The imposing striker was unplayable in last night's 5-1 win at St James's Park, staking his claim for the club's coveted – and up for grabs – No 9 jersey.

Carroll scored two early goals, and was only denied a hat-trick by a goal-line clearance.

Read Miles Starforth's match report from St James's Park
One foot in the Premier League?

The 21-year-old's shot also led to Gabor Gyepe's own goal, and Carroll, with eight strikes to his name this season, is only three behind top scorer Kevin Nolan.

While the Gateshead-born player would have liked a first senior hat-trick, he was more than content to have played his part in league-leading Newcastle's best performance of the campaign so far on home turf.

Carroll had a new strike partner, deadline day signing Leon Best, and with Peter Lovenkrands, Shola Ameobi and Nile Ranger on the bench, he knew he had to deliver.

"There's some competition now with Leon Best coming in, and the other strikers know that," added Carroll.

"Everybody wants to score and to play every game. It's good to have a big squad – I think it'll keep everybody on their toes. We all want to challenge for places."

Carroll pounced after a Danny Guthrie corner was headed back across the face of goal in the third minute, and after Gyepes had put the ball in his own net, he made it 3-0 in the 15th minute by heading a Danny Simpson cross past David Marshall.

"A hat-trick would have been nice, but it was just great to get on the scoresheet early, and then to get another chance which turned out to be an own goal," Carroll told the Gazette.

"It was a quick start from us. For the first goal, I was in the right place at the right time.

"We've worked on it in training, and to get the ball across goal the way Fitz (Hall), and then Kevin Nolan did, proved to be deadly.

"For the second one, I got the ball off Wayne Routledge, and it came off the post and rolled in off the defender, and it was a great ball from Danny for the third."

Boss Chris Hughton, meanwhile, wants to see Carroll build on his performance between now and the end of the season.

"That was Andy Carroll at his very best," said Hughton. "He's got to look at that performance, and he has got to enjoy that performance.

"He's got to look at his standards and his targets for the rest of the season. I'm really pleased with him, and I hope he can go on and build on it. He's capable of ruffling feathers when he plays like that."

* South Shields Mags are running a bus to Tuesday's game at Derby County. It departs at 1.30pm. For bookings call Chris on 07730 508362.