CarlingNet - No 1 for Match Reports

Leeds v Newcastle 21/09/96 3.00

Leeds                   (0) 0 Newcastle               (0) 1 FT
                              Shearer 59

Alan Shearer's first goal in open play since his £15million move from Blackburn spoiled George Graham's first Premiership game at Elland Road.

But the England's skipper's 10th goal in 11 games against a Leeds side who must hate the sight of him was overshadowed by his perceived part in the first half dismissal of Carlton Palmer.

Shearer complained bitterly to referee Paul Alcock after being brought down from behind by his former international team-mate, who had been booked for fouling Faustino Asprilla just four minutes earlier.

By the time Shearer's tirade had ended, Palmer had resumed his place in the Leeds back three, but Elland Road then erupted in fury as the official marched up to him and sent him down the tunnel after a second booking.

Passions on and off the field had already been inflamed but insult was added to injury in the eyes of the home supporters when Peter Beardsley and Rob Lee combined to set Shearer up for his fourth goal in black and white.

It was enough to give the Magpies their third straight away triumph and fifth win in a row and while it was not pretty, it did represent further proof of their ability to grind out results on their travels.

For Leeds, there was at least evidence of more conviction than had been on show in the miserable 4-0 defeat by Manchester United that cost Howard Wilkinson his job.

But all the effort in the world and the abuse handed out to the referee as he was escorted off by stewards at the final whistle could not disguise the scale of the task Graham has taken on in turning the club around.

Perhaps it might have been different had Mr Alcock enjoyed a better afternoon, but the tone of a game that rapidly escaped his control was set within 23 seconds, with David Wetherall booked for a dreadful foul on Beardsley.

Tempers were frayed on both sides, although Leeds' only real opening came in that frantic early spell, a misplaced pass from Asprilla in for flu victim Les Ferdinand giving Rod Wallace possession.

He found Andy Couzens, who slipped in Lee Sharpe on the left, but Pavel Srnicek spread himself well to save.

After that Nigel Martyn was the busier of the keepers, although Mr Alcock was more occupied than either.

He allowed Wetherall to escape after another crude foul on Asprilla in the middle of a move that saw David Batty fire just wide, but soon added Wallace and David Ginola to the list of miscreants.

Ginola did show one piece of glorious skill with a diagonal ball met on the half-volley at full-stretch by Shearer but, clearly unhappy at the treatment he was getting from Gary Kelly in particular, he lasted barely half an hour before being replaced by Keith Gillespie.

Shearer was foiled again by Martyn after a superb piece of skill by Asprilla left Richard Jobson for dead, before Palmer's misdeeds cast him in the central role.

The first foul, on Asprilla in the 35th minute, deserved yellow, as did the second, on Shearer, four minutes later.

Shearer certainly thought so too, telling Mr Alcock in no uncertain terms of his feelings on the matter.

It looked as if the former England midfielder would not be punished, but then, almost a minute after the offence and maybe after he had said something the referee marched up and flourished his yellow and red cards together.

Shearer's apparent part in the incident did not sit comfortably with the home fans, booing him as furiously as they did the referee at the break.

But with Gary Kelly and Ian Harte dropping back to form an orthodox back four, Newcastle seized the initiative.

Martyn made top-class stops to deny Batty and Lee after the restart, but there was nothing he could do when Shearer was left unattended in the 59th minute, the England skipper crashing home into the bottom corner.

Shearer's trademark goal celebrations were matched in intensity by the travelling Toon Army, and Shearer again brought Martyn to his knees soon afterwards.

Substitute Mark Jackson normally a centre-half but forced into a midfield role in place of Couzens was not far away with a header as Leeds briefly pressed for the equaliser.

Jobson also headed over and Steve Watson did well to beat Sharpe to Wallace's cross but Srnicek still did not have a save to make.

It could have been two at the death, Kelly within a whisker of putting through his own goal and Darren Peacock then going even closer. Newcastle were happy enough with the one.