Kevin Keegan's first stint in charge of Newcastle United made for an exciting time on Tyneside.

However, despite playing plenty of entertaining football, it is a spell that will be best remembered for his team's Premier League title collapse during the 1995-96 season, when they surrendered a 12-point advantage to Manchester United.

Ultimately, it was a hangover that the Magpies could not shake off, so much so that ahead of the visit of Tottenham Hotspur 18 years ago today, Newcastle were on a winless run of seven matches.

Indeed, it was common knowledge that Keegan's tenure was nearing a conclusion, yet his players would ensure that there would be one more performance to remember against the Londoners at St James' Park.

The took until the 20th minute for the dominant Magpies to break the deadlock. Alan Shearer raced onto Les Ferdinand's headed flick on and, having lifted the ball over Stephen Carr, the summer signing from Blackburn Rovers then lashed his half-volley into Ian Walker's net.

Then, just two minutes later, Ferdinand turned scorer as he diverted Peter Beardsley's effort beyond Walker.

It was not until the second half, though, that the floodgates well and truly opened. In the 59th minute, Ferdinand claimed his second goal of the contest when he stabbed in a cross from John Beresford.

Next to get his name on the scoresheet was tireless midfielder Rob Lee, who carried the ball into the Spurs area unopposed before he beat Walker with a low drive from 15 yards out.

Four became five in the 79th minute as Philippe Albert left his defensive post and made a trademark run forward. The Belgian centre-back was eventually picked out by Lee and, although his strike was lacking power, it crept underneath Walker's body for what was Newcastle's 6,000th league goal.

As the clash ticked into the closing stages, Shearer scored his second when he volleyed in Lee's pass, and it was Lee that added a seventh goal for the hosts when he fired in from the edge of the penalty area.

The final say, albeit as a consolation, went to the away side, who found the back of the net in the 89th minute. Beresford delayed his clearance and Spurs midfielder Allan Nielsen nipped in to score.

Speaking after the final whistle, Newcastle's assistant manager Terry McDermott said: "Apart from the goals, we had a lot of other chances and the score could have been doubled." Some sight that would have been.

Newcastle: Hislop; Watson, Peacock, Albert, Beresford; Gillespie (Clark), Batty, Lee, Beardsley; Ferdinand, Shearer

Spurs: Walker; Carr, Campbell, Calderwood, Wilson; Fox, Nielsen, Howells, Sinton [Dozzell] [Rosenthal]; Sheringham, Iversen