A RIP-ROARING second-half display fired Saints to a stunning victory and left Newcastle's boss facing the Gullitine.

Stuart Ripley and fellow half-time substitute Trond Soltvedt transformed the game to heap further misery on Magpies' manager Ruud Gullit.

By a strange quirk of fate Gullit's first game in management came at The Dell with Chelsea three years ago almost to the day. Then he walked in with an arrogant swagger which was reflected in his side's play.

This time he looked a broken man after seeing his side capitulate almost beyond belief under the force of a sizzling Saints side who could easily have doubled their second-half score.

No doubt many pundits will put it down to lack of heart and poor play by the rock bottom Tynesiders who have not won in the Premiership since Easter and who did not look as though they were battling their hearts out for the boss.

But Newcastle's obvious failings were only part of the story and Southampton deserve enormous credit for storming back after a shocking first half.

For 45 minutes they carried on where they left off against Leeds, misplacing passes and standing off in midfield where they barely got in a meaningful tackle.

Livewire Kieron Dyer dominated the game and Dell boss Dave Jones was grateful to get his men into the dressing room trailing by only by a penalty from Alan Shearer who has still not won at The Dell since he left.

It could have been worse as Dyer shaved a post with an angled shot following a fabulous turn and Paul Jones pulled off a great stop from Temuri Ketsbaia.

Shaky Saints could muster only a diving header and a clipped volley from Mark Hughes. Both were just off target.

In the torrential rain it was a thoroughly miserable half which is best forgotten. And it soon was as Saints came out looking a different side after withdrawing disappointing duo Matthew Le Tissier and Matthew Oakley.

Ripley was a revelation as he took a massive step towards winning over the fans with the kind of display which gained him two England caps.

There was a new spring in his step as he rampaged down the right to ping in a succession of crosses to torment new £500,000 goalkeeper Jon Karelse who repeatedly remained rooted to his line.

Alain Goma and Didier Domi were torn to shreds while the box-to-box runs of Soltvedt were rarely picked up.

He showed a neat turn of pace and skill to carve out a string of openings for himself and with better finishing he might have had a hat-trick as he glanced a header just wide, was robbed on the line and chipped narrowly over.

The Norwegian newcomer consoled himself with setting up two goals while Ripley had a hand in three as Newcastle folded under the onslaught.

The only effect of their late consolation was to salvage a tiny bit of false pride because they were well turned over and it was that manner of surrender which has cast so many question marks over their boss.

If you are a Newcastle manager under pressure, the last place you want to come is Southampton where the Geordies have not won since 1972 - even when they have looked comfortably in front.

And so it proved again. The confidence was visibly beginning to wane even before Hassan Kachloul's equaliser. From that moment on the result was in no doubt.

At his pre-match press conference Gullit had greeted journalists by saying: "You are scenting blood!" and Saints sniffed it too. With almost savage glee, they found the killer instinct they lacked in the first half and like a pack of dogs they tore into their victims and ripped them to pieces.

Marian Pahars, Kachloul again and then a vintage Mark Hughes stunner wrapped it up with Egil Ostenstad chipping just wide and Dean Richards having a header well saved.

To the delight of the home fans, Shearer nodded over an empty net as the Tynesiders slumped to their worst start for 40 years. The delicious irony is that almost exactly a year ago Southampton went down 4-0 at St James' Park, a fifth consecutive reverse which made it the worst opening in their history.

This was payback time - with interest.

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