The sunshine that warmed the masses last week at SJP had followed the hearty band of Mags to Oslo and onto Lillestrom. Baking heat replaced the cold and ice of our last trip to these shores when we played Valerenga a few years back. And as was the case on that occasion the Toon numbers were swelled by a good thousand from all over Scandinavia. Top lads and lasses! Those of us from home shore had battled from all manner of airports including the lads in front of us at check in lulled into the '2 hour' trip from Bergen to Oslo by train by their mate. It took 7 and a half and mentally even longer when at 3 in the morning the French School party started changing seats for the 15th time. Hallelujah for my brother's bottle of Vodka bought at Newcastle Airport.

I've been to some grounds over the years but never one where over your shoulder you can see straight into someone's living room. Some residents decided to watch their TV rather than venture onto the veranda for a Toon 'master-class', while others took advantage of their fridges to have a steady supply of beer on tap. And they never offered me a drop.

From early on the strange set-up the Toon were employing, with the Zog starting deep and Emre playing off Shola, started to pay dividends. Time and time again we were able to switch the play to Milner, only to find that the ball didn't quite go in, with Shola missing the type of chance he needs to start taking. Not long after he took the type of chance that no-one expects him to take and we had the away goal.

I for one made the trip with that niggling fear that it would be our only away trip of the season onto foreign shores but within 6 minutes we were thinking of further games as Shola managed a 2nd. Emre could have scored in between and for the rest of the half we dominated like they had done in the first 20 minutes last week. Half time, Job done. Aye-right, it's the Toon so maybe not.

There then followed an on pitch presentation to someone who we think is the chief of the Scandinavian Mags, who was booed by some of their element within our section. Apparently its something to do with him formerly being a Scandinavian Red Devil and maybe not delivering exactly what he claims to! We'll leave that to them. Most were more interested in the stream of ladies walking in front of the away end. Tasty. Very.

We dozed our way through the 2nd half with Lillestrom not really threatening and being further restricted when their 3rd sub limped straight off at the other end. Emre added a well deserved 3rd and Scotty P should have made it 4. Thoughts had long since turned to Luque's absence, Duff's arrival, the price of beer, the quality of the talent and telling the guy behind he should go back in his flat as he'd left the iron on. Nicky Butt came on to a decent reception maybe a further sign of his pre-Sour-Puss slate being wiped clean and he did get Birmingham relegated as well.

Off we went back into the sunshine content that for once the boys didn't let us down. While 3-0 away in Europe will do every time in it was as much Jekyll and Hyde from them as it was from us. Their midfield playmaker never got a sniff and our back four looked like they'd remember who each other were. Still into the UEFA Cup proper and more trips involving random airports and putting your chances of seeing the game in the hands of pilots and cheap flight companies acting competently. And I bet the DJ on the Karaoke in one bar has never been asked for the Hokey-Cokey before.

The (true) faith is alive and kicking.

TEAM: Given, Carr, Baba (Moore 69), Taylor, Titus, Jimmy Milner, The Zog (Pattison 86), Emre, Scotty P, Nobby and Shola (Nicky, Nicky Butt 79)

GOALS: Shola (29 and 35), Emre (90)

CB