By Matthew Jones
October 26 2003

Newcastle United boss Sir Bobby Robson was delighted with yesterday's 3-0 defeat of Portsmouth, in which Gary Speed, Alan Shearer and Shola Ameobi grabbed the goals. Newcastle United boss Sir Bobby Robson was delighted with yesterday's 3-0 defeat of Portsmouth, in which Gary Speed, Alan Shearer and Shola Ameobi grabbed the goals.

Robson said afterwards: "I thought the first 35 minutes was the best we've played all season home and away, even better that some of the play we had on Tuesday at Fulham.

"We had a marvellous 35 minutes - I thought we played the first 35 minutes quite similarly to the many, many games we played last year.

"It would be very hard to play the full 90 minutes the way we played the first 35 - it was always going to dip a little bit - but we revived it in the second half and some of our play early in the second half was also very good.

"It was a magnificent win and we should all be very pleased about it. The players worked very hard, they've been fantastic.

"Shola got a goal that I think he deserved. I thought he did very well with Alan. He didn't take up the same runs and the same space as Alan. He dovetailed very nicely with Alan and he had a fine match.

"He's a Newcastle boy, he's come from the Academy - he's one of our own, if you like. The crowd know that and I love that.

"We've liked him for two years now, Shola, and the fact that Craig's (Bellamy) out now for four months, it gives him an opportunity.

"He must see a bit of daylight ahead, he's going to grasp it - if he doesn't, (Carl) Cort will come into it (Lomana) LuaLua will come into it - so he's got a chance, and he's taken it.

"He hunts the ball over the top, which we want him to do. Alan can't do that so much now, but does it when he can and when it merits it, but we need that player who can just get in behind and he did that several times for us."

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