By Matthew Jones
August 20 2002

We are top of the league, say we are top of the league! What a fantastic win for the first game of the season. Definately a contender for the Premiership Champions. A Lomano LuaLua double and strikes from Alan Shearer and Nolberto Solano gave Newcastle United an emphatic 4-0 win over West Ham last night.

The Newcastle striker was the star of the show as the Magpies finally broke West Ham's stubborn resistance with four second-half goals to top the Premiership table.

LuaLua sidefooted the ball through David James' legs from Jermaine Jenas' flick-on for his first in the 61st minute, before powering in a header from Hugo Viana's superb cross 10 minutes later.

LuaLua then found Solano in acres of space in the West Ham box and the Peruvian's pull-back gave Shearer a simple finish, before the former England skipper repaid the compliment to give Solano a tap-in from inside the six-yard box.

A West Ham side minus the injured Paolo di Canio and Frederic Kanoute defended doggedly, and although Joe Cole looked lively, they never looked like breaching the Newcastle rearguard.

LuaLua gave an early warning of what was to come with two sights of David James' goal inside the first 10 minutes, but on both occasions his shots fizzed wide.

Shearer then had a goal ruled out for a push on Christian Dailly as West Ham struggled to impose themselves, although Shay Given was forced into action after Trevor Sinclair took advantage of Sebastian Schemmel's quickly-taken corner.

On the half-hour mark, Cole turned and left two Newcastle defenders for dead before whipping a shot just past Given's post, whilst at the other end, new-boy Viana just failed to get his header on target from Solano's pinpoint cross.

And as United began to turn the screw, Shearer's powerful free kick was deflected wide for a corner.

The second half was barely two minutes old before James blocked bravely at the feet of Solano. The England keeper then tipped Titus Bramble's header over but could do nothing as LuaLua got the goal he deserved. Three minutes later, it should have been two, but James just managed to claw away Viana's goal-bound effort.

Cole's neat footwork nearly prised open the Toon defence in the 69th minute as the visitors made a rare foray forward, before Michael Carrick rifled a long-range effort just wide.

But LuaLua then went on to get a second, while Solano set Shearer up to score his first goal of the season. Just after, however, Shearer returned to favour and Solano got his first of the as the Hammers' resistance finally crumbled.