The Wanderers hadn't won on Tyneside in nigh on half a century and this performance suggested that the unwanted sequence would not be changing for the near future at least as the home side where given license to run riot, especially in the first half.

Toon Army caretaker boss Glenn Roeder had been forewarned that Bolton would be the biggest test of his time in the hotseat so far but it is fair to say that the European chasing Trotters where not at their best in this game.

A late second half rally by Bolton came too little, too late leaving manager Sam Allardyce furious with his side who had just six days previously shown good character to beat a resolute Fulham team.

Newcastle's French defender Jean Alain Boumsong saw his early attempt blocked by the Wanderers defenders after three minutes following a dangerous set piece by the excellent Peruvian winger Nolberto Solano.

Jay-Jay Okocha was also in good form the visitors as he played a sublime pass into the path of Kevin Nolan but ex-Newcastle favourite Gary Speed could not get enough accuracy and direction on his header from the resulting ball in.

On the quarter hour mark Okocha left the field of play with a suspected thigh injury and was replaced by Hidetoshi Nakata. This enforced change ultimately disrupted the rhythm of Sam Allardyce's side and allowed the likes of Solano, Emre, Scott Parker and Charles N'Zogbia to control the game from the midfield.

Indeed energetic Turkish star Emre came the closest to giving Newcastle the lead on 18 minutes when his shot from just outside the area came back off the inside of Jussi Jaaskelainen's right hand post.

Five minutes later Bolton skipper Kevin Nolan saw his volleyed effort diverted onto the woodwork by Robbie Elliott who was playing against his former club as a makeshift centre half in the absence of Titus Bramble.

Tough tackling Senegal international Abdoulaye Faye also went close for the Trotters with a long range effort from just past the halfway line that flashed wide just of Shay Given's goal.

The dangerous winger N'Zogbia then crossed for striker Shola Ameobi at the other end but the former England U21 star could not make a clean connection on the resulting shot.

Ten minutes before the break the deadlock was finally broken as the in form Solano scored a superb free kick which left Jaaskelainen totally helpless. The South American struck expertly and accurately from all of 25 yards after Bolton had clumsily given away the set piece.

Record breaking Geordie striker Alan Shearer then made it two on half time with a trademark header from N'Zogbia's ball in which could only be helped into the net by Jaaskelainen who made a rare mistake when punching the ball into the air.

After the break the Wanderers made a tactical substitution as long serving utility man Henrik Pedersen came on for Bruno N'Gotty with midfielder Faye moving back into the defence to partner the less than convincing Radhi Jaidi.

The Trotters frailties in defence continued to show for the most part of the final period as goalscorer Shearer and Emre both had chances off target from long range.

Ameobi hit an inevitable third goal for the Geordies with just under a quarter of an hour to go and Bolton at that point looked dead and buired. However what was to happen next breathed new life into the visitors and set the game up for a tense finish.

Ricardo Gardner's deep cross from the left was headed across goal by Jaidi and Kevin Davies was adjudged to have gotten the final touch on the ball as it made its way into the net despite the close attentions of Boumsong.

Bolton subsitutes Pedersen and Vaz-Te had further efforts to reduce the defacit late on whilst skipper Nolan had an effort ruled out by referee Alan Wiley due to a handball in the build up.

Newcastle fully deserved their victory in hindsight and where the better team overall but Bolton must ask themselves why it took them near on seventy minutes to start playing the football they have been renound for this season.

Bolton Wanderers: Jussi Jaaskelainen, Joey O'Brien, Bruno N'Gotty (Henrik Pedersen), Radhi Jaidi, Ricardo Gardner, Abdoulaye Diagne-Faye, Jay-Jay Okocha (Hidetoshi Nakata)(Ricardo Vaz-Te), Gary Speed, Kevin Nolan, Kevin Davies, Stelios Giannakopoulos

Subs Not Used: Ian Walker, Tal Ben-Haim

Newcastle United: Shay Given, Peter Ramage, Jean Alain Boumsong, Robbie Elliott, Celestine Babayaro, Nolberto Solano, Scott Parker, Belozoglu Emre (Lee Bowyer), Charles N'Zogbia, Shola Ameobi (Albert Luque), Alan Shearer

Subs Not Used: Steve Harper, Amdy Faye, Lee Clark

Referee:

Alan Wiley

Attendance:

52,012

Booked:

Kevin Davies (Bolton)

Alan Shearer (Newcastle)

Albert Luque (Newcastle)

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