WALES ace Craig Bellamy's contract talks with Newcastle United are to be re-opened after his performance - and winning goal - against Everton on Sunday.

Both manager Sir Bobby Robson and chairman Freddy Shephard were concerned before the Premiership clash at St James' Park after Bellamy admitted he was shocked at the level of criticism aimed at him for his red card against Inter Milan in the Champions League.

Shephard said: "I said before the Everton game that I was rooting for Craig and it was clear that everyone else was too.

"Our view was that Craig paid a very high price both financially and personally for what happened against Inter Milan and that enough was enough.

"However, Craig was under tremendous pressure and he could not have worked harder or performed better and if Alan Shearer's equaliser raise the roof, then his winner took it off.

"Now we feel that Craig has turned the corner and everything is fine. I'm sure these contract talks will resume in the near future."

Eighteen-times capped Bellamy, 23, who was sent off just five minutes into the Inter game for kicking out at Marco Materazzi, was fined a maximum of two weeks' wages - an estimated £30,000 - by the club as punishment.

Bellamy will miss Newcastle's next Champions League clash in Barcelona after receiving an automatic one-match penalty for his red card, but will not discover until December 17 at the next meeting of the disciplinary panel whether he will face a longer ban.