Souness gambles, Kluivert rewards

Newcatle Utd - 2 Norwich - 1: Graeme Souness took the same gamble as Bobby Robson at the same stage of the same competition - playing a weakened team - but the difference is that for Souness the gamble paid off.

Two goals up by half time as Patrick Kluivert, showing an unforeseen appetite for the League Cup, delivered some inspired moves, Newcastle coped with Norwich City's second-half comeback and Darren Huckerby's well struck penalty.

It means nine games out of nine undefeated for Souness and as each game goes by people in the city wonder where the Scotsman can take this team.

With a bench including Alan Shearer, Craig Bellamy and Shay Given, the manager had room to experiment.

A debut was handed to Ronny Johnsen at centre half, alongside Titus Bramble, playing his first game of the season. Now 35, Johnsen has signed a contract until January.

There was hesitancy at the back last night but Newcastle were so vivid going forward the failing was masked.

One up after just 75 seconds, Jermaine Jenas getting the final touch from an well-placed, inswinging Laurent Robert corner, Newcastle should have had another two before the half hour.

Lovely play by Kluivert set up Shola Ameobi two minutes after Jenas's opener but Ameobi, with Robert green to beat, hit the side netting.

Kluivert then delivered a backheel to Darren Ambrose as he surged into the area. Marc Edworthy pulled Ambrose down and Ameobi casually rolled in the penalty.

Norwich began the second half progressively and when Ameobi stumbled into Mattias Jonson on 56 minutes, the linesman, not referee Phil Dowd, awarded the penalty. Darren Huckerby, once of this parish, scored.

Norwich were back in the contest and gradually Newcastle's play became scrappy.

Manager Souness then sent on Craig Bellamy, who almost made it 3-1 in the 89th minute as Newcastle clung on grimly to their narrow advantage.

NEWCASTLE UTD: Harper, Hughes, Johnsen, Bramble, Bernard, Milner, Ambrose, Jenas, Robert (Bellamy 69), Ameobi (Bowyer 83), Kluivert. Subs Not Used: Given, O'Brien, Shearer. Booked: Ambrose, Bernard, Bowyer. Goals: Jenas 2, Ameobi 42 pen.

NORWICH CITY: Green, Edworthy, Fleming, Shackell, Drury (Helveg 65), Svensson, Holt (Safri 45), Francis, Jonson, Doherty (Henderson 61), Huckerby. Subs Not Used: Ward, Bentley. Booked: Huckerby. Goal: Huckerby 56 pen.

Referee: P Dowd (Staffordshire).