Newcastle make Spurs suffer

Speed rifles Newcastle ahead in the ninth minute

Newcastle 2-0 Tottenham
real 14k BBC Five Live's Alan Biggs reports from St James'

Injury-hit Newcastle stormed to their second Premiership victory in four days as Gary Speed and Daniel Cordone secured victory over Spurs.

Welshman Speed shot the home side ahead in the ninth minute.

He latched onto an Aaron Hughes chip, which beat the offside trap, and calmly lifted the ball over the advancing Neil Sullivan.

Midfielder Cordone sealed the victory with a close range strike in the 66th minute after the visitors failed to clear.

It was a fine performance from Newcastle, who were without Nikoz Dabizas, Marcelino, Rob Lee, Carl Cort and Christian Bassedas.

Pressed

Both sides had pressed forward throughout the match, with the action switching from end to end, but Tottenham were always chasing the game after Speed's opener.

He nearly grabbed a second just two minutes after his opening strike, but blasted just over from a Cordone cross.

We didn't look as though we could unlock their defence

  George Graham

The visitors gradually forced their way into the match, and Darren Anderton almost scored an unlikely equaliser - his speculative cross rebounding off the inside of the far post.

With 29 minutes gone, Spurs skipper Sol Campbell saved his defensive colleague Chris Perry's blushes.

Shearer raced onto the ball when Perry misjudged a clearance, and was only denied by Campbell's header off the line after chipping O'Sullivan.

Understanding

For Spurs, Steve Carr and Anderton had established an understanding down the right, and they combined to good effect on 32 minutes for the Irishman to burst into the box, Goma again heading away his cross.

Spurs were dealt a blow on 40 minutes when Steffen Iversen limped off.

It was a wonderful result for us because we were down to the bare bones

  Bobby Robson

But the man who replaced him - former United striker Les Ferdinand - was given a warm welcome as he stepped on to the St James's Park turf.

The home side survived a scare shortly after the restart when they blocked a succession of efforts in the penalty area.

But Shearer also went close on 54 minutes when a free-kick from just outside the box went narrowly wide.

Brilliant

And Nolberto Solano saw a brilliant 25-yard effort crash against the bar.

Tottenham continued to look for an opening, but Ferdinand fluffed a close-range 72nd minute header.

And Newcastle remained a threat, with Kieron Dyer just denied near the end.

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Teams:

Newcastle: Given, Barton, Domi, Goma, Dyer, Shearer, Speed, Solano, Cordone, Hughes, Glass. Subs: Griffin, Harper, Gavilan, J. Coppinger, Charvet.

Tottenham: Sullivan, Carr, Freund, Campbell, Perry, Anderton, Sherwood, Iversen, Rebrov, Leonhardsen, Thatcher. Subs: Walker, Taricco, Ferdinand, Young, Clemence.

Referee: D. Elleray (Harrow-on-the-Hill)