West Ham United 0 Newcastle United 2

Last updated : 17 September 2006 By Footymad Previewer
Glenn Roeder made a winning return to Upton Park thanks to goals from Newcastle's big-money summer signings Damien Duff and Obafemi Martins.

But the Magpies boss – who was at the West Ham helm when they were relegated three years ago - could well find himself in hot water with the footballing authorities for his over-zealous celebration of his side's two-goal victory.

Duff and Martins had put the visitors firmly in control with their first goals for the Tynesiders, when Roeder turned Upton Park into bubbling cauldron of vitriol by giving a clenched fist salute to the Toon Army.

The Hammers fans responded with chants of "You're the reason why we went down", and the authorities seem certain to investigate.

Coming into this game, managers Alan Pardew and Roeder had experienced differing outcomes in their UEFA Cup matches on Thursday evening.

The Newcastle boss, who saw his side swoop to a 1-0 victory at Levadia Tallinn made three changes as Celestine Babayaro, James Milner and Shola Ameobi returned for Titus Bramble, Charles N'Zogbia and Antoine Sibierski.

The Hammers were the only English side to lose to foreign opposition on Thursday and following their 1-0 defeat at the hands of Palermo, Pardew made just one switch as Matthew Etherington returned in place of Yossi Benayoun.

To the delight of the shirt-sleeved East-End crowd, that meant there were starting spots for Pardew's artful Argentinian duo, Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano.

And with just five minutes on the clock, the teasing Tevez rattled Shay Given's crossbar with a curling 20-yard free-kick.

Martins then carelessly drilled a low, angled shot across both the exposed Roy Carroll and his far post, before Tevez tested Given with another free-kick.

At the other end, Duff's teasing corners twice had the home defence in disarray and Carroll had to save from Peter Ramage and Ameobi, before Emre tested him from distance.

Ten minutes before the break, former Tynesider Lee Bowyer almost put West Ham ahead with an audacious effort from the halfway line.

The Hammers midfielder collected Given's poor clearance on the right touchline and chipped the ball over the back-pedalling goalkeeper, only to see it bounce inches wide of goal.

Pardew surprisingly opted to swap Argentinian subtlety for good old-fashioned English strength as Marlon Harewood replaced Tevez at the interval but, within five minutes of the restart, the Hammers boss saw his team go behind.

Martins powerfully steam-rollered from halfway and shrugged off Mascherano's attempted tackle before playing in the supporting Duff, who drilled a crisp, low, angled 15-yarder into the bottom right-hand corner.

Midway through the half, Mascherano himself was sacrificed as Benayoun and Hayden Mullins came on for the Argentinian and the sick Tyrone Mears, while Roeder reshuffled, too with the introduction of Sibierski for Ameobi.

Within seconds of his arrival the French substitute unleashed a rising 25-yarder that just cleared Carroll's crossbar, and with Newcastle now running the show, a second goal always looked on the cards.

Sure enough, with just 15 minutes remaining, the impressive Martins robbed Danny Gabbidon and, with Carroll helplessly exposed, the £10million man comfortably opened his Newcastle account.

However, Newcastle's afternoon finished on a sour note when Given was stretchered off following a collision with Harewood.