3 mins Alvin Martin netted with a close-range volley from Alan Devonshire's free kick. 0-1

11 mins Ray Stewart's weighty cross from the right was fumbled in by Martin Thomas. 0-2

35 mins Thomas was unable to block Neil Orr's unremarkable long-range drive. 0-3

35 mins A corner for the home side wasn't cleared properly and Newcastle's Glenn Roeder somehow managed to backheel an Alan Dickens header into his own net. 0-4

Half time: Hammers 4 Newcastle 0

64 mins Alvin Martin headed past stand-in goalkeeper Chris Hedworth following a corner. 0-5

76 mins Ian Stewart's corner was headed away from the near post by a home defender but dropped nicely for Billy Whitehurst to poke the ball home despite the attentions of a player on the line. 1-5

81 mins Substitute Paul Goddard netted with a point-blank header at the back post from Alan Devonshire's left wing pull back. 1-6

83 mins Tony Cottee this provided the ammunition, Frank McAvennie this time heading in. 1-7

84 mins Alvin Martin slammed home a penalty awarded for a debatable foul by Glenn Roeder on Cottee. 1-8

Full time: Hammers 8 (EIGHT) Newcastle 1

Willie McFaul:

"It took guts to do what he (Chris Hedworth) did; he actually dislocated his collarbone about 10 minutes before he came off and how he continued doesn't bear thinking about. But all the lads had a go and in the circumstances I just wish we had kept it to five.

"Peter (Beardsley) wanted to go in goal at half time but even 0-4 down I was not prepared to throw the towel in. I wanted him to stay where he was because there was always the chance that he could have pulled a goal back for us.

"I made enquiries last week but it appears as though it has never happened before. I don't think a club has ever been allowed to take a goalkeeper on loan after the transfer deadline. We shall just have to wait and see if anything can be done this week but those are the regulations."

One shirt, several previous owners

John Lyall commented just before the final goal:

"Don't let Alvin take it - we need the goal difference!"

Before this game, West Ham's record victory over Newcastle was 5-0, in 1967/68 and 1978/79.

West Ham's progress to the FA Cup Fifth Round resulted in Newcastle having a blank weekend in early March and then travelling to Upton Park two days after a Saturday visit to Chelsea.

That had finished 1-1, goalkeeper Dave McKellar sustaining groin and hip injuries at Stamford Bridge that precluded his involvement against the Hammers. That meant a recall for Martin Thomas who had himself been unfit to face Chelsea due to a shoulder injury (Gary Kelly was in plaster).

At kick-off the hosts sat in fifth, five points and seven places ahead of a Magpies side who had drawn two of their last three visits to the Boleyn Ground, but were narrowly beaten 1-2 by John Lyalls' side at SJP some six months earlier.

It's fair to say that what followed on this Monday night in April was both unexpected and memorable for all the wrong reasons; Thomas clearly incapacitated after aggravating his ailment within the first two minutes and conceding four times in the first half. That included a farcical own goal from skipper Glenn Roeder, who somehow managed to backheel the ball over his own 'keeper and into the net.

Magpies defender Chris Hedworth - in the side as a makeshift midfielder and already carrying a knee injury from earlier in the game - appeared between the posts for the second half, but he broke his collarbone on 57 minutes when trying to reach a cross under pressure from Tony Cottee. 

He initially played on but then handed the green goalies jersey to Peter Beardsley two minutes after conceding a fifth goal. Hedworth did attempt to continue as an outfield player but was soon forced off, before the ten man visitors managed a consolation strike when Billy Whitehurst turned home an Ian Stewart corner from the angle of the six yard box in front of the North Bank.

Future Magpie Paul Goddard scored with his first touch after coming off the bench, before Hammers defender Alvin Martin immortalised himself in football quiz question history by completing a hat trick - having scored one against each of the three different Magpies 'keepers.

His third and West Ham's eighth was a penalty after a Roeder handball, usual spot kick taker Ray Stewart initially lining up the kick, only for home fans to make their preference for Martin known. 

Deceiving his England colleague and room mate Beardsley, Martin's goal ensured that Newcastle incurred their heaviest post-war defeat, matching a 1-8 reverse at Everton in October 1931. He claimed later that he wasn't aware that he'd beaten three different custodians.

Biffa

PS: A semblance of revenge came eight months later when Newcastle beat West Ham 4-0 at SJP.