Geordie Boys CRUSH Trotters!

Sam Allardyce returned to the Reebok saying "I'm not looking forward to this fixture, I want to get it out of the way". But rather than pushing it under the carpet, I'm sure he will look back on a job well done, and wondered why he faced it with such trepidation.

3-0 up after less than half an hour and the Geordies were in dreamland.

The golden rule on the first day of the Premiership is always to take something from the match. A point is always a bonus no matter which away ground you visit on the opening day, but to take Bolton - Sam's old club - apart the way they did, made the occasion extra special.

As we said in our pre-season reports, you must learn from every game, and the Toon Army were spellbound in amazement as United looked a team that had been together for years.

This was a return to the free-flowing football we witnessed under Kevin Keegan, and I couldn't believe the confidence each and every player showed in a venue that was supposed to be mine-field. Allardyce was there to be slaughtered but he put out a side that BELIEVED in themselves.

So many times under Glenn Roeder the team seemed frightened to death at St James' Park, never mind away from home! And if you've ever seen a pre-match team talk with Roeder you will understand why. The guy has his heart in the right place but he doesn't motivate ... he sends the players to sleep.

This team went out there knowing they were better in every department than Bolton, and barring a minor blip on 50 minutes, they proved it.

It was Big Sam against Little Sam, and I wish I could have been in the Bolton dressing room at half time. The paint must have been stripped off the walls. Lee must have had one thing in mind - "save yourself from further embarrassment".

Former Middlesbrough striker Mark Viduka, one of four players making their Newcastle debut, nearly took advantage of a mix-up after five minutes. He managed to get a shot in only to see it deflected by new boy Gerald Cid.

Newcastle took the lead in the 11th minute with a goal out of nothing. N'Zogbia drove in a free-kick from the right which eluded the Bolton defence and goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen amd somehow made its way into the net.

Bolton looked rattled but Nicolas Anelka found space in the 17th minute, only to send a week header into Stephen Harper's arms.

Newcastle extended their lead in the 21st minute and again Bolton's defending was poor. James Milner was able to weigh up his cross and found Martins at the back post. He beat Jaaskelainen with a superb overhead kick.

Bolton almost pulled a goal back three minutes later but Steven Taylor cleared Gary Speed's effort off the line with Harper beaten.

The agony continued for Bolton in the 27th minute when Martins made it 3-0 with his second goal of the game. When the luck goes with you - someone suffers - and his shot from 20 yards took a deflection off defender Abdoulaye Faye to leave Jaaskelainen stranded.

Bolton had no rhythm while Newcastle were dancing the samba, and Martins danced his way forward and rattled in a shot from an acute angle that went narrowly wide of the far post.

Newcastle continued to hold the midfield then break dangerously as Martins picked out Milner a minute before half-time. He tried to curl a shot from the left beyond Jaaskelainen but his effort failed to trouble the goalkeeper.

Stephen Harper was tested for the first time in the 47th minute and he did well to beat away a shot by Gary Speed from the edge of the area after Anelka had laid the ball into his path.

Bolton pulled a goal back in the 50th minute through Anelka after a reverse pass from Nolan. There was still work for the Frenchman to do but he gave Harper no chance and found the corner of the net.

That at long last gave the Bolton fans something to cheer as they had been outsung by the Geordies from the kick-off, but any hopes of a fighting chance soon went up in smoke as United held firm and Bolton never troubled Harper after that.

Newcastle continued to control the tempo and Geremi went close with a free kick from distance in the 61st minute.

Helguson was then given a yellow card by referee Chris Foy six minutes later for leaving Rozehnal on the floor.

Allardyce made a tactical change in the 69th minute, bringing on Nobby Solano for Martins for what many believe could be his final match in a Newcastle shirt, and the visitors saw out the match in comfort.

A tremendous display!