Alan Shearer used his 20 minutes on the pitch to good effect scoring twice. The first was a 28-yard free-kick after  Christian Bassedas had been fouled. His second was a diving header from a Robbie Elliott cross.

Bassedas was provider for the third, playing in Shola Ameobi who hesitated slightly before blasting past the Gateshead keeper.

After 28 minutes it was 4-0 when a cross from Wayne Quinn virtually dropped on the line where it went in off the knee of home defender David Morgan. 

Ten minutes before half-time Ameobi hit the post but seconds later Carl Cort was brought down in the area. He got up and hit a weak penalty which was easily saved by the Cameroon keeper, John Paul Najabayi.

But Cort's barren spell finally ended when he scored from the spot two minutes before half-time with the keeper almost foiling him again. Steve Harper was on his way up to take it but Cort wanted to make amends for his earlier miss.

Andy Griffin shot home to make it 6-0 after 48 minutes and then Cort made way for Damon Robson after taking a slight knock, leaving the field to warm applause.

Jermaine Jenas got his first Newcastle goal to make it 7-0 after 56 minutes. Griffin and Bassedas were on the right hand side of the box and Bassedas pulled the ball back to Jenas who hit a volley in from 12 yards.

Jenas got his second with six minutes remaining when he won the ball and smacked it home from the left edge of the box.

Chris Waddle played the full 90 minutes for Gateshead, wearing an all red kit.

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