Newcastle set up nicely for return

Uefa Cup Third round, first leg Zulte-Waregem 1 Newcastle 3Antoine Sibierski put his friendship with Frederic Dindeleux to the test as Newcastle shattered Zulte Waregem's Uefa Cup dreams last night.

The former Lille team-mates have known each other since the age of eight - and Dindeleux was Sibierski's best man at his wedding.

However, Zulte's former Kilmarnock defender endured a nightmare, opening the scoring with a 47th-minute own goal and then seeing his close friend outpace him to wrap up victory with a stunning solo effort 14 minutes from time at the Jules Otten Stadium.

Obafemi Martins' 13th goal of the season from the penalty spot had put the Magpies in charge, and although they wobbled momentarily after Karel D'Haene had pulled a goal back, Sibierski took his tally for the Magpies to eight to send them into next Thursday night's second leg in pole position to claim a last 16 clash with either Fenerbahce or AZ Alkmaar.

Zulte coach Francky Dury and his players may have been less than impressed with Bulgarian referee Anton Genov's decision to award a penalty for goalkeeper Pieter Merlier's challenge on Damien Duff, but in truth, his side were well beaten.

The Belgian Cup holders were neat and tidy in possession and nothing if not hard working, but they surrendered a series of chances to their opponents inside the opening 45 minutes which should have proved fatal.

But the deadlock wasn't broken until 90 seconds after the restart, although the Magpies needed a helping hand from their opponents to beat Merlier. Nolberto Solano picked out Kieron Dyer's intelligent run and when he drove the ball across goal, Dindeleux deflected the ball into his own net.

And on 59 minutes, Duff's surging run into the box came to an end when he went down under Merlier's challenge, and although replays showed there was minimal contact, the referee pointed to the spot. Martins, who had handed spot-kick duties over to Solano after missing at Everton in December, took charge and sent the goalkeeper the wrong way with his left foot.

Newcastle sensed a chance to get the job done and set up camp in Zulte territory, but the game changed on 68 minutes when the home side grabbed a lifeline. Midfielder D'Haene climbed to meet Loris Reina's free-kick and glance a header past Steve Harper to give his side hope, and then forced Shay Given's deputy to tip a long-range piledriver over the bar three minutes later.

But Sibierski restored order 14 minutes from time with a brilliant goal, mesmerising Dindeleux and Stefan Leleu before rounding Merlier to pass the ball into the empty net.

ZULTE-WAREGEM: Merlier, De Brul, D'Haene, Dindeleux, Leleu, Reina, Meert, Sergeant, Van Den Driessche, Verschuere, Matthys. Goal: D'Haene 69

NEWCASTLE: Harper, Solano, Taylor, Bramble, Babayaro, Milner, Butt, Dyer, Duff, Martins, Sibierski. Goals: Dindeleux 47 (og), Martins 59(pen), Sibierski 76.

Referee: Anton Genov (Bulgaria).