Newcastle Utd 2 Sunderland 0:SOMETIMES IT really is better to travel than to arrive. After a heavily hyped week-long preamble during which Kevin Keegan had hailed the Tyne-Wear derby as Newcastle United's "game of the season" and Roy Keane had envisaged a day when Ronaldinho might relish moving to Wearside, the match proved a horribly anticlimactic bonfire of the vanities.
Indeed, bar a quietly impressive and highly intelligent interpretation of the in-the-hole role from Michael Owen and the occasional killer pass delivered by Sunderland's Andy Reid, much of the entertainment was provided by Mike Ashley.
Newcastle's rotund, replica-shirt-wearing owner descended from the directors' box at the end and, arriving in the technical area, performed a dance of limited coordination but boundless joy.
"I told him, 'Aren't you lucky you bought Newcastle?'" said Keegan. "And he replied, 'There's at least £250 million for you to spend in the transfer market this summer'. Or at least I think that's what he said."
Joking apart, the alarming lack of midfield creativity on view confirmed that Newcastle need significant close-season investment if the "Kevolution" is to be realised.
It was, however, a day in which the Toon Army's slow-growing respect for Owen perhaps blossomed into full-blown adoration. The scorer of both goals here, the second from the spot, was clearly operating on a different level from those around him and Keegan reiterated that extending the England striker's contract - due to expire in June next year - should be Ashley's priority. Perhaps significantly, both before and after kick-off, Owen articulated his "happiness" on Tyneside.
"Michael will be our most important signing this summer," said Newcastle's manager. "The more I see Michael I see not just a great goalscorer but a great team player and a great leader."
Sunderland looked appreciably worse without the injured Phil Bardsley and Jonny Evans in defence and their replacements, Republic of Ireland international Paul McShane and Danny Higginbotham, had torrid afternoons.
McShane, deployed at right-back, was the more hapless throughout and lost Owen as the England forward leapt prodigiously to connect with Geremi's splendid right-wing cross to head Newcastle into an early lead.
But even if McShane - who later looked relieved when he headed into his own net from a corner but was reprieved because the referee had blown - was found wanting at a crucial moment, Keane's side had paid the collective price for conceding possession on the halfway line and then failing to close Geremi down.
Higginbotham was responsible for the second goal. Confounded by a one-two between Owen and a backheeling Mark Viduka, the centre-half handled the ball as Owen skipped clear of his sliding challenge. Newcastle's captain took the penalty himself but was slightly fortunate to score after blasting his kick straight at Craig Gordon, who allowed the ball to squirm beneath his body.
"We made it very hard for ourselves," agreed Keane, who must have been relieved to see Obafemi Martins miss a chance cleverly conjured by Owen. "We gave away two really bad goals. If you give Michael Owen two chances you're going to get punished."
Sunderland's Premier League status is widely regarded as secure but their manager demurs and mathematically they remain in peril. "I'm sick of people saying we're safe," Keane said. "It's absolute nonsense. The Premiership always takes late twists and turns."
He will be disappointed at the manner in which several of his players appeared to freeze - step forward Carlos Edwards, who failed to stretch Jose Enrique, Keegan's weak link of a left-back - and, worse, began squabbling after Owen's penalty.
Sunderland's manager might also ponder the wisdom of starting Reid in a deep-lying attacking role behind Kenwyne Jones. Although the Dubliner was the game's best passer, chasing lost attacking causes is not really his forte.
Sunderland improved greatly once the lively Kieran Richardson was introduced on the left wing and Reid dropped deeper. Even so they still mustered only one real chance, a six-yard header from Jones, splendidly parried by Steve Harper.
