NEWCASTLE UTD v READING - HISTORY
2007/2008 Sat 05 Apr Newcastle Utd. 3 - 0 Reading Premier League
Sat 27 Oct Reading 2 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premier League
2006/2007 Mon 30 Apr Reading 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Wed 06 Dec Newcastle Utd. 3 - 2 Reading Premiership
1989/1990 Wed 31 Jan Newcastle Utd. 4 - 1 Reading F.A. Cup
Sat 27 Jan Reading 3 - 3 Newcastle Utd. F.A. Cup
Wed 04 Oct Newcastle Utd. 4 - 0 Reading League Cup
Newcastle United won 5-3 on aggregate
Tue 19 Sep Reading 3 - 1 Newcastle Utd. League Cup
1968/1969 Sat 04 Jan Newcastle Utd. 4 - 0 Reading F.A. Cup
1899/1900 Sat 27 Jan Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 Reading F.A. Cup
2007/8 NEWCASTLE UTD 3 READING 0
Harper, Beye, Faye (Diatta 82), Edgar, Jose Enrique, Geremi, Butt (Smith 79), Barton, Martins, Owen, Viduka (Duff 74).
Subs Not Used: Forster, Carroll.
Goals: Martins 18, Owen 43, Viduka 58.
Att: 52,179
Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan had cause to be grateful for the efforts of his predecessors as his multi-million strike force put Reading to the sword.
Obafemi Martins, Michael Owen and Mark Viduka were all on the scoresheet to ease the Magpies to a third successive Barclays Premier League victory, which all but ends their relegation fears.
Such has been the turnover of managers at St James' Park in recent years that the three men were signed by different managers, with Graeme Souness landing Real Madrid star Owen in a £17million deal, Glenn Roeder paying Inter Milan £10million for Martins and Sam Allardyce recruiting Viduka on a free transfer from Middlesbrough last summer.
But each demonstrated his potency on an afternoon when the quality in front of goal was the difference between the two sides.
Martins set the ball rolling with 18 minutes gone and Owen made it 2-0 just before the break, although Reading could have been forgiven for feeling hard done by after more than playing their part in the opening 45 minutes.
However, Viduka's 58th-minute strike capped a dominant start to the second half by the home side and the points were safe, much to the delight of the home fans among a crowd of 52,179.
Keegan's assertion as his wait for a first win since his return to Tyneside stretched to nine games was the club had the firepower to get themselves out of trouble whatever else the limitations of the squad he inherited from Allardyce.
But it was the bold decision to field Owen, Martins and Viduka in a three-pronged frontline as the club slid worryingly down the league table that has proved to be their salvation.
Between them the trio have now contributed eight of their side's 10 goals in a four-game unbeaten run, which has dragged the club out of trouble.
Having seen their side dismiss Tottenham with their best performance of the season at White Hart Lane last Sunday, the home fans turned up hoping to witness the rout of a team for whom victory on Tyneside would have sent them leapfrogging over their hosts.
By the time referee Lee Probert's whistle marked the end of the opening 45 minutes they would have been happy enough with the scoreline - but eternally grateful for the quality of Martins and Owen.
In truth, Reading had the better of large portions of the first half as a defence missing Steven Taylor, who was ruled out just before kick-off with a stomach bug, looked shaky in the face of a concerted onslaught from the Royals.
With John Oster and Stephen Hunt providing width and Kevin Doyle and Dave Kitson pulling their markers all over the place, the visitors threatened repeatedly without ever really testing keeper Steve Harper.
Their inability to do so was brought into sharp focus by events at the other end of the pitch where the Magpies made the most of a handful of openings with some stunning finishing.
The game was 18 minutes old when Martins, who scored a fine individual goal at Spurs, chested Nicky Butt's driven pass around Liam Rosenior and rounded Andre Bikey before calmly slotting his ninth goal of the season past Marcus Hahnemann.
Owen perhaps should have added his name to the scoresheet eight minutes before the break when, after Viduka had dummied Joey Barton's cross, he shot just over.
However, he made no mistake six minutes later, spinning away from his marker to meet Habib Beye's pass and lift the ball over the advancing keeper to take his tally for the campaign to 10.
Newcastle's intention to end the game as a contest as quickly as possible was evident from the moment they returned as Keegan's men pinned the visitors back deep inside their own half.
Rosenior had to get in an important block to deny Owen his second goal of the afternoon after 48 minutes, and Hahnemann tipped away Barton's cross seconds later after he and Martins had combined down the left to open Reading up.
Owen was appealing in vain for a penalty with 57 minutes gone after he was wrestled to the ground by Ivar Ingimarsson, but he and his team-mates were celebrating once again seconds later.
Beye started a flowing move down the right that saw Viduka play him in behind the Royals defence before the full-back returned the favour, and the Australian was a model of composure as he applied the final touch.
They might have increased their lead 12 minutes from time when Martins blasted his way through the visitors' defence only to see Rosenior deflect his shot wide.
Barton twice went close as time ran down and substitute Damien Duff tested Hahnemann with a powerfully-struck shot, but three goals was more than enough to claim the points.