City had displaced the Magpies in 2nd place. Queues form outside the ground long before kick off and the gate are locked; the atmosphere inside the ground is electric. Newcastle take apart their promotion rivals and but for the agility of keeper Alex Williams United could have reached double figures. It is a superb team performance though Beardsley grabs the headlines with a great hat- trick (the first United player to achieve such a feat on Tyneside since Alan Gowling in January 1976). Cox says: "Very few teams in the country could have stood up to us today. In fact we would have given most sides a pasting". City manager Billy McNeill agrees "Newcastle were outstanding and may never play better".
SJP - 33,675
Thomas, Anderson, Ryan, McCreery, Saunders, Carney, Keegan, Beardsley, Waddle, McDermott, Wharton
Scorers: Beardsley (3), Keegan, Waddle
08m - BEARDSLEY (1-0)
38m - KEEGAN (2-0)
Half-time: Newcastle 2 Man City 0
60m - BEARDSLEY (3-0)
78m - BEARDSLEY (4-0)
88m - WADDLE (5-0)
