Newcastle 3-1 Leeds

	Ouch! Michael Duberry reflects on his own goal (LaurenceGriffiths/Allsport)

When Bobby Robson insists Newcastle cannot win the Premiership, his players it seems, simply refuse to listen.

So much did they enjoy their brief stay at the top at the turn of the year, they hauled themselves back there by dislodging Leeds.

David O'Leary might not like it, but the more this season progresses, the more neutral fans will hope that his Leeds team fail to land the Premiership prize.

Too often, O'Leary's men reveal a cynical, spiteful side to their game which taxes the patience and efficiency of the beleaguered officials who cross their path.

Here, they received six bookings and a straight red card for Danny Mills. The would-be England right back could even have been joined in the away-team dressing room long before Graham Barber's final whistle launched the richly-deserved Newcastle celebrations.

Even O'Leary, never slow to jump to the defence of his errant players, conceded that the referee had got it right in sending off Mills.

In addition, the Leeds boss admitted: 'They have to look at themselves. We are a good footballing side, but at the same time very competitive. I won't condone what Mills did and now we are losing a very good right-back for four games.'

Not only that, but the six bookings will trigger an automatic £25,000 fine for the club, while Mills, dismissed for the second time this season, took their tally of red cards to five.

Quite what the watching Sven Goran Eriksson made of it all is impossible to discern. In pure footballing terms, he will undoubtedly have savoured the performance of Newcastle's Kieron Dyer.

While the lad's off-field behaviour has not been without blemish, on this form he must be a certainty to gatecrash the World Cup plans of the England coach.

He showed pace, panache and a marvellous ability to go past defenders with consummate ease, while his first goal since returning from a ten-month injury lay-off turned this game in the direction of Newcastle at 2-1.

The opportunity was conceived by Nobby Solano and Craig Bellamy, and Dyer showed quick movement, exquisite control with his chest and a pin-point finish beyond the despairing dive of Nigel Martyn.

It had taken Newcastle just under an hour to recover from the trauma of gifting a goal to Leeds in 24 seconds.

The home defenders were caught horribly square when Mark Viduka's header released Alan Smith unopposed through the middle to register the Premiership's quickest goal of the season.

Leeds struggled to defend their advantage, with Michael Duberry, starting for the first time this season because Rio Ferdinand was injured, particularly rocky.

Jonathan Woodgate was much more assured in front of Eriksson, but both players endured the indignity of yellow cards because Alan Shearer, Bellamy and Dyer were proving impossible to subdue.

Three minutes before the interval, the unfortunate Duberry was unsighted by a Solano deflection and his attempted clearing header bulleted into his own net.

Leeds were never really in it throughout the second half and ten minutes after Dyer's strike, Mills made their task virtually impossible by thudding a boot into the shins of Bellamy.

The ten men of Leeds almost struck back when Viduka and Smith were foiled by a brave double-save from Newcastle goal-keeper Shay Given.

But, fittingly, Dyer supplied a glorious pass through the middle for Bellamy to finish with aplomb.

Robson admitted later: 'Dyer was sent home feeling unwell on Friday. We did not know whether he would be fit to play but he gave a great performance.

'I don't know where he gets his energy. Nobody can stay with him. Sven will know he has another brilliant player to add to his squad. There's another 20 per cent to come on what was seen here.'

And the title? 'I still feel we cannot win it,' said a smiling Robson. 'We are close to Arsenal and Manchester United, but I still think those two head the field. We'll keep quiet about it and just try to keep going.'