Toon Fans Not Happy With Performance

NEWCASTLE: Harper, Taylor, Bramble, Babayaro (Huntington 46),Milner, Solano, Butt (Pattison 65), Dyer, Duff,Luque (Carroll 65), Martins.

Subs Not Used: Srnicek, O'Brien, Edgar, LuaLua.

ZULTE: Bossut, Minne (Reina 76), D'Haene, Dindeleux,Buysse, Vandermarliere, Van Steenbrugge, Vannieuwenhuyse,Meert, Van Den Driessche (Sergeant 56), Siani (Matthys 56).

Subs Not Used: Merlier, Verschuere.

Att: 30,083

I felt some of the Toon fans were a little unfair on Roeder's men as they made hard work of finishing off stubborn Zulte Waregem to ensure their place in the last 16 of the UEFA Cup.

Did we need the booing? If anything it unsettled the players and the Belgian coach must have made the most of it at half-time, as the Toon players seemed confused by it.

It wasn't the most exciting first-half, but I still feel we should look at both sides of the coin. The tie was over, unless we produced something ridiculous to give the Belgians a lifeline. So obviously that was the plan of attack ... keep it VERY tight at the back ... hit them down the wings. And that was how it went.

Why take risks; why go out with all guns blazing and risk a stupid mistake at the back and let them back into a tie that was wrapped up over in Belgium? It may not make pretty viewing, but we live to fight another day, and that was always going to be Roeder's thinking.

Some questioned the inclusion of Albert Luque, but Roeder handed him a pint in the "last chance saloon", and boy did he blow it. The Spaniard is a waste of space. He has the heart of a pea, and I half-expected him hiding behind the corner flag, because he seemed to go hiding everywhere else. He didn't want to know ... and the sooner some idiot comes in for him and takes him away from this club the better!

This 4-1 aggregate victory handed the Magpies a trip to AZ Alkmaar in the next round and how the travelling fans rejoiced, because a trip to Turkey was not everyone's cup of tea.

England boss Steve McClaren, who was at Barcelona 24 hours earlier, sat in the stands. Probably watching Kieron Dyer.

There was never any real prospect of Glenn Roeder's men surrendering their advantage and keeper Steve Harper had only two saves to make. The fans were disappointed at the performance - some at least - but we have bigger fish to fry this weekend.

While Newcastle started at a lively pace to put the Belgians under intense pressure, the sides left the pitch at the break with boos ringing around St James' Park.

It might have been so different had Stijn Meert not cleared Steven Taylor's thumping header off the line, or had James Milner's blistering sixth-minute drive crept under rather than over the crossbar.

Sammy Bossut was tested for the first time on 22 minutes when Kieron Dyer fired in a stinging long-range effort which the keeper needed two attempts to claim.

With skipper Nicky Butt spraying the ball around the field and Milner tormenting full-back Bart Buysee, it seemed only a matter of time before the home side added to their tally.

However, as long as the opening goal failed to appear, the visitors knew their slim hopes were still alive, and they might have made things interesting had it not been for two excellent interventions by Newcastle defenders.

Bramble timed his 30th-minute tackle to perfection to dispossess striker Sebastien Siani after Meert had played him in. And Taylor had to be just as alert six minutes before the break after Stijn Minne picked out Wouter Vandendriessche's run into the box.

Roeder's response was to switch Luque to the left wing with Milner moving inside to accommodate Damien Duff on the right and Dyer joining Martins in attack.

Celestine Babayaro, who is due to head to London for his brother Kennedy's funeral tomorrow, did not re-appear after the break and was replaced by Paul Huntington. But after a brief flurry by the visitors, it was Newcastle who took control, Bramble forcing a save from Bossut and Martins mistiming a header from six yards.

Vandendriessche forced Harper into his first save of the game on 53 minutes with a curling shot from distance, and the keeper was happy to see Ludwin van Nieuwhuyze's skidding drive fly past his far post three minutes later.

Newcastle were labouring, and Roeder withdrew Butt and Luque for youngsters Matty Pattison and Andrew Carroll in the search for fresh impetus.

But it was Duff who finally fashioned the opening goal on 68 minutes when he slid a pass into Martins' run, and the striker calmly lifted a shot over the advancing keeper.

The goal seemed to sap Zulte's remaining energy as the Magpies assumed control for the closing stages. Milner twice went close, the second a swerving 87th-minute free-kick which dipped just wide of the post.

The visitors might have snatched a draw at the death when, with Newcastle committed to an attack, substitute Tim Matthys evaded challenges from Nolberto Solano, Pattison and Bramble to force Harper to save.