Hartlepool United 1 Newcastle United 5

United grabbed the lead with just two minutes on the clock to silence the Town End.
Dan Gosling lofted over a peach of a ball for Romain Almalfitano who crossed from the right with Shola Ameobi tapping home from close range.

Sixty seconds later and the Magpies doubled the lead when Ameobi found space on the left and picked out Sylvain Marveaux at the back post.

The Frenchman's first effort hit the post but he applied a calm finish with his second attempt to make it 2-0.

Nine minutes later and United extended their lead to 3-0 when Ameobi was pulled down by Scott Flinders.

Dean Webb pointed to the spot and Marveaux calmly despatched the penalty sending Flinders the wrong way to grab his second.

The lively Amalfitano then crossed again on 15 minutes but Shola Ameobi headed wide.

Flinders saved with his feet on two minutes after that as he denied Marveaux a hat-trick.

There was almost a fourth goal from United when James Tavernier's cross from the left was flapped at by Peter Hartley and Flinders had to be at his best again to scoop it wide of the post.

Ben Arfa was introduced for the second half and replaced Shola Ameobi while Haris Vuckic also came on with Steven Taylor going off and a reshuffle seeing James Perch partner Williamson in the middle of the defence.

Ben Arfa had a chance within the opening five minutes of the second half after Vuckic's right wing run and pass found Amalfitano whose shot bounced back to the ex-Marseille man but his effort struck his marker in front of the goal.

Vuckic though did make it 4-0 on 53 minutes when Ben Arfa clipped a ball forward which deflected off a defender and into the path of the Slovenian before he lifted it over Flinders.

Pools pulled one back on the hour mark when Tony Sweeney swept home after United failed to clear a free-kick.

But the Magpies still looked comfortable throughout and Vuckic and Gosling both saw chances go narrowly wide of the goal frame.

Normal service was resumed from the Magpies with five minutes left.

Obertan picked the ball up on the right hand side of the penalty area before rifling an unstoppable shot past Flinders at the Rink End.

POOLS: Flinders, Austin, Baldwin, Horwood (Holden 46), Franks (Wignall 85), Walton (Murray 68), Sweeney, Monkhouse (Luscome 74), James (Poole 74), Howard.

UNITED: Harper, Simpson (R Taylor 71), Williamson, S Taylor (Vuckic 46), Tavernier, Amalfitano, Bigirimana (Abeid 60), Perch (Good 71), Gosling, Marveaux, Shola Ameobi (Ben Arfa 46).

Attendance: 4,802