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| November 4, 2001 | Sunday | Shaba’an 17, 1422 |
Newcastle hammer Aston Villa
LONDON, Nov 3: Aston Villa’s reign at the top of the English premier league looks destined to be a short one after they were crushed 3-0 at Newcastle United on Saturday.
Two goals for Craig Bellamy and an Alan Shearer special gave an impressive Newcastle the win that took them to third on 20 points, behind Leeds United on goal difference and a point adrift of leaders Villa.
Villa, who went top a week ago, are likely to be overhauled on Sunday when champions Manchester United visit Liverpool, Leeds United entertain Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal welcome Charlton Athletic to Highbury.
Elsewhere on Saturday, Middlesbrough thrashed Derby County 5-1, Fulham won 2-0 at West Ham United, Southampton still await their first home win after Blackburn Rovers won 2-1 at St Mary’s, while Bolton hit an injury-time equaliser to draw 2-2 at home to Everton.
In an early kick-off Ade Akinbiyi’s first league goal of the season gave Leicester City a 1-0 home win over Sunderland that hauled them off the bottom.
Bellamy swivelled to crash a half-volley past Peter Schmeichel after 37 minutes at St James’ Park to give the home side a deserved lead at halftime.
Schmeichel was beaten again two minutes after halftime but Shearer’s header shaved the outside of the post.
The former England captain, making his 400th league appearance, was not to be denied after 50 minutes though when he met Rob Lee’s diagonal ball with an emphatic sidefooted volley that whistled into the top corner.
Villa improved but Bellamy slotted Newcastle’s third through Schmeichel’s legs with eight minutes left to seal the visitors’ second away defeat of the season.
Two-goal Argentine teenager Carlos Marinelli inspired a wonderful second-half display by Middlesbrough at home to Derby County.
After a goalless first half, the 19-year-old created ‘Boro’s first for Slovak striker Szilard Nemeth after 49 minutes.
Marinelli scored the second eight minutes later with a half-volley and soon after Alen Boksic raced through to make it three goals in 12 minutes.
Robbie Mustoe’s deflected effort and Marinelli’s second, from a tight angle, eight minutes from time completed the rout before Derby’s former Middlesbrough striker Fabrizio Ravanelli scored a consolation goal from a free kick late on.
The heavy defeat meant Derby slipped to bottom of the table on goal difference with seven points from 11 games, the same tally as Southampton.
Southampton’s jinx at the new St Mary’s stadium struck again as substitute Craig Hignett poked a 90th-minute winner for Blackburn Rovers.
Earlier Tugay Kerimoglu had cancelled out Latvian Marian Pahars’s goal for the home side, for whom James Beattie headed against a post just before Hignett’s goal.
Bolton went ahead early at the Reebok Stadium against Everton through Per Frandsen’s free kick, but Alan Stubbs replied in kind for Everton on the stroke of halftime.—Reuters
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