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Newcastle Utd 4 Stoke City 1
TEN-man Newcastle United kicked off Kevin Keegan's second coming in style to book their place in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
Goals from Michael Owen, Cacapa, James Milner and Damien Duff saw Stoke City well beaten at St James's Park in front of the watching Keegan, who took his seat early in the first half after flying into Tyneside just.
Former Sunderland man Liam Lawrence scored an 89th minute consolation for Tony Pulis's side.
Spirited Newcastle had to play most of the game with 10 men, referee Uriah Rennie dismissing Emre with just under half an hour gone for a late challenge on John Eustace, who had caught him earlier with a nasty tackle that had itself deserved a red card, but gone unpunished.
United will now face Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium the next round the weekend after next, with the game certain to be moved from a 3pm Saturday slot for live broadcast.
Both teams had walked out to a cauldron of noise, with the announcement having put thousands on the gate, but absent from their usual seats were owner Mike Ashley and chairman Chris Mort, and as eyes scanned around the stadium looking for Keegan, the game kicked off.
After Stoke's Ryan Shawcross put an early chance into the side netting, United - with the shackles of the Sam Allardyce-era off, and wingers Duff and Milner hugging the touchlines - clicked into gear.
And just eight minutes into into the game Owen struck Newcastle's opener, the goal his first since October 7.
Under pressure Mark Viduka managed to find Damien Duff 30 yards from goal, and his floated centre was clumsily headed down for Owen, who made no mistake from two yards out.
Six minutes later Ashley and Mort strolled into the directors' box, and Keegan followed them, to be greeted with a standing ovation which spread around the ground.
A beaming Ashley looked like the cat that had got the cream as he settled into his seat to watch the rest of the game.
Duff had a shot well saved by South Shields-born Steve Simonsen at the near post after being played in by Charles N'Zogbia, the Irishman taking the ball on his chest before shooting from a tight angle.
Rennie had let a horrendous tackle from Eustace on Emre go, and the 27-year-old - infuriated the challenge had gone unpunished - went in late on the visiting captain as the half-hour mark approached.
Rennie, however, acted this time, dismissing a distraught Emre for violent conduct.
He now faces a three-game ban, joining fellow central midfielders Nicky Butt and Alan Smith on the suspended list and leaving Keegan with no central midfielders for his first game in charge, Saturday evening's home fixture against Bolton Wanderers.
The card provoked furious protests from Emre and his team-mates, and the Turkey international took his time leaving the field.
But no sooner had he walked down the tunnel, Newcastle had doubled their lead, Cacapa having headed N'Zogbia's right-wing corner past Simonsen for the second goal of his United career.
Ten-man United took their two-goal advantage into the break, and Tony Pulis's side had them on the back foot early in the second half, with Jon Parkin - dubbed The Beast in the Potteries for him imposing frame - going close in the 55th minute, with captain Shay Given off his line.
He left the field eight minutes later having been tamed by Newcastle.
And United added to their lead in the 68th minute, with Milner beating Simonsen from just outside the box.
Duff capped an incredible night with his first home goal for United in the 76th minute, the 28-year-old calmly beating Simonsen after being put clean through.
Lawrence struck a minute from time for Stoke.
NEWCASTLE UNITED: Given; Carr, Taylor, Cacapa (Rozehnal, 70), Enrique; Milner, Emre, N'Zogbia (LuaLua, 79), Duff; Owen, Viduka (Carroll, 73). Subs not used: Harper, Edgar.
STOKE CITY: Simonsen; Zakuani, Cort, Shawcross, Pugh; Lawrence, Eustace (Pulis, 78), Delap (Dickinson, 78), Cresswell; Parkin (Diao, 63), Fuller. Subs not used: Hoult, Pericard.
Goals: Owen 8, Cacapa 31, Milner 68, Duff 76, Lawrence 89
Bookings: Delap 12
Sent off: Emre 29
Attendance: 35,108
Referee: Uriah Rennie (Sheffield)
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Monday 28 May 2012
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