MANCHESTER City's miserable week continued as Michael Owen's first-half strike sunk the Blues.

Stuart Pearce's men had been hoping to bounce back from their embarrassing Carling Cup defeat to Doncaster, but slumped to their third successive defeat at St James' Park.

Antoine Sibierski came closest for City with a close-range header that was well saved by Shay Given.

Owen might have collected a hat-trick on a day when his side, despite still missing Kieron Dyer, Emre, Nolberto Solano and Albert Luque, turned in a much-improved display until nerves started to take effect late in the game with a disappointing City mounting a fightback.

The corresponding fixture last season finished 4-3 to the home side, but there is little doubt that Souness will have been much happier this time around as his side kept a clean sheet despite a torrid conclusion to the game and created plenty of chances of their own.

Owen guaranteed the Newcastle fans goals on the day he arrived on Tyneside and with the exception of his debut against Fulham, he has been as good as his word.

Glorious

However, he walked off the pitch at half-time kicking himself that he had only found the back of the net once after being presented with a series of glorious chances.

The one he did take, he did so with his customary aplomb, running on to Lee Bowyer’s through-ball and stabbing a shot past James before Richard Dunne could get to him to send the home crowd into raptures.

When he set off in pursuit of Alan Shearer’s defence-splitting pass 22 minutes later, few inside St James’ Park expected anything other than to see the net bulge once again.

When it did not, courtesy of James’ block, the disbelief inside the stadium was mirrored in the expression on the England striker’s face, although it did not disturb him for too long.

A minute before the break he took aim from an improbable angle and smashed a shot across the face of goal with the keeper beaten to serve a further reminder of his eye for goal.

Owen’s display was the main feature of an improved collective performance by Newcastle who, buoyed by last weekend’s 3-0 victory at Blackburn, looked something like their former selves.

With Scott Parker back from suspension to provide the cover for the back four and teenager Charles N’Zogbia giving Nedum Onouha a stern examination down the left, they had a shape and a pace to their play which they have lacked at times this season.

That said, they might have been behind with just seven minutes gone when Antoine Sibierski escaped his marker with little difficulty to meet a Joey Barton free-kick on the edge of the six-yard box and it took a superb reaction save from Shay Given to keep the ball out.

But City rarely threatened before the break and were at full stretch at the back too often for Stuart Pearce’s liking.

Scrappy

The second half began in decidedly scrappy fashion with Newcastle struggling for their rhythm and City working hard, but to little real effect.

Given had to clear hurriedly under pressure from Darius Vassell after Jean-Alain Boumsong’s wayward back-pass had left him with work to do, but the Magpies stepped up a gear and might have increased their lead twice within minutes.

Owen was almost gifted a free shot at goal when Richard Dunne and James got in a tangle on the edge of their own penalty area, but the keeper redeemed himself for his part in the confusion by coming from his line seconds later to collect Lee Bowyer’s low cross with Owen ready to pounce at the far post.

In the meantime, Dunne had headed a Barton corner over to remind the home side that the points were far from secure, and Pearce attempted to add fresh impetus on the hour when he replaced midfielder Kiki Musampa with Stephen Ireland.

It took a well-timed challenge by Bramble to prevent the newcomer’s 68th-minute cross from reaching Barton in front of goal, and with the visitors enjoying their best period in the game, Souness decided to try to shore things up by withdrawing Bowyer and sending on the more defensively-minded Amdy Faye in his place.

City hammered away as the clock ran down and Dunne flashed another header across the face of goal six minutes from time.

But with finger-nails being chewed all around, substitute Shola Ameobi should have cemented the win with the final kick of the game after being set up by Owen, but he dragged his left foot effort across James and wide.

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