Peter Lovenkrands scores hat-trick as Newcastle beat Plymouth

Posted Thursday, January 14, 2010 by theguardian.com

Peter Lovenkrands scores hat-trick as Newcastle beat Plymouth
Newcastle United's hat-trick hero Peter Lovenkrands celebrates after scoring against Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup third-round replay at St James' Park.

All precision finishing and searing pace, Peter Lovenkrands last night scored a hat-trick which not only secured Newcastle United a fourth-round trip to West Bromwich Albion but also extended their unbeaten run to 13 games. It also raised questions as to whether Chris Hughton's side really need Jermaine Beckford.

It was only the ninth match Lovenkrands, more usually a winger, has started this season but his blend of ruthless incision and jaw-dropping acceleration swiftly ensured Plymouth made up the numbers in this replay. If the Dane can sustain similar form – and his treble comprised goals registered with left foot, head and right foot – Hughton may start wondering if it is really worth stretching his budget to lure Beckford from Leeds United.

"Lovenkrands's finishing was fantastic," reflected Paul Mariner, Plymouth's manager and a former England striker. "His movement and timing are superb and he was the coolest guy out there."

Thirty points separate table-topping Newcastle from relegation-battling Plymouth and this gap quickly manifested itself when Lovenkrands used his left foot to lift a chip over Romain Larrieu. That goal arrived after a combination of Andy Carroll's chest control, Lovenkrands's deft pass and Jonás Gutiérrez's ball in behind the defence permitted the former Rangers forward to steal into space and polish off the slickest of moves.

Bar Carl Fletcher's long-range shot, comfortably dealt with by Tim Krul, Plymouth rarely flickered into attacking life.

They were generally far too busy looking petrified of Lovenkrands's pace and enjoyed lucky escapes when Kevin Nolan and Carroll miscued decent chances.

Lovenkrands, though, was wearing his shooting boots and when another one-two with Gutiérrez culminated in a left-wing cross from the Argentinian, he doubled Newcastle's advantage with a close-range header.

It was turning into a miserable evening for Mariner whose key assistant John Carver – a former Newcastle coach – is in demand at Turf Moor, where Brian Laws is keen to employ his fellow Geordie. "I'd be very disappointed to lose him," said the Plymouth manager.

Newcastle were missing thousands of fans with the weather restricting the crowd to under 16,000 but those keeping warm at home missed Lovenkrands's completion of his "perfect" hat-trick, an imperious right-foot volley past Larrieu after Kevin Nolan's pass and Carroll's flick."Peter gives us something different," said Hughton, not that he intends amending his shopping list. "I've still got the same transfer targets and I'm very confident I'll get them."

But does he really need Beckford?