Yeading 0:
Newcastle Utd 2: Bowyer 50, Ameobi 60

Final Update: 90mins (1.45pm kick-off)

United: Harper, Taylor, Boumsong, Bramble (O'Brien 46), Babayaro, N'Zogbia (Ambrose 38), Jenas, Bowyer, Robert (Milner 70), Bellamy, Ameobi  Subs (not used): Given, Hughes

Yeading: Preddie, Barima (Behzadi 74), Protain (Woodruffe 77), Saroya, Leach, Stanley, Haule, Brown, Telemaque (Quamina 83), Campbell, Clarke  Subs (not used): Newby, Kleboe

Referee: Howard Webb

STEVE Harper was handed a rare start for United in Sunday's FA Cup third round clash with Yeading at QPR's Loftus Road.

Shay Given was on the bench, while Celestine Babayaro and Jean Alain Boumsong both made their debuts. Babayaro replaced the banned Olivier Bernard at left back, while Boumsong came into the heart of defence alongside Titus Bramble with Aaron Hughes dropping to the bench.

Craig Bellamy also returned, with Kieron Dyer rested in the only other change to the side that were held 0-0 at West Bromwich Albion on Monday.

United's fans were situated in the lower tier of the School End - the usual enclosure for visiting fans at QPR - and also in the Ellerslie Road stand which ran down the side of the pitch and it looked as though the travelling fans made up more than half of the attendance when the game got underway.

Robert had a great chance inside the first two minutes when Ameobi flicked on a long punt downfield by Harper, but the Frenchman saw a close range volley easily held by Preddie.

Yeading's first strike at goal came after six minutes with Stanley firing a free kick from 30 yards high and wide, then two minutes later Haule headed over from a free kick wide on the left as the non-league side made a bright start.

Bowyer then saw a close range effort roll wide of the post after Ameobi drilled the ball across the face of goal on 10 minutes when it looked as though the slightest of touches would divert the ball into the net, then the midfielder saw an angled drive fly well off target six minutes later.

Bellamy hadn effort deflected away for a corner on 18 minutes, but Robert's inswinger was gathered by Preddie in his six-yard area.

Moments later Bellamy sidefooted an effort onto the crossbar after a pass by Jenas, then the skipper had a shot tipped away for a corner in the next attack.Preddie turned the inswinger over his bar for another flag kick on the United left, and when Bowyer picked out Jenas with a low pass 30 yards out he shot well wide.

A foul by Bowyer on Yeading dangerman Campbell gave the 'home' side a free kick 25 yards out just to the left of centre, and Harper had to dive full length to tip Clarke's curler around his post for a corner and when the kick was taken United regained possession with a free kick after a foul in the box.

Bramble was booked for a foul on Telamaque on 28 minutes, then a minute later Newcastle won another corner when N'Zogbia had a cross from the left deflected and once again Yeading were happy to give another flag kick away when the kick came in from Bowyer. This time Boumsong tried to reach the ball at the near post but was crowded out and Yeading cleared.

A free kick to Newcastle just outside the box on 31 minutes gave Robert the chance for a shot, but his delicate curler looped wide of the post.

Bellamy saw the ball nicked off his toe by Brown as he shaped to shoot on 33 minutes after a pass from Ameobi, then Bowyer had a shot from 25 yards that was well off target two minutes later.

United made a change on 38 minutes, with Darren Ambrose replacing N'Zogbia after the young midfielder failed to shake off the effects of a kick he took earlier in the half.   

 Protain was cautioned when he fouled Ambrose from behind on 42 minutes.

Ameobi had a shot from an acute angle palmed away by Preddie two minutes before the break, and when Robert took the kick Ameobi volleyed over the bar from penalty spot.

Two minutes of time were added on at the end of the first half, and when the whistle blew the minnows were happy to go into the break with the scoreline level at 0-0.

At the start of the second half Andy O'Brien came off the bench to replace Titus Bramble.

A foul by the substitute on Campbell gave Yeading a free kick on the left side about thre eyards from the edge of the box on 47 minutes, but when Saroya rolled the ball square to Clarke the captain's strike was wide.

United took the lead on 50 minutes with Bowyer tapping the ball home from three yards after Bellamy squared the ball across the face of goal following some great play from Ameobi.  

Newcastle then wona  corner when Babayaro put Barima under pressure by the corner flag but the set piece came to nothing as Yeading cleared.

Another corner quickly followed, this time on the United right, but Robert's inswinger was claimed by Preddie.

Three more corners came in the space of a minute as Newcastle started to turn the screw, but Yeading eventually swept the ball away, then owyer looped the ball up and over the top after Robert and then Ameobi put the ball into the middle.

Ameobi made it 2-0 on 60 minutes, sending a powerful header into the bottom corner after Ambrose arrowed in a free kick from the right.

Straight after the goal Robert motored down the left and squared the ball to Bellamy, but the ball got stuck under his foot as he stretched to reach the cross and the ball trickled through to Preddie.

Taylor then had a powerful drive cannon off Clarke for a corner on 63 minutes, and when the ball eventually reached the near post after a short kick, Taylor couldn't divert his header on target.

Bellamy then drilled an angled drive off target, then when Yeading broke Babayaro did well to get across and block Campbell's shot.

Yeading won a corner on 67 minutes when Taylor tackled Brown, but when Babayaro nodded the ball away Bellamy broke quickly and set Bowyer away but his chip was too high and looped just over the bar.

United made their third and final change of the afternoon on 70 minutes, with James Milner replacing Laurent Robert on the Newcastle left.

Taylor fired just wided after racing down the inside right to latch onto a pass from Bowyer on 73 minutes, then after a slip from Boumsong, Campbell shot weakly at Harper.

On 82 minutes Milner won another flag kick for United, and when the ball was pulled back to Bellamy on the corner of the box he couldn't keep his effort down.

Bellamy cut in from the left on 85 minutes, but when he tried to pull the ball back the goalkeeper blocked with his boot and Yeading cleared.

Harper had to get down low to tip away a long range effort from Brown as Yeading tried to pull one back in the last minute, then Bellamy missed a sitter in stoppage time after finding himseolf clear on goal.

When the final whistle went the non-league side could take a lot of pride from their display and were given a huge ovation from all four sides of the ground, but it was Newcastle who went into the fourth round draw.