the north-east was little short of disastrous.

Source: PA