Having seen three games in a week, Mike Ashley now has three favourite clubs in the region - Newcastle United, Blu Bambu and Buffalo Joe's. 

The latter nightspot played host to the black-and-white clad Toon owner and his pals after this game - that lucky "Smith 17" shirt must be hotching by now.

Ashley certainly seems to be getting into the swing of things of up here, as he bids to shed the reclusive reputation that he was saddled with when news of his buyout of the Halls emerged.   

His continuing presence also undermines theories of short-term ownership for a quick vaultful of roubles or whatever they spend in China - and he looks like he's enjoying it all.

Nice also that he's getting into the papers for wearing toon shirts in bars, rather than for passing comments about them (and their owners' wives) when cracking open a bottle or two.

His celebrations would have been a damn sight more muted though had Michael Owen not popped up late in this one with a timely reminder that he can still do what he's paid to do.

Wednesday had seen him break his duck with an effort that won't find its way onto many career retrospective DVDs, but that was symbolic in a more-low key way.

Four days on however, rather more folks made rather more racket as his fine header found the back of the same Gallowgate net - and whether the England boss or Mike England was in the stand shouldn't concern any of us.

The outpouring of emotion triggered was pure relief that we'd at last managed to kill off an obstinate Latics side reduced to ten men in the opening moments of the second half.

At that point referee Steve Bennett had deemed that Kevin Kilbane's aerial challenge on Alan Smith was worthy of dismissal - the former mackem having been booked in the first half.

However TV replays subsequently showed that Kilbane had clashed heads with Smith, rather than the presumed elbow that Bennett had acted upon.

Wigan and their fans felt hard done by at that point, but could have no complaints at ending the game a man short, after Bennett incredibly ignored two brutal assaults by Heskey that left Taylor and Harper laid out on the pitch.

Even more remarkably he was called into the England team within 24 hours - the plan to defeat Israel must involve some fairly robust tactics.....

(it has subsequently been pointed out that had the referee known of that callup, that he could have felt under pressure not to award Heskey the second yellow for either of those assaults that would have seen him walk)

Aside from a fine diving block by Harper in the first half, chances for the visitors were few and far between.

By contrast, Newcastle somehow managed to go into the break without scoring: Bramble surviving a blatant handball shout, Taylor striking the cross bar and Owen missing two good chances and beating Chris Kirkland once - only for a dubious offside flag to deny him.

A similar procession in the second half had seen Allardyce trying various combinations to break the deadlock - Viduka departing at the interval as Ameobi and Owen were paired.

Martins then appeared in place of Smith, but chances continued to fall frustratingly at the feet of others - Butt blasting over when well placed and trying to play a pass when free in the box with only Kirkland to beat.

Finally though the goal came, with Owen's effort at the Gallowgate End his ninth goal in fifteen starts for the Magpies.

The sponsors gave Rozehnal their man of the match award, but his partner Cacapa turned in another flawless display.   

We now go into a two week break in fifth spot and good heart - Allardyce having achieved his goal of overhauling the first team squad and seeing some early returns in work rate and determination from his side as they begin to knit together.

PS: If we beat the Hammers in the next home game, we predict that Ashley will appear in The Adelphi - once he's seen Cass Pennant and his mates off at Manors.....