Owen crashes Gullit party

Ruud Gullit was as good as his word - up to a point anyway. Entertainment in abundance returned to St James' Park yesterday and one of England's two best strikers scored a 15-minute hat-trick.

Unhappily for the supporters of Newcastle United the fun was provided by Liverpool and the brisk hat-trick by Michael Owen. The response of the Newcastle team to having a famous Dutchman as manager was to play like tulips, especially at the back.

At times, particularly in the first half, a team of Tiny Tims could have tip-toed through Newcastle's midfield and defence. Liverpool's passing and movement will always punish opponents who stand still and leave spaces, and Owen's finishing here ensured that the punishment was absolute.

This was certainly not the dour but parsimonious Newcastle of Kenny Dalglish, whose unceremonious departure last Thursday preceded Gullit's arrival. Yet neither was it the Newcastle of Kevin Keegan, a team more in the habit of sharing goals than just giving them away.

Gullit watched the first half, when all the goals were scored, impassively from the stands. Tommy Craig and Alan Irvine, two of Dalglish's one-time assistants, had selected the side. "I won't pick the team," Gullit had said, "but I'll have a good look at what I've inherited."

In fact, he needed only 45 minutes to study his legacy before moving down to the touchline in an effort to salvage something from the will.

For Liverpool, the afternoon was highly rewarding. With seven points out of nine and a superior goal difference, Liverpool have wasted little time rising to the top of the Premiership under the management of Gerard Houllier and Roy Evans.

With David Batty both suspended and injured, Newcastle could ill afford to lose Dieter Hamann, their German midfielder, after only 12 minutes with a damaged knee. This left them exposed to the power of Paul Ince, the vision of the returning Jamie Redknapp and Patrik Berger's eagerness to gain a regular place in the Liverpool side.

At times Liverpool moved the ball forward with embarrassing ease, brushing aside half-hearted challenges and simply playing the ball past Newcastle's ponderous defence, leaving Owen's pace to do the rest. While abject defending undoubtedly exaggerated the drama of the 18-year-old striker's latest achievement, it was still superb finishing. In the 16th minute, Shay Given could only push a 25-yard drive from Ince straight to Owen, who volleyed the ball in at the near post. Another minute and Steve McManaman had sent Owen through a square, static defence to draw Given off his line before slipping Liverpool's second through the goalkeeper's legs.

Liverpool's supporters promptly began an ironic chant of "Dalglish, Dalglish" followed by a plea to "Sack the board". St James' Park grumbled about the first but kept its own counsel on the second.

Four minutes before the half-hour Stephane Guivarc'h, whom Dalglish had signed from Auxerre for £3.5 million but then seemed reluctant to play, marked his first appearance for Newcastle by scoring off a post after Robert Lee had caught Phil Babb in possession.

But within six minutes Karlheinz Riedle had won the ball off Laurent Charvet before sending Owen on another scamper through Newcastle's defence, this time to beat Given with a beautifully taken shot. Then Berger ended the first half, and the scoring as it turned out, by beating Steve Watson and Charvet on the left before adding Liverpool's fourth.

Newcastle United: Given, Watson (Dabizas 77), Charvet, Pearce, Albert, Serrant (Barton 45), Lee, Hamann (Glass 12), Speed, Guivarc'h, Shearer. Subs Not Used: Perez, Dalglish. Booked: Albert, Lee. Goals: Guivarc'h 28. Liverpool: Friedel, Staunton, Babb, Heggem, Carragher, Ince, Redknapp (McAteer 85), McManaman (Thompson 88), Riedle, Berger, Owen. Subs Not Used: James, Kvarme, Harkness. Booked: Babb, McManaman, Ince. Goals: Owen 17, 18, 32, Berger 45. Referee: G Barber (Pyrford).