Magpies sink poor Hammers

Solano was Newcastle's dominant performer

Newcastle 2-1 West Ham

Newcastle's barren run of seven without a win ended with a home victory over an indifferent West Ham.

Carl Cort gave the hosts the lead in the first half, while Nolberto Solano gave Bobby Robson's side some breathing space with a second half penalty.

Frank Lampard pulled one back, also from the spot, but a point for the Hammers would have been much more than they deserved.

I think we're all relieved - we've come out of a bad run

  Newcastle manager Bobby Robson

Most observers in the packed ground of 51,107 would not have expected three goals from two sides deprived of their main attacking options.

For Newcastle, the talismanic figure of Alan Shearer was only present in the stands as a radio analyst.

The visitors started the game without Italian Paolo Di Canio, and Frenchman Frederic Kanoute left the game twenty minutes into the action through a back injury.

Newcastle also lost influential defender Warren Barton, who was replaced by Stephen Caldwell.

We've worked hard, we've showed a lot of spirit and we've changed the team.

  Bobby Robson

With so many enforced changes, it was little surprise that the first half hour was distinctly average, with Newcastle shading it in terms of possession.

The nearest they came to breaking the deadlock was Kevin Gallagher's header which drifted three yards wide after a super cross from veteran Robert Lee.

The opening goal, when it came, was somewhat of a surprise.

Wayne Quinn's floated ball from the left wing was headed away from the West Ham penalty box without any difficulty.

  Key moments

20 mins: Kanoute limps off with back injury

31 mins: Cort volleys homes Newcastle's first goal

56 mins: Solano's penalty doubles the lead

80 mins: Lampard's penalty makes the score 2-1

But Newcastle's Peruvian international Solano showed a lot of skill in taking the ball past Nigel Winterburn and crossing for Cort to volley home from short range.

Three minutes from half-time, it was more skill from Solano that brought the crowd to their feet.

Taking the ball in the centre of the field, the right sided midfielder advanced 30 yards before attempting a chip which Hammers' goalkeeper Shaka Hislop just tipped over.

If the first half was one that Newcastle had shaded, they increased their tempo in the second and became an altogether more dominating force.

I thought we lacked a bit of strength up front

  West Ham manager Harry Redknapp

In the 56th minute, they doubled their lead from the penalty spot, with referee Paul Durkin having adjudged that Nigel Winterburn had deliberately handled Solano's cross.

It was the Peruvian who slotted away the spot kick and it was the same player who was at the heart of Newcastle's ten minute domination which followed.

The home side spurned a series of chances, with Hislop saving from Cort and Gallagher, as well as seeing Solano's near post cross beaten away from the goal-line when any kind of touch would have produced a goal.

Newcastle's profligacy threatened to cost them when Lampard's penalty halved the deficit.

The unlikely incident which produced the penalty was a scything tackle by Caldwell on Rigobert Song, which left referee Durkin with no option but to award the spot kick.

Lampard hammered the kick into the top of the goal, but that was to be West Ham's last major attacking foray.

In fact, the last decent chance of the game fell to Newcastle's Clarence Acuna, who failed to make contact to a loose ball two yards from the West Ham goal.

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Newcastle: Given, Barton, O'Brien, Dabizas, Quinn, Solano, Bassedas, Lee, Speed, Cort, Gallacher. Subs: Acuna, Harper, Cordone, Lua-Lua, Stephen Caldwell.

West Ham: Hislop, Stimac, Song, Ian Pearce, Schemmel, Winterburn, Moncur, Lampard, Carrick, Cole, Kanoute. Subs: Diawara, Bywater, Soma, Todorov, Dailly.

Referee: P Durkin (Dorset)