Newcastle signalled their intent for the new Premiership season with an emphatic victory over West Ham.

The impressive Lomana LuaLua scored twice in a devastating second-half spell that finally broke down the Hammers' valiant resistance.

Alan Shearer and Nolberto Solano weighed in with the other goals to complete the rout and put Newcastle top after the first round of Premiership games.

Sir Bobby Robson's men finished fourth last season and showed enough against West Ham to suggest they will be in a similarly lofty position come the end of this campaign.

Glenn Roeder, however, will again be forced to seek a solution to the porous defence that has consistently proved his side's Achilles heel away from home.

With a host of young talent on show - Hugo Viana, Jermaine Jenas and Kieron Dyer of Newcastle and West Ham's Jermain Defoe and Joe Cole - an expectant St James' Park were treated to an uninspiring first half.

Chances were few and far between and, despite Newcastle's territorial dominance, the Magpies failed to really test David James in the West Ham goal.

The ever-reliable Shearer did put the ball in the back of the net on 28 minutes, but was rather harshly adjudged to have nudged Christian Dailly - who appeared to trip over his own feet - in the build-up.

West Ham's best effort came from the feet of Cole, who flashed a well-struck shot just past Shay Given.

The peripheral performances of so many other supposedly bigger names left the stage clear for LuaLua to steal the show, which he did superbly.

He troubled the worst defence in the Premiership last season throughout the first half and was rewarded for his endeavour after the interval.

A period of concerted Newcastle pressure and a succession of corners provided LuaLua with his first goal.

The former England international made no mistake, adding the third of the evening. It was suprisingly the first time Shearer had scored for Newcastle in a Premiership opener.

Shearer returned the compliment in the dying stages, charging into the West Ham area and picking out Solano at the far post for the Peruvian to bundle in Newcastle's fourth.

The scoreline may have flattered the Magpies, but it brutally revealed the fragility of the West Ham defence away from Upton Park.

Newcastle: Given, Hughes, Dabizas, Bramble, Bernard, Solano (McClen 87), Dyer, Jenas, Viana (Elliott 90), Shearer, LuaLua (Ameobi 81).
Subs Not Used: Harper, Griffin.

Booked: Shearer.

West Ham: James, Pearce, Repka, Dailly, Winterburn, Schemmel (Labant 71), Cisse (Moncur 71), Carrick, Sinclair, Defoe, Cole.
Subs Not Used: Van Der Gouw, Breen, Camara.

Booked: Winterburn, Cisse.

Attendance: 51,072

Referee: P Durkin (Dorset).