Newcastle 3 Reading 0

Aug 16 2009 by Neil Farrington, Sunday Sun

WHILE Mike Ashley waits for someone to show him the money, a man almost as maligned on Tyneside decided to finally Sho what he can do.

Though never openly condemned like Ashley, Shola Ameobi also knows what it is like to be written off at St James’s Park.

But after nine years, 253 appearances and thousands of furrowed Geordie brows, the boy finally came good yesterday.

A maiden hat-trick – and he could have had even more – provided poignant, posthumous vindication of the manager who gave Newcastle’s East End enigma his start in the game.

Of the innumerable tributes to Sir Bobby Robson, the great man would surely have enjoyed this one best of all.

Two clinical headers – yes, clinical – either side of half-time and a calmly-taken 75th-minute penalty were Ameobi’s belated gift to his former mentor.

The only worry now, as Newcastle savour a smooth landing in the Championship, is that Ashley is fooled into thinking all could yet be well for him at St James’s.

Surely not. Surely not on a day when songs of praise for Robson – and Ameobi – mingled with hymns of hate aimed at the directors’ box.

But with Ashley, you just never know.

Nor, sadly, can we be certain that this red letter day will be the making of Ameobi in black and white.

Yet there is no denying that Newcastle’s football is finally reason for optimism rather than dread.

Despite seemingly weathering an early storm, Reading were blown away once Ameobi had stooped to conquer from Jose Enrique’s 38th-minute cross.

The striker’s second goal, courtesy of the impressive Kevin Nolan’s tenacity and an equally fine delivery from Ryan Taylor, merely confirmed an inevitable victory.

And the hat-trick, offered on a plate by Shane Long’s inexplicable handball 15 minutes from time, was a memorable coup de grace.