A scintillating first half performance from Newcastle saw them overcome dangerous Dutch counterparts, AZ Alkmaar by an impressive four goals to two on Thursday night. Obafemi Martins was a pinnacle figure throughout, scoring two goals before half time, both of them sublime finishes.

Glenn Roeder started with Damien Duff and Kieron Dyer on the wings; Dyer constantly penetrating down the right hand side. Martins was partnered upfront by popular French forward Antoine Sibierski.

The attacking nature and blistering pace of Martins and Dyer terrified the Alkmaar defense from the off, and it didn’t take long for Newcastle to grab the incentive. Smart interlinking play down the left from Duff saw the Irishman cleverly flick a ball through for the sparky Dyer. Dyer utilised the space infront of him and his low ball was intercepted by Gretar Steinsson, thwarting Martins from poking it home. However, Steinsson’s attempted block was not sufficient, as the ball bobbled over the line.

What followed, mimicked a performance from the Kevin Keegan era on Tyneside, as Newcastle soared into a 4-1 lead before the half time interval. Two goals in a minute midway through the first half followed Steinsson’s opener, the Alkmaar defense crumbling within moments.

Having already claimed a startling reputation in Holland and establishing themselves as feared opponents in European competition, no Newcastle fan could have predicted the events that followed throughout the rest of the first half.

Firstly, Sibierski’s superbly executed flick put Dyer through on goal, and the opportunity was expertly finished by the England international. His dainty chip from inside the box evaded the onrushing Waterman, and the ball nestled kindly in the back of the Leazes net.

With the atmosphere electric, the Toon Army begged for blood once Obafemi Martins was put through just a minute later. Sibierski’s high ball was magnificently controlled off the chest by Martins, half way inside Alkmaar’s half. Martins then penetrated, sneaking past three of AZ’s clueless defenders on the edge of the box, and unleashed a powerful drive into the corner of the net from 18 yards.

With the score unbelievably at 3-0, Alkmaar’s obvious attacking prowess began to show through, as they desperately attempted to claw a way back into the game. The quality of the passing from the Dutch outfit was fantastic at times, as they enjoyed an eventual spurt of possession, and it was in the 31st minute when they unlocked the Newcastle defense. Some neat passing play on the edge of the box, started by the hard-working Arveladze, found it’s way to the wing, where the ball was whipped back into the box. Arveladze lost his man and was offered a great chance to put Alkmaar back in the game. He duly obliged with a powerful diving header, that crashed beyond Given off the underside of the bar.

Nevertheless, Newcastle’s confidence was quickly regained, and it was a mere six minutes before the three-goal lead was restored. Martins proved the specialist infront of goal once again, as he collected a low cross from Nobby Solano inside the penalty area. In spite of the ball’s backward direction, Martins managed to steer it goalwards with enough pace to dodge the helpless Waterman. It was the Nigerian’s 16th goal of the season, and the £10.1m paid for him already looks justifiable.

The massively entertaining half ended with a rare spark of life from AZ. Danny Koevermans’ long drive was well saved by Given, as the Eredivisie’s second top goalscorer alarmed the Magpies with a warning shot.

Quickly after half time, Koevermans was in the action once again following a somewhat calamitous beginning to the second half. Put through on goal after the ball had bobbled to him, it took a sublime sliding tackle from Titus Bramble - who was flawless throughout - to thwart the dangerous striker.

Nonetheless, Alkmaar continued to huff and puff inside Newcastle’s half as the game progressed, but the defense looked to be standing strong. It was, however, an inevitable defensive mistake that led to AZ’s second.

Substitute Dembele’s cross struck the arm of the unfortunate Steven Taylor, and the referee did not hesitate to point to the spot. Newcastle were on the backfoot within an instant, having previously looked relatively comfortable. Dembele stepped up to take the penalty, and although his strike was poor and comfortably saved, Given failed to hang onto the ball and Koevermans reacted quickest following a hectic melee inside the six-yard box. 4-2.

The scoreline certainly looked more encouraging for Alkmaar, as coach Louis Van Gaal opted to go slightly more negative, bringing on a defensive player. The move however, almost cost him dearly, as Martins had a glorious opportunity to clinch his hat-trick as Newcastle pushed forward.

A perfect knock-on through the centre saw Oba galloping through on goal, and unlike his prior finishes, his shot was abysmal as it trickled comfortably into the keeper’s grasp.

There was to be little more action, although the introduction of the returning Emre had the Geordie supporters out of their seats and clapping - the driving force of the little Turk being a real miss in recent games.

AZ Alkmaar were surprisingly poor in the first leg. More was to be expected from the Dutch serial goalscorers, especially up against an enigmatic Newcastle United defense. The match finished 4-2, though the Toon would be naïve to go into the second leg with complacency. AZ have never lost a European game in their new stadium, and with a boisterous home support, one expects a monumentally tough encounter.

As harsh as the penalty decision was, the goal stood and AZ are not out of this yet. United will have to have their wits about them if they are to progress into the quarter-finals; though we can say with confidence, that they have one foot there already.

Just don’t forget Lisbon.

Other Results from the UEFA Cup Last Sixteen:

Sporting Braga 2-3 Tottenham Hotspur
Celta Vigo 0-1 Werder Bremen
RC Lens 2-1 Bayer Leverkusen
Glasgow Rangers 1-1 Osasuna
Maccabi Haifa 0-0 Espanyol
Paris St Germain 2-1 Benfica Lisbon
Sevilla 2-2 Shakhtar Donetsk