The Russian ace headed home after 62 minutes after Aaron Lennon’s cross from the left picked him out perfectly.

Newcastle’s Argentinian centre back Fabricio Coloccini left Pavlyuchenko completely unmarked and the former Spartak Moscow striker made no mistake from six yards out.




And Spurs struck again four minutes later following an horrific defensive error from Steven Taylor.

The Magpies defender dithered on the ball and was robbed by Jamie O’Hara who went clean through on goal to give Shay Given no chance.

Michael Owen added a late consolation for Newcastle at the death but it was too little, too late for the Magpies.

It had been a totally dire game until Pavlyuchenko's goal, with both sides hardly threatening in the first half.

Charles N’Zogbia tested Spurs keeper Heurelho Gomes with a long-range shot and Claudio Cacapa sent two headers wide of the target.

Spurs £14million Russian striker Roman Pavlyuchenko put a free header wide 13 minutes before the break, but there was little meaningful action at either end.

Chris Hughton’s side were at last starting to exert some kind of pressure and were rewarded for one of their more fluent moves with a 25th-minute corner.

Brazilian Claudio Cacapa arrived to meet N’Zogbia’s set-piece with a glancing header, but he could only direct the ball across the face of goal.

Spurs were playing the neater football, but to little effect as they failed to put a makeshift Magpies defence under any real pressure.

Fabricio Coloccini conceded a 31st-minute corner when he blocked Pavlyuchenko’s ambitious shot.

But the defender went to sleep as O’Hara played the ball in and the Russian sent a free header just wide.

Vedran Corluka collected a yellow card for a late challenge on Bassong 10 minutes before the break.

But the Tottenahm went close again when former Magpies ace Jonathan Woodgate put a header wide after good work from Gareth Bale.

Aaron Lennon curled a shot wide of Shay Given’s right post with five minutes of the half remaining, but the Irishman looked to have it covered.

Coloccini was left with a bloodied nose after Pavlyuchenko caught him with a swinging arm in a 43rd-minute aerial challenge as a physical battle between the two men unfolded.

Cacapa flicked another header just wide from an N’Zogbia free-kick in injury time after O’Hara had been booked for a trip on the Frenchman.