Crytsal Palace 0 Newcastle United 2

Aug 23 2009 by Neil Farrington, Sunday Sun

A SUNNY afternoon at the Palace provided further proof that Newcastle could rule this division.

Could, if a starting XI clearly capable of taking on Championship all-comers remains intact a week on Wednesday.

Sadly, the chances of that appear almost as slim as Palace’s prospects of retrieving this game once the Magpies had stolen an initial march.

Kevin Nolan’s cheeky earlybird opener and Ryan Taylor’s sublime 21st-minute strike smacked of players in their pomp at this level.

The Eagles might as well have been pursuing soon-to-be Sir Usain Bolt as chasing the game, so comfortably did Newcastle defend their lead.

But will life be as easy without Steven Taylor, whose was a regal performance? Or even without that supposed clown prince, Fabricio Coloccini, who looked almost as impressive?

Only in the unlikely event of them being adequately replaced.

As much as this win and United’s three previous Championship outings have lifted the gloom over Tyneside, that dark cloud lingers.

Otherwise, the only blot on yesterday’s horizon was that Newcastle’s half-time status as league leaders had been surrendered by the final whistle.

It was just about the only thing they lost all day.

Dominant, as mentioned, at the back. Industrious and inventive – thanks in no small part to the returning Danny Guthrie – in midfield . . .

That Shola Ameobi had an overdue off day in front of goal mattered not.

Andy Carroll’s absence meant Ameobi had a tougher shift than usual, up front largely alone save for when Nolan or Guthrie could get up in company.

It may not have been a plan to quicken the pulse of many travelling fans. But it didn’t take them long to take the system to their hearts.

Barely 90 seconds, in fact.

That was as all they had to wait for Jose Enrique to tee up Jonas Gutierrez for a cross which Ameobi intelligently dummied for Nolan – arriving unnoticed behind a ball-watching defence – to dink through the legs of keeper Darryl Flahavan.

For a team not known for jumping out of the blocks, it was a breakneck start.