LIVE FROM ST JAMES PARK

NEWCASTLE UNITED 6 (Lovenkrands 43 P, 48; Guthrie 50, 68; Gutierrez 60; Nolan 71)
BARNSLEY 1 (Bogdanovic 83)

Reds boss Mark Robins made three changes to his side as he looked to do what no other Championship side had managed this season and beat Newcastle at St James Park. Back came Andy Gray, Anderson de Silva and Emil Hallfredsson while Jon Macken, Daniel Bogdanovic and Adam Hammill dropped to the bench.

The Reds were on the back front in the opening exchanges as Lovenkrands played for a free kick off Stephen Foster inside the first two minutes. The Dane got the decision but Danny Guthrie could only shoot straight at Luke Steele from 25 yards.

Lovenkrands was almost in again on five minutes as Danny Simpson's cross dropped over Ryan Shotton but the Newcastle forward could not take the ball on his chest to face up Steele. Lovenkrands did have the ball in the net on six minutes as he raced onto Andy Carroll's pass and around Steele but an offside flag denied the striker the opening goal.

The Reds were very much in the game and Filipe Teixeira fired the visitors first shot in anger on nine minutes as he capitalised on some hesitant defending to race goalward but dragged his effort well wide.

Good play by Bobby Hassell and Anderson cut Newcastle wide open on 13 minutes to send Hallfredsson away down the left but the midfielder could only blast a low shot straight at Steve Harper. At the other end Steele had to be alert seconds later to deny Andy Carroll after a scramble in the Barnsley area.

Jose Enrique then showed good feet to skip past Hugo Colace and Teixeira on 17 minutes but smashed a shot high over the bar from distance. Steele then had to be quickly off his line five minutes later to snatch the ball at the feet of Fabrice Pancrate after the winger had nipped in behind Carl Dickinson.

Clear chances were hard to come by for the Reds who doggedly worked Newcastle all over the pitch in the opening half. Shotton had a sight of goal on 25 minutes as he rose to meet Hallfredsson's corner but got under his header and the ball flew high over.

The Reds had a massive scare on the half hour as Carroll rose to meet Pancrate's fine cross and his header just flew an inch or so wide of the post with Steele well beaten. It was a huge let off for the visitors.

Enrique's game was over on 33 minutes as he limped out of the action to be replaced by Hungarian youngster Tamas Kadar. Simpson then almost created a goal out of nothing as he battled his way past a couple of challenges to cross from the byline on 38 minutes but Hassell was in the right place to head away from right under the cross bar.

Barnsley's magnificent first half performance took a massive knock from the referee on 41 minutes when poor defending let Lovenkrands in behind the Reds defence to round Steele. The striker over ran the ball before throwing himself to the ground over Steele's outstretched arm. TV replays showed that Steele had not made contact and it was a clear dive by the Magpies striker. To make matters even worse Steele was shown a straight red card and Lovenkrands took the penalty himself, beating David Preece from 12 yards.

Lovenkrands made the headlines for the right reasons just three minutes after the restart when he lost his marker to meet Carroll's fine cross and planted a brilliant header past Preece to double the home side's lead. There was surely no way back now for Barnsley.

The game was up for the Reds on 50 minutes as Barnsley stood off and allowed Danny Guthrie to shoot through a crowd of players from 25 yards and past the unsighted Preece.

Lovenkrands almost had his hat trick on 56 minutes as he pounced on Foster's header and smashed a shot in from a tight angle but his effort hit the sidenetting. A mistake by Dickinson almost cost the Reds again on 58 minutes as Newcastle pounced but Guthrie could not find the top corner from the edge of the box.

The afternoon turned into a St James Park nightmare on the hour mark when Jonas Gutierrez barged through a couple of challenges before unleashing an unstoppable drive that cannoned into the back of the net off the underside of the bar.

The Reds had Hassell to thank again on 65 minutes as the full back cleared off the line to prevent another Newcastle goal after Pancrate had broken well in the area.

Barnsley were the architects of their own downfall again on 68 minutes when the Reds defence allowed Guthrie's 35 yard free kick to bounce in the area and skip past a helpless Preece.

The Reds defence went AWOL again just three minutes later when Kadar launched a long ball forward and it beat both Carroll and Foster to send Kevin Nolan away. Nolan did not need a second invitation to beat Preece to net his 12thleague goal of the season.

It should have been seven on 74 minutes when Lovenkrands nipped in front of his marker to meet Gutierrez' cross and angled a header past Preece but his effort cannoned back off the inside of the post and into the keepers arms.

Pancrate then should have netted number seven on 76 minutes as he raced onto Ryan Taylor's simple through ball but prodded his effort wide of the post.

The Reds grabbed a consolation goal on 83 minutes when Bogdanovic pounced onto Macken's pass and Fabricio Coloccini's slip to nip in and beat Harper. It brought chants of 'we only need five more' from the magnificent travelling support.

NEWCASTLE UNITED: Harper, Coloccini, Enrique (Kadar 33), Nolan (Taylor 71), Williamson, Guthrie, Lovenkrands, Simpson, Gutierrez, Pancrate, Carroll (Best 71).
Subs: Hall, Butt, Krull, Ranger.

BARNSLEY: Steele, Hassell, Foster, Shotton, Dickinson, Teixeira, Colace, Doyle, Hallfredsson (Macken 63), Anderson (Preece 43), Gray (Bogdanovic 63).
Subs: Hammill, Hume, Potter, Moore.

REFEREE
Grant Hegley (Hertfordshire)
ASSISTANT REFEREES
Darren Drysdale (Lincolnshire) and Glen Hart (County Durham)
FOURTH OFFICIAL
Scott Duncan (Tyne & Wear)

Attendance - 44,464

Match Report by Rob Knowles.

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