Defoe Could Not Tie Owen's Boots!

Tony Adams: "Michael has done that all his career.

"You switch off for two minutes and he can punish you.

"But I've got one of those as well and I wouldn't swap Jermain for Michael."

To be honest with you, Defoe grafted his balls off, while Owen put in a comfortable shift rarely getting out of first gear.

But Owen's success was his 'football brain', knowing the openings and when to go sniffing.

Defoe rested on toil and sweat, and having a crack at goal - more in hope than good execution.

Although Defoe is/was ahead of Owen in the England pecking order, the national boss may have second thoughts after yesterday's game. He has always said: "I will consider Owen when he is fully fit", and we have to face facts that the Toon number 10 is well short of full fitness.

He is a shadow of the player who graced Anfield and Madrid, but even a half-fit Owen is better than a fully fit Defoe.

Owen celebrated his 29th birthday by sending the Toon on their way to a vital 3-0 victory at Portsmouth which lifted the Magpies out of the relegation zone.

Owen scored in the 52nd minute of an entertaining game at Fratton Park before Obafemi Martins and Danny Guthrie sealed Newcastle's first league win in five attempts and their maiden away triumph of the season.

Despite a scoreless first half, there was encouragement from both sides. Defoe tried efforts from range that didn't really test Shay Given, but Jonas and Oba Martins had the Pompey back-line in tatters.

If only Martins could pass a ball and find his man, we would have been 2-0 up at the break, but his final ball continues to be rubbish.

But shots at goal are a different matter, and Martins struck a post in the first half with a stunning curling strike.

Jonas Gutierrez, Sebastien Bassong and Jose Enrique were the pick of the bunch in Toon colours.

Newcastle broke the deadlock in the 52nd minute.

Mvuemba attempted a risky crossfield pass to Belhadj but it was intercepted by Gutierrez, who showed excellent vision to play in Owen on the left.

He accelerated clear and chipped over the onrushing James, acrobatically somersaulting over the goalkeeper as the ball bounced over the line.

Defoe's frustrating afternoon continued as he was off target again in the 57th minute, and he got no better as time went on.

His partner, the lurking Peter Crouch was little better, all legs and no control.

Martins made no mistake from close range 14 minutes from time, tapping home Jose Enrique's pass after Portsmouth had lost possession in a dangerous area from a throw-in.

Defoe raced clear late on but he was dispossessed by Bassong and a booking for kicking the ball away in frustration summed up his afternoon.

Guthrie completed the rout in the 89th minute when his first-time shot from Shola Ameobi's right-wing cross was too strong for James.

Probably Newcastle's best performance since our trip to White Hart Lane last season.