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. Marlon Harewood grabbed a double, with Peter Lovenkrands also scoring as the Magpies completely dominated the first half. 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. The game was effectively over at half-time as Chris Hughton's side scored three unanswered goals before the interval. 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. 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. And Harewood scored his second of the game seven minutes later, darting towards the front post to glance home Lovenkrands' centre. Newcastle were utterly dominant at that stage, but goalkeeper Steve Harper had to produce two excellent saves to safeguard his side's clean sheet. 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. NEWCASTLE (4-4-2): Harper (Krul 46); Simpson, Coloccini, S Taylor, Enrique; Guthrie (Pancrate 76), Smith, Nolan, Gutierrez; Lovenkrands, Harewood (Ranger 68). Subs (not used): Kadar, Khizanishvili, R Taylor, LuaLua. SWANSEA (4-5-1): De Vries; Rangel, Williams, Tate, Bessone; Dyer, Orlandi, Pratley (Allen 74), Britton, Van Der Gun (Cotterill 52mins); Beattie (Pintado 52). Subs (not used): Cornell (gk), Butler, Serran, Richards.

Source: Northern_Echo