GENT, Belgium (AFP) - Newcastle´s French striker Antoine Sibierski set aside friendship for the evening and scored the third of Newcastle´s goals in their 3-1 victory over Belgian outfit Zulte Waregem in their round of 32 UEFA Cup first leg match.

To add insult to injury for his best friend and best man at his wedding, Frederic Dindeleux put into his own net to set the Magpies on their way while Nigerian international Obafemi Martins also scored with a controversial penalty - Karel D´Haene scoring for the hosts.

No doubt Zulte´s coach, former detective Francky Dury, will ask his players to help him with his enquiries though he had insisted before the match he was more interested in preserving their championship status.

Newcastle grabbed their first early in the second-half after a pretty dire first period when Keiron Dyer made a break down the right, got into the box and as the ´keeper Pieter Merlier came out to try and shut him down the England international crossed in and despite Dindeleux being presented with a pretty easy knockout for a corner the French defender put it into the back of his net.

Not even a consoling pat on the back from the referee could assuage the pain of the former Kilmarnock defender.

The Magpies confirmed their dominance but in controversial fashion after Ireland international Damien Duff made a great solo run into the box and fell over Merlier´s despairing challenge - the referee awarding a penalty though it appeared that Duff had dived.

Martins made no mistake from the spot.

However with just over 20 minutes remaining Zulte got back into it as Loris Reina´s freekick was headed home by a criminally Karel D´Haene for his second goal of the competition.

D´Haene suddenly was the man to watch on both sides as he unleashed a vicious effort from 30 metres a minute later but Steve Harper tipped it over the bar.

Sibierski, though, restored the two-goal advantage with a delightful piece of individual skill and footwork as the Frenchman nipped into the box, rounded the keeper and slotted it home.