Ameobi effort enough for Magpies

Newcastle moved back into the top half of the Barclays Premier League thanks to Shola Ameobi's close-range finish in a 1-0 victory at Wigan.

Ameobi, in the Magpies side as a replacement for injured top-scorer Andy Carroll, pounced in the 19th minute when Ali Al Habsi blocked Joey Barton's shot and Peter Lovenkrands' follow-up hit the post.

Fabricio Coloccini and Steven Taylor also both struck the woodwork for the visitors, while Gary Caldwell saw his header come back off the bar for the Latics.

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