Andy Cole underlined his reputation as one of the premier league’s top strikers with a two-goal salvo which took his tally for the season to ten. Newcastle’s £1.75 million signings had scored 22 goals from 21 games since moving from Bristol City a few months earlier.
West Ham had a terrible game throughout and it became worse when their new Dutch signing Jeroen Boere, a 65th-minute substitute was sent off in the last minute for a foul on Barry Venison. The Hammers created little in the game and the Newcastle goal never looked under threat.
