RESURGENT Newcastle laid down a marker for the second half of the season after staging a first-half blitz to see off Tottenham. Manager Glenn Roeder insisted in the run-up to the game that his side should set their sights on European qualification after mounting a concerted fightback in recent weeks.

And after a fifth Barclays Premiership victory in six attempts, his view does not appear too bullish. Midfielder Kieron Dyer set the tone with a superb third-minute opener, and when Obafemi Martins headed home his ninth goal of the season four minutes later, a crowd of 52,079 - the biggest of the season at St James' Park - settled down for thrilling afternoon.

Already without the injured Robbie Keane, Martin Jol was dealt another blow after the warm-up when he was forced to withdraw Jermain Defoe and name midfielder Danny Murphy in his place.

Newcastle simply exploded out of the blocks and found themselves 2-0 up with just seven minutes gone. Dyer, released form the wide midfield role he had filled in the two previous games to play off lone striker Martins, showed once again how dangerous he can be with three minutes gone. The Nigerian turned Nolberto Solano's clearance into the England midfielder's path and with the Spurs defence backing off, he raced towards goal before beating Paul Robinson with a deft side-footed shot.

It was 2-0 within four minutes when a rickety Tottenham rearguard was breached for the second time, Parker exchanging passes with James Milner before crossing for Martins to head home.

To their credit, Jol's men regrouped quickly and grabbed a lifeline. Murphy's strike from a Pascal Chimbonda cross was far from clean, but Taylor's touch was and the ball flew past the wrong-footed Given.

However, it was opposite number Robinson who was left red-faced 11 minutes before the break. He could not hold Milner's free-kick and although he atoned for the error with reaction saves from first Taylor and then Martins, Parker headed the loose ball into the net to make it 3-1.

Newcastle returned knowing the job was only half done, and they were served with a reminder of that within three minutes. Dimitar Berbatov, who had proved a handful in the lone striking role before the break, was no less dangerous after it, and he might have reduced the deficit within three minutes of the restart, but he poked his right-foot shot wide of the far post.

Tottenham were throwing everything they had at the Magpies, but getting little change from a defence comprising three youngsters and a winger. As the Londoners threw men forward, Newcastle looked to hit them on the break, and it took a good save from Robinson to deny Martins a second goal with 10 minutes remaining.

There was one worry for Toon fans on the day though, with keeper Given leaving the fray injured late on, to be replaced by Pavel Srnicek.