Premier League: Liverpool 3 Newcastle 0

Liverpool’s push to end the season in a European place continued after they brushed aside Newcastle 3-0 to move up to fifth on the table.

Goals from Maxi Rodriguez, Dirk Kuyt and Luis Suarez gave Kenny Dalglish’s side a comfortable 3-0 win at Anfield and sees them overtake Tottenham in fifth place, albeit on goal difference.

The hosts opened the scoring with 10 minutes of the game gone, forward Rodriguez adding to the three goals he bagged against Birmingham last weekend.

Young left-back John Flanagan sent in an inviting cross that was not dealt with by Newcastle defender Mike Williamson, and Rodriguez’s volley from 12 yards took a deflection off Danny Simpson before flying past Krul into the net.

The visitors struggled to get a foot-hold in the game and could not cope with Liverpool’s intensity as the first-half progressed.

Jay Spearing, standing in for the injured Steven Gerrard, then forced Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul into a mistake after his fierce drive was spilled by the 22-year-old, but the stopper recovered the ball with Dirk Kuyt and Raul Meireles closing in.

Winger Jonas Gutierrez was proving difficult to handle down the right flank however it was Liverpool who again threatened.

Midfielder Lucas should have done better with his header after Spearing’s cross and could only send a tame effort straight at Krul to still give Newcastle hope of getting back into the game.

But any chance of that was extinguished when Williamson hauled down striker Suarez just following the re-start after the Uruguayan had beaten him for pace in the box and Kuyt dispatched the ball into the goal from the penalty spot.

And Liverpool made sure of the points five minutes later after some neat inter-changes from Kuyt and Suarez found the latter in space giving him an easy finish from six yards.