Final Score: Southampton 4 Newcastle 0

NEWCASTLE UNITED are still looking for their first league win of the season after suffering another heavy defeat at the hands of Southampton.

A first half brace from Graziano Pelle put the Saints in charge at the break, before Jack Cork and Morgan Schneiderlin rounded off an impressive display to make it 4-0 at St Mary’s.

The Magpies’ performance matched the one they produced at this stadium only six months ago when they were thrashed 4-0 and like he had on that day, Alan Pardew came under pressure from the large away following who aimed negative chants at their manager throughout.

Pardew made one enforced change to the side that was held at home to Crystal Palace two weeks ago, with Vurnon Anita coming in for the injured Siem de Jong.

In the corresponding fixture last season – a humiliating 4-0 defeat – it took Southampton 45 minutes to take the lead.

Many of the 2,500 Newcastle supporters inside St Mary’s must have thought the game couldn’t go any worse, but this time it took the hosts only six minutes to break the deadlock. And it could have been sooner.

From the off, Pardew’s side looked all at sea and within a minute captain Fabricio Coloccini gifted Shane Long a chance on goal when he messed up a back pass to Tim Krul.

Luckily the Dutch goalkeeper did enough to put Long off and his shot rolled wide, but already the alarm bells were ringing.

Three minutes later Krul was lucky not to be punished when he appeared to take out Long through on goal.

Then in the sixth minute, the inevitable happened.

Ryan Bertrand had time to swing in a cross from the left to Graziano Pelle, who found himself in space between Coloccini and Williamson to head in past Krul.

It was one way traffic at St Mary’s and Pelle scored his and the Saints’ second in the 19th minute.

The striker’s audacious volley deflected into the path of Tadic, who slipped the ball back across goal to Pelle to slot home from close range.

It took the Magpies 26 minutes to register their first shot on target, but former Newcastle keeper Fraser Forster was on hand to deny Moussa Sissoko.

Jack Colback forced another save from the England international moments later, but that was as good as it got for the Magpies in the first half.

Two down and needing a new plan, Pardew introduced Cheick Tiote at half time in place of Vurnon Anita.

The Magpies boss will have hoped the Ivory Coast international’s presence would protect his back four more, but nine minutes after the restart they were three down.

Steven Davis played a superb through ball for Jack Cork, who ghosted past Williamson before he rounded Krul and slotted home from close range.

The hosts took their foot off the gas after scoring their third and that did allow Newcastle to get forward.

A chance arose in the 78th minute when Sissoko pulled back to Riviere inside the area. His miss-hit fell to Colback three yards out at the back post, but the midfielder put his effort wide.

Yoan Gouffran saw a header tipped over by Forster, but it just wasn’t meant to be for the Tynesiders.

Morgan Schneiderlin made it four in the 90th minute with a stunning solo effort that curled into the top corner.