Butt off as Magpies stutter

Ten-man Newcastle stuttered to a 2-0 victory over Israel's Bnei Sachnin.

Alan Shearer had been dropped from Graeme Souness's first game in charge, and Patrick Kluivert scored twice to hand victory to The Magpies, with the opener coming after just two minutes.

However, a bad-tempered second half, that saw Butt dismissed for violent conduct after an angry confrontation with Abas Soan, saw Newcastle frustrated in this first leg game.

Soan was also sent off for the incident, but Butt's foolishness will be less concerning to Souness than the lack of quality his side produced after wasting a hatful of first half chances.

Kieron Dyer, who limped off with a pulled hamstring in the second half, was guilty of a dreadful miss - but Lee Bowyer and Jermaine Jenas will also feel they should have got themselves on the scoresheet.

Souness must have been well aware that dropping Shearer has been a brave move by past Newcastle managers - and often the precursor to dismissal - yet the bold Scot rested the former England captain from his first selection.

His decision was justified early on, when a mixture of panic from the Sachnin defence and Dyer's tenacity handed Kluivert a chance to toe home from close range.

A minute later and it should have been two, when the erratic Jermaine Jenas juggled the ball into space but planted his shot far too close to wonderfully named Energy Murambadoro in the Sachnin goal.

Kluivert had a shot tipped over and blazed a volley narrowly wide, when he should have added to his tally and Newcastle settled back into the lazy languorous style that brought the end to Sir Bobby Robson's tenure in his final season.

The crowd were restless, especially when Shay Given was forced to produce a diving save to deny Abas Soan after good work from Edith Agoye.

Lee Bowyer's shot from range warmed both the hands of Murambadoro and the applauding crowd, and Kieron Dyer then missed when it seemed easier to score.

Kluivert finally added a second when a Laurent Robert corner found the Dutchman unmarked and he nodded superbly in off the woodwork.

If the watching fans were expected a galvanised effort after the break they were to be disappointed.

Bowyer, after a fine display on Saturday, was back to his snarling, ineffective worse, whilst Jenas, Kluivert and the disappointing Shola Ameobi all but disappeared from the game.

Butt was brought on to bring a calm head to proceedings, but the former Manchester United man reacted furiously when he was prevented from taking a quick free-kick, and his raised hands led to a raised red card from the referee.

Soan was harshly shown his second yellow for doing little more than prove obstructive, but the dismissal virtually ended The Magpies' chances of extending their lead ahead of what will now be a far harder test when they travel to Tel Aviv for the return leg.

Souness' fierce temper is renowned, but he will ask for his players to show calm heads when they play in Israel, defending a more slender lead than they should be.

 	Newcastle United	Bnei Sakhnin
Possession %	65%	35%
Goals	2	0
Shots on target	8	1
Shots off target	8	2
Blocked shots	3	5
Corners	10	3
Fouls	22	28
Offsides	4	7
Yellow cards	1	5
Red cards	1	1