Newcastle Utd 3: Ameobi 57; Shearer 76, 86
Manchester City 0:

Final Update: 90mins (3pm kick-off)

United: Given, Jenas, Dyer (Bowyer 86), Shearer, Speed, Hughes, Bramble, Ameobi (LuaLua 88), Woodgate, Robert (Ambrose 88), Bernard  Subs (not used): Harper, S Caldwell

Man City: Seaman, Distin, Fowler (Macken 71), Sun, Tarnat, McManaman, Dunne, Barton, Sinclair, Bosvelt (Berkovic 71), Anelka  Subs (not used): Ellegaard, Sommeil, Sibierski

Referee: Neale Barry

Attendance: 52,159

JONATHAN Woodgate and Kieron Dyer were both back in the starting line-up for the visit of Manchester City.

Dyer has been sidelined with a hamstring injury and replaced Lee Bowyer , while Woodgate came back into the hart of the defence at the expense of Andy O'Brien. 

Alan Shearer was also back in action after missing the 5-0 defeat at Chelsea through flu, lining up alongside Shola Ameobi in attack.

Former Newcastle defender Sylvain Distin captained Kevin Keegan's side.

United had the first attack inside the first minute when Jenas sent Ameobi free down the right, but his low cross was intercepted by Distin as Robert tried to connect at the back post.

A minute later Fowler saw a shot from 20 yards fly over the crossbar after Woodgate had failed to connect with McManaman's cross, then Bernard flashed a shot just wide at the other end on four minutes.

Jenas needed treatment from the physio after being caught by a challenge in midfield, but was able to continue after treatment, then in the next attack Fowler shot straight at Given at the Gallowgate End.

Dunne's foul on Dyer gave United a free kick right on the edge of the box on 11 minutes just left of centre, but Shearer's effort was straight at the wall.

Bosvelt flashed a shot wide of Given's right hand post on 22 minutes after City broke down the right flank, then Bramble did well to head Sinclair's cross away as Anelka came into get on the end of it.

Seaman and Shearer then required treatment after the striker collided with the goalkeeper as Shearer tried to get on the end of Ameobi's pass, but the former England team-mates were both able to continue and play resumed with a City free kick.

Robert was unlucky not to give United the lead on 36 minutes when Shearer flicked the ball into his path, but the visiting defence blocked the effort and Dyer was unable to get on the rebound.

Tarnat got the first yellow card of the game on 37 minutes when he clipped Dyer in front of the East Stand. Jenas swung the free kick in and Woodgate nodded into the path of Ameobi, but the striker was off balance and shot over the bar.

Robert did brilliantly to keep the ball in play on the left wing and cross for Dyer on 42 minutes, but the midfielder just failed to connect with the cross as it flashed across the face of goal and out for a goal kick.

Tarnat's foul on Dyer saw Newcastle awarded a free kick 28 yards out a minute before the break, but when Jenas rolled the ball into the path of Robert the Frenchman shot wide of the target.

In first half stoppage time Distin was booked for hauling down Ameobi wide on the right, but again the free kick came to nothing as Robert's inswinger was nodded away by Sinclair.

Shearer won United first corner of the half in the closing seconds, but Sinclair headed the ball to safety from the near post as the half ended goalless.

Robert flashed a shot just wide seconds after the restart, then the Frenchman saw an angled drive hit the sidenetting after Hughes whipped the ball in from the right following good work from Jenas and Dyer.

On 57 minutes, The Magpies took the lead when Robert crossed from the left and Ameobi rose above McManaman at the back post to win the header, and when the ball dropped he rifled the ball home from close range.

Newcastle then won a corner when Distin headed away Robert's cross, but the flag kick from Robert was too long and it came to nothing.

City won a corner of their own on the hour mark when McManaman's cross was headed away by Bernard, but Speed cleared to the edge of the box and United eventually cleared their lines.

McManaman then sliced an ambitious effort well wide as he tried to find the far corner on 66 minutes, then at the other end Distin did well to get goal-side of Ameobi to clear after Robert tried to send the striker away.

Given made a block from Anelka after the striker lost his footing trying to get to Sinclair's flick, and whejn the ball ran free with the goal gaping Hughes booted it clear.

Play continued to switch from end to end, and Shearer wasn't too far away from getting on the end of Ameobi's cross from the right on 70 minutes, then Barton's chipped cross floated over a crowded box and away to safety a minute later.

Keegan made a double change on 71 minutes in a bid to liven up his attack, with Berkovic replacing Bosvelt and Macken coming on for Fowler, and Macken's first contribution was to shoot well wide from an angle after Anelka lifted the ball over the top.

United made it 2-0 on 76 minutes when Bernard did superbly out on the left to keep the ball in and whip in a cross, and Shearer leapt like a salmon to bullet his header past Seaman to record his 99th goal under Sir Bobby on his 450th starting league appearance.

A great move from united on 79 minutres had the crowd on their feet, with Seaman making a save from Ameobi after a five-man move, then when the ball was played back in Ameobi poked the ball wide.

Bernard, who was having arguably his best-ever game for United, saw a shot deflected for a corner on 84 minutes, and when City only half cleared Robert's corner the ball was eventually played back in and Shearer was on hand to get the final touch after Ameobi's header to poke the ball over the line and make it 3-0.

Bowyer replaced Dyer before play resumed, and he was booked moments after coming on for a lunge at Berkovic.

On 88 minutes there were more changes as Sibierski replaced Sun Jihai for the visitors, and LuaLua and Ambrose came on for Ameobi and Robert.

Bowyer fired straight at Seaman in injury time then Shearer shot over the bar after good work from LuaLua on the left as Newcastle finished well on top.