Well, to be fair to the lads, we were always in the game until Team X scored their first goal. We had Y amount of players out injured and my boys gave their all. Sloppy individual errors cost us again. I’m afraid Lady Luck is against us and it’s stitched into the badge of Newcastle United.

That was then. This is now.

The badge has just been unstitched.

A new era has dawned on Tyneside. Big Sams Black and White Army made the trip accross the Pennines and pulled up at Horwich Parkway contemplating a mixture of optimism, expectation and hope. The travelling masses turned up in their thousands to provide a backing worthy of Kings. They were treated to a first half that resembled that.

The teams marched out, United looking like they meant business. Allardyce decided on a formation that served him so well in pre season and in previous glories. The Toon lined up in a solid 4-3-3 with Harper in nets. A spine of Taylor, Geremi and Viduka provided us something that we haven’t seen for a long, long time. Guts.

Newcastle got off to a rip roaring start with our Australian striker nearly bustling his way through in the early stages, as the Bolton stopper made a reaction save.

The first goal followed a few minutes later. A clumsy foul on the right of the box gave Carles N’Zogbia, playing in an unfamiliar left back role, a chance to whip in a pacey free kick. A top class delivery effectively took out the majority of Boltons back line. Rozehnal lept like a salmon, and missed the ball by inches, but gleefully saw it ripped inside the far corner with Jaaskelainen stranded.

Some concerted pressure ten minutes later resulted in our second. Smith and Milner combined brilliantly down the left all day, continuously winning second balls in 50-50 challenges. This time it was nothing different. Smith nipped in with a smart header to Milner. A swift one-two followed, and then Jimmy whipped in a Ginola-esque cross. Martins, coming in at the back stick, slightly miscontrolled, but this worked to his advantage. A stunning leap and acrobatic finish sent the Mags into raptures. “Oba, Obafemi Martins” rang around the away end, fully deserved, as the little Nigerian put in one of his best performances in the Black and White.

A rare Bolton attack gave them their best chance of the opening period. Taylor cleared a Bolton free kick to Speed on the edge of the D. A textbook Speedo volley was arrowing towards the bottom corner, but a combined Smith and Taylor superbly prevented a goal, first off Alans chest, then Steve cooly cleared the ball. Mr Foy correctly waved away all hand ball appeals, to the frustration of the men in White.

With barely time to take a breath, it was three. Taylor chipped the ball forward to Oba and, with his pace scaring the Bolton back line s***less, he twisted and turned in a mazy dribble and fired in a low shot. Taking a very handy deflection, the ball totally wrong footed Jussi and trickled into the net. A very soft, but very welcome, third goal.

The half time whistle ended a stunning first half, providing slight relief for the dis-heartened home fans.

The second half was a far more drab affair. United started where they left off, on the front foot. Some neat play bought a corner. However, a pacey, direct break away from Bolton provided a way back in to the match. McCann skinned Geremi and played it through to Anelka who slotted the ball under the advancing Harper. Fortunately, a very good Wanderers goal proved to be nothing more than a consolation.

More pressure followed, without the Trotters making anymore clear cut chances, as United held firm, if a little too deep at the back, to Big Sams clear frustration on the touchline.

“Big Sams Black and White Army” continously boomed out from the away end, containing one of the most vocal away backings I have seen United take in a long, long time.

Reports from Bolton fans that we were ” lucky” could be, infamously, described as “wide of the mark”.

A superb start to the season from United.

Keep the Faith

My Man of the Match: Obafemi Martins
Ref: Chris Foy
Attendance: 25,414