Reds heap misery on Magpies

Gerrard: Stunning opener

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Liverpool punished a woeful Newcastle United display by easing to a 3-0 victory at St James' Park.

Sam Allardyce's defensive approach was ripped to shreds in front of a disgruntled home crowd after Steven Gerrard's thunderbolt gave the visitors a 28nd minute lead.

The advantage was increased within 60 seconds of the start of the second half when Gerrard's corner was flicked on by Sami Hyypia and ricocheted in off Dirk Kuyt.

Substitute Ryan Babel completed the scoring just minutes after coming on, steering a low shot past Shay Given after a slick Liverpool move.

And, if Fernando Torres had not left his shooting boots on Merseyside, the scoreline could have been much worse for Allardyce, whose every decision was jeered by the home faithful.

Desperately poor

Allardyce rose this morning to read of apparent unrest in his dressing room, but that was nothing compared to the boos which greeted his players as they left the field after a desperately poor opening 45 minutes.

In truth, it could have been much worse with Torres having squandered the chance to double the Reds' lead in the final minute of the half after Kuyt had turned Charles N'Zogbia's kamikaze header into his path.

Given looked to have misjudged his sprint towards the ball, but managed to make a vital block, and he got his reward when the Spaniard picked up the loose ball and fired against the foot of the post with the goal at his mercy.

Newcastle were able to offer next to nothing in reply with Alan Smith's dipping 38th-minute volley, which dropped just wide, their only effort of any note.

More worryingly, the 3-5-2 system adopted by Allardyce in the face of a defensive injury crisis looked alien to his players, who found themselves repeatedly out-numbered as Liverpool simply passed the ball around them.

Strikers Mark Viduka and Obafemi Martins were painfully isolated with nominal wide men Geremi and N'Zogbia struggling to make anything of the sporadic possession they received.

If the Magpies had escaped at the end of the first half, they were not to be so fortunate at the beginning of the second after Habib Beye was forced to concede a 46th-minute corner.

Hyypia managed to get a flick on Gerrard's ball in at the near post and Kuyt bundled it home from close range to make it 2-0.

Allardyce did little to improve the mood at St James' when he replaced Emre with Joey Barton after 51 minutes with his side labouring.

Beye had to get in a block to deny Harry Kewell after 54 minutes after Torres had found space on the right and, although Smith volleyed high over at the end of a rare Magpies attack a minute later, there were cheers when James Milner emerged from the dug-out to warm up.

Incredulity

Milner duly arrived with 59 minutes gone, but Allardyce's decision to replace N'Zogbia was greeted with incredulity.

Newcastle were in complete disarray and after Torres had twice gone close, substitute Babel finally made them pay when he exchanged passes with Gerrard to fire home a third goal after 66 minutes.

Torres was tormenting the home defence and should really have added his name to the scoresheet, firing wide after 68 minutes with just the helpless Given to beat and then seeing another effort blocked by the Irishman seconds later.

Babel sent a stinging shot across Given's goal after 73 minutes and then laid a fourth on a plate for Kuyt, only to see the Dutchman scuff his effort straight at the goalkeeper, and the final whistle came as a merciful release.