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Match Report
 
 

2 Points Down the Shitter

                Newcastle United              4 ..
                                 Shearer '5
                                 Dabizas '47
                                 Ferguson '59
                                 Gallacher '69
 
                                Sheffield United                1........
                                  Smith '17
 
 
 

                                                             (Sorry, no pics again ((get your act together Daily Soccer...))
 

                                                NEWCASTLE produced a powerful second half display to
                                                book their place in the fifth round for the third successive
                                                season. The home side went in front with just five
                                                minutes gone as Alan Shearer fired home his 19th goal
                                                of the season, but hopes of a shock were back on track
                                                12 minutes later when former Sunderland midfielder
                                                Martin Smith got the visitors into it again.

                                                Bobby Robson's side were again not at their best before
                                                the break, with Marcus Bent causing problems and Rob
                                                Lee's absence painfully apparent. But once Gary Speed
                                                took on the holding duties in the centre of the park, the
                                                fluency returned. Nikos Dabizas put the Magpies 2-1 up
                                                two minutes after the break and further goals from
                                                Duncan Ferguson and Kevin Gallacher - his first for the
                                                club - made it safe. Newcastle were indebted to Peruvian
                                                midfielder Nolberto Solano, whose service to the front
                                                men was exemplary on a day when brave defence was
                                                not enough.

                                                Newcastle made just one change to the side which drew
                                                2-2 with West Ham on Monday, with England midfielder
                                                Kieron Dyer replacing the injured Lee. United were without
                                                loan signings Paul Hall and Michael Brown, the
                                                suspended Shaun Murphy and hamstring victim Paul
                                                Devlin, but Wayne Quinn passed a late fitness test on a
                                                shoulder injury to take his place in the line-up.

                                                Newcastle could have been in front with just 20 seconds
                                                gone when Ferguson nodded back Dyer's cross and
                                                Shearer sent a header over. But the England skipper
                                                made amends in the fifth minute when he timed his run
                                                to perfection to slam Solano's corner past Simon Tracey
                                                from close range.
 
                                                However, the danger signs were there from the off as
                                                Blades striker Bent made life uncomfortable for Dabizas
                                                and Marcelino, and keeper Steve Harper earned his corn
                                                with a good block from midfielder Shaun Derry escaped
                                                from Speed and Marcelino and raced into the box.
 
                                                Shearer should have increased his side's lead on 16
                                                minutes when Dyer laid the ball back to him on a plate,
                                                but he shot high over - and the Division One side made
                                                the most of their escape within a minute. Jonathan Hunt
                                                delivered a cross to the far post where Smith ghosted
                                                past the sleeping cover to beat Harper from close range.

                                                Newcastle were never allowed to settle and although the
                                                Blades defence looked shaky at times there were few
                                                scares for Tracey as the half wore on. Ferguson sent a
                                                39th minute header just wide from another Solano
                                                corner, but in truth, chances were few and far between in
                                                an increasingly even affair.

                                                It took the Magpies just two minutes of the second half
                                                to get their noses back in front as the visitors' defence
                                                could only partially block Speed's header from Solano's
                                                corner and Dabizas ploughed in to bundle the ball home.
                                                The setback seemed to take the wind out of the first
                                                division side's sails and Ferguson had already had a
                                                header saved when he cashed in on Alessandro Pistone's
                                                excellent run to crash home a right-foot shot to make it
                                                3-1 on 59 minutes.

                                                Newcastle's play became more relaxed as they made the
                                                most of their blossoming domination and Gallacher
                                                produced a powerful finish after running on to Shearer's
                                                knock-down ten minutes later to collect his first goal for
                                                the club since moving from Blackburn. Speed thought he
                                                had made it five nine minutes from time after an
                                                exhilarating run from Dyer, but an offside flag brought a
                                                disappointing end to his celebrations.

                                                Robson's side were in complete control as the minutes
                                                ticked away but the Blades battled manfully to reduce the
                                                deficit and England Under-21 international Curtis
                                                Woodhouse almost ended his afternoon in style when he
                                                hammered an injury-time volley just over Harper's bar.

                                                But the final whistle sent Newcastle back on the road to
                                                Wembley with renewed hope of a third successive
                                                appearance in the FA Cup Final.