Birthday boy Owen sets-up Newcastle victory

Birthday boy Michael Owen gave himself the present of the opening goal as Newcastle beat Portsmouth 3-0 at Fratton Park here on Sunday for their first away Premier League win this season.

Victory, which was confirmed when Owen’s strike partner Obafemi Martins added a second goal 13 minutes from time before Danny Guthrie made it 3-0 in the 89th minute, took Newcastle out of the relegation zone and into 14th place in the table.

But the win still left them just a point above bottom three north-east rivals Sunderland.

Pompey remained eighth after a loss that marked the end of a five-match unbeaten league run.

They missed several chances with Owen’s fellow England striker Jermain Defoe particularly wasteful minutes after the Magpies had gone ahead.

Owen broke the deadlock in the 52nd minute after Portsmouth’s Arnold Mvuemba had carelessly given the ball to Jonas Gutierrez, who played in the striker on the left hand side.

A poor first touch took Owen away from goal but his second was sublime as he chipped the ball over onrushing England goalkeeper David James.

Soon afterwards Pompey’s Noe Pamarot headed over from a corner and then Defoe, found in space following a fine run and cross from Sean Davis down the right flank, shot wide of Shay Given’s near post.

Martins made sure of victory when Portsmouth conceded possession from a throw-in near their own box – something which would have infuriated their manager Tony Adams, the former Arsenal and England centre-half.

Jose Enrique seized on the loose ball and released Martins, whose mind was made up for him by James going to ground early and the Nigeria international’s calm finish made it 2-0 in the 77th minute.

Guthrie put the icing on the birthday cake for Owen, 29 on Sunday, when he met Shola Ameobi’s pull-back with a right-foot shot that went straight through James’s hands.

Owen’s goal was a vivid reminder, as if they needed one, of what Newcastle would be missing if the former Liverpool and Real Madrid forward left the club.

Newcastle manager Joe Kinnear is due to hold talks with Owen next week regarding a new contract.

Owen is presently on a 103,000 pounds-a-week (153,969 dollars) deal which expires at the end of the current season.

The cash-strapped Magpies could cash in on their prize asset during the January transfer window rather than suffer the financial loss that would come if Owen decided to leave as a free agent at the season’s end.

Kinnear, asked before this match if he was confident of Owen extending his stay at St James’ Park, replied: “I’m not confident, to be honest.

“I’m pretty confident about everybody else, but Michael is a different kettle of fish.”

Defoe might have had a hat-trick in the first-half alone, firing over from outside the box and sidefooting above the crossbar from close range.

Niko Kranjcar then saw his deflected shot well-saved by Given and from the resulting corner Pompey might have had a penalty when former Manchester United midfielder Nicky Butt appeared to handle in the box.

Defoe, who might have won a spot-kick when fouled by Sebastien Bassong, missed another chance before the break when he shot wide after being played in by England strike partner Peter Crouch.