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All of the pre-game talk was surrounding Geordie Michael Chopra’s return to St James Park (a place he has never scored) after scoring a lot of goals for Cardiff in the Championship this season. But it was another Geordie who has taken all of the headline away from him Andy Carroll.

Carroll started the scoring so early that I missed his first goal. I also missed the second goal as did not get into my seat until 11 minutes into the game. After a run from the car park to the stadium, which was actually quite a far distance! Typical that the one time in 5 years that I have been late into the ground we score two goals in the first five minutes. I am usually in my seat in the Gallowgate end 20/30 minutes before kick off watching the Toon warm up and working out who is on the bench and who is starting before it is announced.

But never mind at least we did not stop playing and I saw three more goals from us and one consolation for Cardiff for deciding to stand on the pitch and let us play around them. They were even so kind to kick the ball out a lot and even pass it straight back to us.

This brings me onto a point I have thought about quite a lot this season already . . . a lot of the championship sides struggle to play at St James Park. They seem to have no confidence and lose all bottle. Yes it must be an intimidating place to come and play with over 40,000 people inside. The fans of each team really have been fantastic and making the most of us being in the Championship by bringing 3,000 fans to the games. And why not St James Park is a fantastic stadium I still love going inside every other week. I have seen some great goals and matches, also some awful matches and witnessed the downfall of a once big club.

Anyway back to the Cardiff game. We out played them in all areas of the pitch, their heads were down straight away. They never even looked capable of coming back into the game with anything. Chopra looked like he was trying too hard to score rather than help out his team. In all honesty though I really don’t get the booing towards him he hasnt ever done anything wrong towards us. We did not think he was good enough and let him go. I don’t care if he played for Sunderland. It was closer to where he grew up so why wouldn’t he have wanted to be in the North East? I would have always rather had Chopra in the squad over Ameobi who has always been awful and always will be.

Cardiff’s goalkeeper looked awful especially for the fifth goal he might as well have moved out of Lovenkrands way and let him slide the ball in because he done nothing to stop him. But I’m not taking anything away from Lovenkrands both of his finishes were top quality.

I actually feel sorry for Lovenkrands he has scored quite a few goals this season but always finds himself on the bench. Surely he is in with a shout of a starting place? Must be a bit disheartening for Leon Best to walk straight into the team ahead of him. But he totally proved a point by replacing Best and scoring two goals. Well done Peter! I for one would like to see him starting!

Another plus is Jonas and Wayne Routledge on the wings they really have given us another dimension. This was one of the best performances I have seen Jonas give in a black and white shirt they could not handle him at all. Routledge is really impressing me as well with his pace and quick feet.

I see this as a brilliant result and performance especially after the awful display against Leicester last Saturday. Hopefully this will be a big moral boost as I think out next three games are away from home. So let’s go for it and pick up as many points as possible on the road before we have another game at St James Park.