Bellamy pushes Reid towards the brink

This was less about the climactic collision of two perennially warring tribes and more an intrusion into one man's private grief. What do they sing at the Stadium of Light? "Cheer up Peter Reid", to the tune of Daydream Believer. And that's in the good times. Yesterday, it would have taken a deal more to raise a flicker of expectancy from those increasingly lugubrious features.

For 45 minutes he directed his team like a frantic tic-tac man only to watch them produce virtually nothing. Worse, even with a heavily populated midfield to protect their rearguard, Sunderland were simply unable to withstand Newcastle's first-half assault.

With his team having succumbed to two devastatingly executed first-half goals from Alan Shearer, head bandaged to protect an injury sustained against Dinamo Kiev, and the diminutive, scurrying Craig Bellamy (somehow the striking pair bore a comic resemblance to Basil Fawlty and Manuel in the Germans sketch), he retreated into the anonymity of the dug-out. There was no way back for a stolid Sunderland.

Now Reid must wonder if there is a long-term future for him after seven years' stewardship, although immediately afterwards he was defiance personified. "I'm not going to quit," he declared. "You can forget about that. We need to get our sleeves rolled up, and I'll be kicking some backsides in training."

Still, he will be aware that this fixture has history. It was after the corresponding game three years ago, when Sunderland had triumphed 3-1, that Ruud Gullit departed United so ignominiously. Reid would leave with a good deal more dignity, and such forecasts are surely premature, but these are disconcerting times indeed for the engaging Scouser.

Reid added emotionally: "All you ask from the players is desire and to try and win tackles, but I never got that today. I normally protect footballers, but I couldn't do that. I've just told them that we were too easy to roll over. In the last three games we've been really weak. They [Newcastle] have been to Kiev, and they were tired, supposedly, but there was only one weak team out there. It was sad."

That said, it must be stressed that for much of this contest Sir Bobby Robson's men were scarcely any better. Their passing was woeful at times, although that can maybe be partly attributed to their midweek exertions. As much as United, with Laurent Robert and Nolberto Solano reinstated, claimed the points, they owed much to an imperious display by Shearer and his willing accomplice Bellamy. In psychological terms, it will have been a significant fillip for the Tyne-siders ahead of Tuesday's Champions' League fixture against Feyenoord.

It required just 84 seconds for the garrison protecting the Sunderland manager's reputation to crumble yet again. Shay Given began the move with an accurate throw to Shearer. The former England striker found Kieron Dyer, whose swift pass released Bellamy rampaging down the left. He cut in and, feinting one way, cleverly and almost disdainfully side-footed the ball the other way under the sprawling Thomas Sorensen. It was the Welsh international's first goal since early in the year, as he has only recently returned from a knee injury.

Tore Andre Flo, deployed as a lone striker, might have levelled when he headed over from Claudio Reyna's centre and later when Nikos Dabizas's hesitation nearly let in the lanky Norwegian. But without ever totally dominating proceedings, Newcastle were always the likelier to extend their advantage as Bellamy continued to examine the mobility of Joachim Bjorklund, who had been cautioned for querying the validity of the first goal, and Stephen Wright. There were claims for a penalty when Solano hit the turf under the challenge of Michael Gray.

Cruelly, the closest the Wearsiders came to an equaliser provided the platform for Newcastle's second. Six minutes before the interval, Given's attempted clearance struck Flo and rebounded back towards an empty net, before being retrieved just in time by the keeper. The ball appeared to strike the Norwegian's hand. Had it crossed the line, the ensuing debate would have been interesting.

Immediately afterwards Shearer was brought down by Jason McAteer on the edge of the visitors' area. Solano touched the resulting free-kick to the former England striker, who drove the ball firmly through a rapidly fragmenting wall.

Niall Quinn replaced McAteer at the break, but it proved a futile act as Newcastle continued to utilise both flanks with effect. Wright was forced into a fine interception to deny Dyer after Bellamy had fed the England midfielder.

The Newcastle pair then exchanged roles. Dyer managed to fend off Wright before laying a wonderful diagonal ball across to Bellamy, who collapsed in the area under the challenge of Matthew Piper. Bellamy can trip over a stem of grass when he desires, but neither he, nor the Geordie faithful, which included one Sir Bobby, appreciated Mike Riley's caution for the Newcastle man for diving.

Marcus Stewart entered the fray for Sunderland, while Newcastle called off Bellamy, presumably with Tuesday's game in mind. But well before then Sunderland had accepted their fate. At the death Phil Babb flung himself to deny Shearer a second. Sunderland's Wright, Gavin McCann and Darren Williams joined Bjorklund in Mr Riley's notebook, together with Newcastle's Robert.

But in the context of Tyneside-Wearside matches, this was a sedate affair once it became plain that the Knight of the Tyne was always going to hold sway over plain Peter Reid.