Source: SKY_Sports
Magpies put Ipswich to the sword
Newcastle United have surged to the summit of the Championship table with a resounding 4-0 success over struggling Ipswich Town at Portman Road.
While Roy Keane's side remain searching for their first league win of the new season, Newcastle are looking primed to make a swift Premier League return at the first time of asking.
Kevin Nolan was the hero for Chris Hughton's side with an impressive hat-trick while Ryan Taylor also got his name on the scoresheet with a fine free-kick.
After a keenly-contested opening half hour Newcastle scored three times in a four-minute spell to effectively clinch the points. Nolan bagged a brace before Ryan Taylor's powerful free-kick left the home side reeling.
Former Bolton man Nolan capped a fine individual display by completing his hat-trick six minutes into the second half as Newcastle capitalised on West Brom's slip-up earlier on Saturday.
Newcastle captain Alan Smith set the tone with two crunching tackles in the opening 90 seconds and the visitors came close to an opening goal in the fifth minute.
Superb strengthNolan played the ball up to Nile Ranger, who showed superb strength to turn Alex Bruce on the edge of the area.
The 18-year-old then had the poise to dummy inside the challenge of Liam Rosenior and get a shot away, which goalkeeper Richard Wright did well to palm behind for a corner.
The visitors were playing all the football, with the experienced trio of Smith, Nicky Butt and Nolan controlling proceedings in midfield as Ipswich looked woefully short of confidence after their disastrous start to the season.
Nolan looked a class above and opened the scoring with a marvellous header in the 30th minute.
Jon Walters gave away a silly free-kick for a push on Ryan Taylor on the right wing and, from the former Wigan man's delivery, Nolan leapt high to power a header past Richard Wright and into the roof of the net.
The away fans had hardly stopped celebrating when Nolan grabbed his second a minute later. Andy Carroll played the ball over the top for Nolan, who surged into the area. He easily cut inside a flimsy challenge from Pim Balkestein and slipped the ball between Wright and the near post for a tidy finish.
Rampant
Newcastle were rampant and went 3-0 up in the 34th minute.
Ranger was fouled on the left-hand side and Taylor stepped up to curl a fine 25-yard free-kick over the wall and into the top corner.
A parade of Robson's former Ipswich players entered the field during half-time, including Scotland and former Tractor Boys manager George Burley, as the FA Cup and Uefa Cup won under the former England manager were rightly celebrated.
The current crop made a slightly better start to the second period, with Walters heading onto the roof of the goal, but Nolan soon completed his treble in the 50th minute.
Zurab Khizanishvili charged down the right wing before laying the ball off to Ryan Taylor. He picked out Ranger unmarked at the back post and his header back across goal looked like finding the net until Nolan arrived to nod over the line from three yards out.
The visitors saw out the rest of the game with ease and gave a debut to on-loan Aston Villa forward Marlon Harewood in the closing stages.
Attention now turns to Keane's immediate future as the former Manchester United captain reflects on the fact that, after nine games of a season which promised much, his side are only being kept off the bottom of the division by Plymouth.
