Source: Northern_Echo
Newcastle blitz Swansea to stay top of Championship
NEWCASTLE retained top spot in the Championship after a first-half blitz secured a comfortable 3-0 win over Swansea.[LNB] Marlon Harewood grabbed a double, with Peter Lovenkrands also scoring as the Magpies completely dominated the first half.[LNB] The Swans came back into things after the interval, but by then it was too late to prevent Newcastle securing their fifth win in succession.[LNB] The game was effectively over at half-time as Chris Hughton's side scored three unanswered goals before the interval.[LNB] Harewood grabbed the first in the eighth minute, heading home from the edge of the six-yard box after Fabricio Coloccini had flicked on Alan Smith's chipped cross.[LNB] Lovenkrands doubled Newcastle's lead in the 21st minute, taking advantage of some dreadful Swansea marking to convert Jonas Gutierrez's pinpoint cross from inside the six-yard box.[LNB] And Harewood scored his second of the game seven minutes later, darting towards the front post to glance home Lovenkrands' centre.[LNB] Newcastle were utterly dominant at that stage, but goalkeeper Steve Harper had to produce two excellent saves to safeguard his side's clean sheet.[LNB] The goalkeeper, who was later forced off with a back injury, turned Cedric Van Der Gun's effort around the post and flung himself to his left to keep out Andrea Orlandi's effort.[LNB] NEWCASTLE (4-4-2): Harper (Krul 46); Simpson, Coloccini, S Taylor, Enrique; Guthrie (Pancrate 76), Smith, Nolan, Gutierrez; Lovenkrands, Harewood (Ranger 68).[LNB] Subs (not used): Kadar, Khizanishvili, R Taylor, LuaLua.[LNB] SWANSEA (4-5-1): De Vries; Rangel, Williams, Tate, Bessone; Dyer, Orlandi, Pratley (Allen 74), Britton, Van Der Gun (Cotterill 52mins); Beattie (Pintado 52).[LNB] Subs (not used): Cornell (gk), Butler, Serran, Richards.[LNB]
