THE Uefa Cup is proving to be a tournament of extremes for Newcastle United. Barely four weeks after supporters were denouncing the club’s directors during the more vapid stages of their lacklustre fixture away to Heerenveen, the lusty chants that echoed around St James’ Park last night again took on the significance of a turning point. “Souness, Souness,” became a battle cry.

For the first time since his appointment as manager last September, Graeme Souness was rewarded with a meaningful ovation from Newcastle fans. In the 27 days since Newcastle’s fortunes bottomed out, they have embarked on a sequence of eight consecutive victories and reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup. They can now look forward to another opportunity to end their desperate quest for silverware.

Olympiakos did not threaten it. The 3-1 advantage that Newcastle had amassed in last week’s first leg was extended through Kieron Dyer, Lee Bowyer and Alan Shearer, whose two goals leave him within sight of Jackie Milburn’s celebrated club record of 200. The former England forward is nine short of that target and even Captain Creosote must marvel at the scale of his team’s recovery.

For the second year in succession, Newcastle have reached the last eight of Europe’s lesser competition, the draw for which is made in Nyon, Switzerland, tomorrow, but if that suggests 12 months of unbroken progression, the statistic is misleading. This season they have parted company with Sir Bobby Robson, endured the rantings of Craig Bellamy and suffered a run of seven winless games, but their response has been dramatic.

While few of their recent opponents could claim excellence — “tonight was our worst game ever,” Dusan Bajevic, the Olympiakos coach, said — Newcastle have clutched momentum to their bosom. They have relied on traditional heroes such as Shearer and Shay Given (who was required to make only one save here) and more unusual suspects such as Dyer, who was superb as a makeshift striker.

Yet the ear was drawn to the praise of Souness, who was serenaded by an upper section of the stadium that is colonised by “singing” supporters for knockout matches. After his uncomfortable start, perhaps this was an official seal of approval. “It’s important that the fans appreciate their football,” he said, “but I enjoyed it, yes. I’m also realistic enough to know we’re not going to go 4-0 up in every game.”

To think that Souness had proclaimed this to be his most “dangerous match” since arriving on Tyneside, but trepidation about Newcastle’s threadbare squad — a full complement of substitutes could not be named — seeped away after Dyer’s 18th-minute opener.

When Laurent Robert crashed a 30-yard free kick into the defensive wall, respite should have followed, but Georgis Anatolakis hashed his clearance, Andy O’Brien stretched his neck to meet it and Bowyer nodded the ball forward. Dyer controlled it, span away from Antonios Nikopolidis and back-heeled a shot beyond the goalkeeper. “Kieron was outstanding,” Souness purred. A flurry of unconverted chances followed until, at the end of the half, Dyer wriggled to the right byline, stumbled through two challenges and squared the ball for Shearer, whose shot took a deflection off the unfortunate Anatolakis.

Newcastle continued to dominate and nine minutes after the resumption a looping header from Bowyer caught Olympiakos unawares. Although Nikopolidis scrambled back to claw the ball off the line, he was not given scope for recovery. Jermaine Jenas found Bowyer, whose shot squirmed beneath the goalkeeper.

Shearer’s third goal of the tie, running on to a pass from Jenas, rounding Nikopolidis and firing venomously into the roof of the net, prompted another ditty. “Come on, Shearer, one more season,” it went. On the evidence presented since February 17, anything is possible. “We made a very good team look average,” Souness said.

NEWCASTLE UNITED (4-4-2): S Given — S Carr (sub: P Ramage, 67min), A Hughes, A O’Brien, S Taylor — J Jenas, L Bowyer, N Butt, L Robert (sub: C N’Zogbia, 59) — K Dyer (sub: J Milner, 59), A Shearer. Substitutes not used: S Harper, A Faye, D Ambrose.

OLYMPIAKOS (4-4-2): A Nikopolidis — D Mavrogenidis, G Anatolakis, S Vallas, A Pantos — M Maric, P Kafes, I Stoltidis (sub: Y Taralidis, 79), P Djordjevic (sub: Y Okkas, 60) — N A Castillo, Giovanni (sub: P Philapakos, 67). Substitutes not used: K Giannou, G Schürrer, E Kouloucheris, Y Taralidis, A D’Akol Joaquim. Booked: Vallas.

Referee: K Plautz (Austria).

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