Bellamy's pace proves the difference

Newcastle - 4 Mallorca - 1 Pace can conceal a multitude of sins and Craig Bellamy's disconcerting speed served Bobby Robson's side well on a night when Newcastle were initially outplayed.

Allied to the accuracy of Laurent Robert's set-plays and Bellamy's forays, not to mention his equaliser, Newcastle are now clear favourites to progress to the quarter-finals after falling behind to technically superior opponents.

Some of Mallorca's early football had looked immaculate. Arranged in a diamond formation, their control was invariably adhesive, their passing assured and their movement adroit.

Newcastle quickly became overly reliant on a high-risk offside trap and simply could not match the cohesion of the Spanish team's approach-play.

Indeed had Samuel Eto'o not spurned a couple of early chances, Mallorca would have quickly been two up.

Blistering acceleration is a Geordie strong suit, however, and sure enough Bellamy's disruptive advances ensured a few taxing moments for the Mallorca defence.

Granted the Welshman, somewhat optimistically, claimed that he should have been awarded a penalty when felled by David Cortes, but the referee appeared amused as he waved the protests aside. Tellingly, Alan Shearer managed to give Cortes the slip only once in the first half but although Newcastle's captain was onside, Kieron Dyer was not.

A Robert free-kick flew narrowly wide but, not for the first time this season, Newcastle were conjuring up worryingly little, instead depending on that prodigious pace to win a series of set-pieces.

This perhaps explains why the home side, for whom Jermaine Jenas was again disappointing, were booed off at the interval.

The second half began in equally disjointed manner, with Dyer's insistence on drifting infield from his right-wing beat not exactly aiding the cause.

Mallorca, though, were enjoying less possession and Leo Franco did well to divert a shot from Bellamy with his legs.

Then, just as the Spaniards seemed to be defending ever deeper, they scored on the counter-attack. It began with a slapdash short pass from Gary Speed and ended with Fernando Correa applying a header after Eto'o's volley had rebounded off the bar.

Perhaps aware that the crowd had turned decidedly frosty, Bellamy equalised 10 minutes later. Titus Bramble launched a chip forward, capitalising on a collision between Nino and Federico Lussenhoff, Shearer flicked it on and Bellamy was free to accelerate into the area before extending his right foot to beat Franco.

Four minutes later they scored again, Shearer rising to head home at the near post following Robert's corner. Suddenly they were rampant and Robert soon added another from a 30-yard free-kick which caught Franco flat-footed as it swerved into the net.

There was still time for Edu Moya to be sent off for his second bookable offence - a foul on Shearer. And for Bramble to follow home Newcastle's fourth from yet another Robert free-kick.

NEWCASTLE: Given, Hughes, Bramble, O'Brien, Bernard, Dyer (Ambrose 87), Jenas, Speed, Robert, Shearer, Bellamy. Subs Not Used: Elliott, Bridges, Ameobi, Caig, Woodgate, Viana. Booked: Dyer. Goals: Bellamy 67, Shearer 71, Robert 74, Bramble 84.

MALLORCA: Franco, Cortes, Lussenhoff, Nino, Edu Moya, Nagore, Campano, Colsa (Marcos 65), Nene, Correa (Finidi 65), Eto'o. Subs Not Used: Miki, Olaizola, Perera, Nadal, Ramis. Sent Off: Edu Moya (83). Booked: Edu Moya, Correa, Campano, Cortes, Lussenhoff, Colsa, Nagore. Goals: Correa 57.

Referee: Alain Hamer (Luxembourg).