NEWCASTLE 6 ASTON VILLA 0
NEWCASTLE: Harper, Perch, Coloccini, Williamson, Jose Enrique, Routledge (Ameobi 76), Smith (Ryan Taylor 76), Barton, Gutierrez (Xisco 80), Nolan, Carroll. Subs Not Used: Krul, Lovenkrands, Vuckic, Tavernier.
ASTON VILLA: Friedel, Luke Young, Clark (Beye 89), Dunne, Warnock, Albrighton (Heskey 57), Petrov, Ireland, Downing, Ashley Young, Carew (Reo-Coker 65). Subs Not Used: Guzan, Delfouneso, Lichaj, Bannan.
Att: 43,546
After the sad show at Old Trafford on Monday, Newcastle eased themselves into life in the Premiership with an amazing performance after Chris Hughton said: "Sunday is the TRUE start to our season. That will show how good we really are."
The crowd was a little dissapointing, ten thousand short of maximum, but everything else was "just custy"!
Andy Carroll plundered a hat-trick to ensure Joey Barton's moustache would be on the bathroom floor this morning; Kevin Nolan looked every bit an inspirational skipper; and even James Perch made tackles (rather than fouls) ... making it a memorable day.
John Carew let us off the hook when he skied a 10th-minute penalty high over the bar and the ball ended up in Walker, and I'm sure Villa fans will be saying what we said on Monday after Andy Carroll missed that chance against the Mancs ... IF ONLY.
Yet I was one who thought Hughton was playing it too cautious by having Carroll as a lone striker with no support beside him.
I thought it was going to be 70 minutes of hanging on to a draw then introduce Shola for the last twenty minutes and go for glory.
But Hughton obviously knew better.
Steve Harper was stunned to see referee Martin Atkinson pointing to the spot after Ashley Young had gone down like a bag of spuds, and that only added fuel to the fire ... I was convinced Hughton had got it all wrong.
But Carew's arse went ... he lost the plot and blasted his effort high over the bar.
There were just two more minutes on the clock when Barton picked up the ball 30 yards out, made a little ground and steadied himself before smashing a dipping right-foot shot over Brad Friedel's despairing dive.
Jose Enrique, who had spent the early part of the game trying to put the shackles on flying winger Marc Albrighton, got forward down the left and delivered an inviting cross to the back post for Carroll to head back towards Nolan.
The midfielder's initial effort was parried by Friedel, but Nolan responded swiftly to head the rebound home from four yards.
Carroll did not have to wait long for his chance and when it arrived two minutes later, he was not found wanting.
Richard Dunne failed to clear Mike Williamson's header back across goal from a Barton corner and the ball dropped perfectly for the striker to thump a left-foot drive home.
Villa left the field reflecting on a half during which they had enjoyed plenty of possession, but done too little with it, and on a defensive display which verged on the criminally negligent.
Newcastle returned in confident mood, but all the while aware that the visitors still represented a threat, although there was little evidence of that as the game approached the hour mark, prompting Emile Heskey's arrival in place of Albrighton.
Indeed, the Magpies would have been further ahead with 62 minutes gone had Friedel not made a vital save from Wayne Routledge after Carroll and Nolan had combined superbly on halfway to play him in.
The respite was only temporary, however, and when Williamson helped the ball over the top into the penalty area five minutes later, Carroll lashed his second home from close range.
The whistle could not come soon enough for the visitors, but it did so only after Nolan had toe-poked home a fifth and Carroll had completed his hat-trick from substitute Xisco's pass on a remarkable afternoon on Tyneside.
NEWCASTLE UNITED 2010/11
PREMIERSHIP
NEWCASTLE 6 ASTON VILLA 0 (Barton, Nolan 2, Carroll 3)
Harper, Perch, Coloccini, Williamson, Jose Enrique, Routledge (Ameobi 76), Smith (Ryan Taylor 76), Barton, Gutierrez (Xisco 80), Nolan, Carroll.
Subs Not Used: Krul, Lovenkrands, Vuckic, Tavernier.
MAN UTD 3 NEWCASTLE 0
Harper, Perch, Coloccini, Williamson, Jose Enrique, Routledge, Smith, Nolan (Ameobi 71), Barton,Gutierrez (Xisco 80), Carroll.
Subs Not Used: Krul, Ryan Taylor, Vuckic, Ranger, Tavernier.
PRE-SEASON
Pre-season: CARLISLE 0 NEWCASTLE 3 (Best, Ranger, Vuckic)
Harper (Krul 46), Tavernier (R Taylor 46), Coloccini (S Taylor 46) (Henderson 81), Williamson (Perch 46), Enrique (Ferguson 46), Inman (Routledge 46), Smith (Barton 46), Nolan (Guthrie 46), LuaLua (Vuckic 46) , Carroll (Best 46), Lovenkrands (Ranger 46).
Pre-season: NORWICH CITY 2 NEWCASTLE 1 (Ameobi)
Krul, Taylor (Routledge 45), Tavernier, Coloccini (Williamson 45), Diaz (Ferguson 57); Ranger (Xisco 45), Barton (Smith 45), Nolan (Guthrie 45), Vuckic (Edmundsson 72); Best (Lovenkrands 45), Carroll (Ameobi 45).
Pre-season: NEWCASTLE 2 PSV EINDHOVEN 2 (R.Taylor, Best)
Harper, Perch, Enrique, Coloccini, Williamson, Guthrie, Nolan, Smith, Ryan Taylor, Lovenkrands, Ameobi. Subs: Carroll, Xisco, Best, LuaLua, Krul, Vuckic, Ranger, Donaldson, Tavernier.
Pre-season: DEPORTIVO 0 NEWCASTLE 0 (NUFC win 5-4 on penalties - Lovenkrands, Nolan, Carroll, R Taylor, Barton)
Harper (Krul 46); R Taylor, Perch (Tavernier 52), Coloccini, Enrique; Routledge, Barton, Guthrie (Nolan 46), Xisco (Gutierrez 46); Carroll, Best (Lovenkrands 73). Subs (not used): Smith, Ferguson
Pre-season: RANGERS 2 NEWCASTLE 1 (Lovenkrands)
Harper; Perch (Tavernier 81), Coloccini (Ferguson 81), Williamson, Enrique (R Taylor 56); Routledge (Xisco 83), Barton, Nolan, Guthrie, Gutierrez (Lovenkrands 69); Carroll (Ameobi 46).