31mins Papiss Cisse made a perfectly-timed forward run as left back Paul Dummett played a swooping ball down the touchline, and when Sammy Ameobi swung over a splendid centre, Cisse nodded into the Leazes End goal from eight yards without breaking stride.1-0

Half time: Newcastle 1 Leeds 0

67mins Again it was Sammy Ameobi who created the opportunity, taking a pass on the left flank and jinking infield before nudging the ball forward to Yoan Gouffran just inside the box. 

The former Bordeaux man had his back to goal but took a touch to turn away from marker Scott Wootton and then delivered a hammered right foot finish to notch his first ever goal at SJP. 2-0

Full time: Newcastle 2 Leeds 0

Alan Pardew said:

"They were two great goals. Both made by Sammy [Ameobi] in different circumstances. Good ability from Sammy for the first with a simple pass. The second goal was all about Gouffran setting himself and a fantastic hit.

"All strikers when they are not scoring don't feel like they have done their job. Goalscorers want to score goals and he is always disappointed if he hasn't scored. He (Papiss Cisse) has had a few good chances in these last few games, but that was an important goal tonight - how important, we will have to wait and see.

Brian McDermott:

"I thought we played really well in the first half, there were a lot of good things that came out of the game. It’s all about both boxes. Their first goal we should have done better and their second was a great finish, but we had opportunities. We hit the bar, and we had a definite penalty. That was disappointing.

"The crowd were unbelievable. They saw us trying to play and do the right things and there was a lot to be positive about. Their support was fantastic. I said to Ross at the end we have to give them something because they deserve something. We’ll dust ourselves down and go again.

"That game was never going to be easy. We gave a good account of ourselves and if we could have got that first goal, who knows what could have happened.

"That effort by Ross was real class. We had other opportunities with Matt Smith and it could have been different. Like I say, I thought we should have had a penalty. Matt was bowled over. It was a certain penalty and because he’s six foot four he didn’t give it.”

"Their (first) goal, from their point of view, was a little bit of quality on the left-hand side and maybe we needed to do better in that situation, but it was a good header, and their second goal was a great finish."

1,005 minutes after he last found the net at club level, Papiss Cisse rediscovered his scoring touch on Wednesday to put Newcastle on the road to a place in the last sixteen of the Capital One Cup.

The man from Senegal was one of five players who kept their place from Saturday's home loss to Hull, Alan Pardew relying on three of his first-choice back five in the shape of Tim Krul, Mathieu Debuchy and Fabricio Coloccini.

With Vurnon Anita retained in midfield, Saturday's trio of substitutes - Sylvain Marveaux, Cheick Tiote and Yoan Gouffran - all started, while United's English contingent was boosted to three by Dummett, Ameobi junior and a first outing of the season for Mike Williamson.

Backed by a boisterous 6,000 fans on L7, Leeds created the first chance of the game on five minutes, Ross McCormack finding space in front of goal to glance a long-distance lob off the bar.
 
The Championship side looked to pack the central area of the pitch and break forward at speed when possible, a ploy which Newcastle gradually adjusted to - Tiote off the pace initially, but Sammy Ameobi enjoying large amounts of possession and looking a constant threat.

That rarest of sights for toon fans - a goal from a corner - almost became reality when Coloccini's header from Marveaux's flag kick was cleared off the line by Smith. And after Gouffran's stooping header from Ameobi's cross went narrowly wide, Tiote popped up in the box and managed the noteworthy feat of actually hitting the target with a shot that was blocked at the near post. 

Cisse then tested the side netting on that side of Paddy Kenny's goal before Krul blocked Smith's effort at the other end and the visiting striker instantly rued his miss when Cisse showed him how to do it at the other end.

The second period took a while to get going with neither 'keeper called upon until midway through the half, at which point Kenny was helpless to prevent the fifth and by far most the dazzling goal to date of Gouffran's Toon career.

That killed off the opposition and allowed Pardew to give some pitch time to Gabriel Obertan, Dan Gosling and Haris Vuckic - Obertan twice galloping clear, but in typical style managing to fluff his one-on-one's with Kenny.    

Thankfully it didn't matter on this occasion though and a re-jigged lineup had enough class to finish the job and provide Cisse with a chance to break his duck for the season - something he'd also done almost exactly a year ago in the same competition.

Coming on the day that the club revealed in minutes of a supporters forum that they had no focus on succeeding in domestic cup competitions, it's nice to see that at the manager, his players and at least some fans still beg to differ.

However the arrival of Manchester City here in the next round threatens to place an undue strain on resources, coming in the middle of a hectic week when league games against the mackems and Chelsea are also scheduled. 

Regardless of that though, the carrot of a Quarter Final place has to act as a spur to all concerned, be they playing, directing or cheering. For that not to be the case begs the question of why we bother to have a football club at all.

Biffa