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Southampton 0-3 Newcastle United (Saturday 3rd January 2004)

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• published: 10 Sep 2014
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Southampton 0-3 Newcastle United Saturday 3rd January 2004 Kieron Dyer struck his first goals of the season to send last season's FA Cup finalists spiralling out. Newcastle responded to a midweek ear-bashing by chairman Freddie Shepherd in fine style, cruising to victory after dominating the first half. Dyer put them in front when he struck following Aaron Hughes' cross. Laurent Robert added a left-foot piledriver before Dyer sealed an impressive win with a fine individual effort midway through the second half. Chairman Shepherd was not at St Mary's to see Newcastle's reaction to his questioning of the team's character. He missed a positive response, with Newcastle first to virtually every ball from the first whistle. James Beattie was tightly shackled by Titus Bramble and never got a sniff of a chance as Southampton were strangely subdued. At the other end, Saints goalkeeper Antti Niemi was regularly under pressure as Newcastle served notice of their intent with some dangerous early set-pieces. Robert blazed a 40-yard free-kick wide and another set-piece from the Frenchman led to defender Jonathan Woodgate seeing a shot deflect over the bar. But the breakthrough deservedly arrived on 29 minutes, Aaron Hughes' cross flicked on by Nolberto Solano into the path of Dyer, who chested the ball down a drilled a right-foot shot beyond Niemi's despairing dive. Former Saints striker Alan Shearer flicked a shot over the bar and the lively Robert volleyed into the side netting after a flowing move. So it was little surprise when the visitors struck again six minutes before half-time. A Newcastle corner was scrambled clear by Beattie but only into the path of Robert, who returned a crisp left-foot shot that deflected in off the luckless Niemi. Southampton produced a response of their own after half-time and should have pulled a goal back just before the hour mark when Kevin Phillips' chipped cross was headed over by Beattie with the goal at his mercy. Southampton came closer from a more unlikely source, Claus Lundekvam seeing a fierce header beaten out by Shay Given to deny the Norwegian a first-ever goal for Southampton. That 63rd-minute save was the first time Given had been called into action - and it proved to be the last. Instead, normal service was resumed when Dyer secured victory with a stunning third. Shearer's flick created the chance and the England midfielder did the rest, easing past Lundekvam and Michael Svensson before clipping a neat left-foot finish past Niemi. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SOUTHAMPTON: Niemi, Dodd, Lundekvam, Michael Svensson, Higginbotham, Telfer, Anders Svensson, Prutton, Pahars (Ormerod 66), Beattie, Phillips. Subs not used: Jones, Kenton, Marsden, Fernandes. NEWCASTLE UNITED: Given, Hughes, Woodgate, Bramble, Bernard, Solano (Ambrose 82), Jenas, Speed, Robert (Viana 87), Shearer, Dyer (LuaLua 82). Subs not used: Harper, O'Brien. Attendance: 28,456 Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral)