Newcastle take control

SOCCER/Uefa Cup Round of 16, first leg/Newcastle 4 Alkmaar 2: It is stating the obvious to say that Newcastle United would gladly have taken this scoreline if offered it before kick-off. But having seen the limitations of AZ Alkmaar at close quarters Newcastle were left wondering last night how they could be so clearly superior and yet concede two goals that give the Dutchmen hope if not expectation in the second leg next Thursday.

Three up inside 23 minutes, then 4-1 up in 37, Newcastle were cruising until a 72nd-minute penalty award gave Alkmaar the chance of a precious second goal. Danny Koevermans made it two from a rebound and, with Obafemi Martins then missing a glorious opportunity eight minutes from time, the balance of the tie had tilted back towards AZ.

Nicky Butt and Damien Duff set Newcastle's tone. Duff freed Kieron Dyer with a neat backheel pass in the seventh minute and his dangerous cross was turned into his own net by Gretar Steinsson. The Dutch were perplexed by home vibrancy; 15 minutes later they were stunned by it. Butt fed Antoine Sibierski, whose mid-air backheel was every bit as effective as Duff's had been. Dyer was again the recipient of the flick and he finished coolly.

Sixty seconds later and Newcastle were three up when Martins weaved past two defenders and buried a shot into the bottom corner. At that moment, with 67 minutes left plus the second leg, Newcastle already seemed to be into the last eight.

But clean sheets are no Geordie speciality and just past the half-hour Julian Jenner crossed from the right. Shota Arveladze is a proven goalscorer but he was left unmarked and able to bury a header in off the crossbar.

Newcastle restored their three-goal advantage when Parker slid a pass out to Nolberto Solano, whose low pass teed up Martins 12 yards out and his weak shot made its way into the corner. Again.

Newcastle's priority for the second half was to preserve their three-goal lead, even if that focus meant no more goals for Glenn Roeder's team. But that suited AZ more and Moussa Dembele was fortunate indeed that his nothing cross struck Steven Taylor on the arm. Dembele's effort from the penalty was parried by Given but Koevermans drilled the rebound home from six yards.

NEWCASTLE: Given, Bramble, Taylor, Carr, Solano, Dyer, Parker, Butt, Duff (Belozoglu, 77), Sibierski (Milner, 65), Martins. Subs not used: Harper, Luque, N'Zogbia, Huntington, Carroll. Goals: Steinsson og 8, Dyer 22, Martins 23, 37,

AZ ALKMARR: Waterman, Steinsson, Jaliens, Opdam, de Cler, Jenner (Lens, 65), de Zeeuw, Martens (Dembele, 59), Boukhari (Luirink, 83), Koevermans, Arveladze. Subs not used: Bulters, Cziommer, Donk, Vormer. Booked: Steinsson 53. Goals: Arveladze 31, Koevermans 73.

Referee: M Busacca (Switzerland)