Dyer delivers Magpies magic

Zeljeznicar 0, Newcastle 1 By Damian Spellman,

ENGLAND midfielder Kieron Dyer fired Newcastle to within touching distance of the Champions League with a superbly taken goal in Sarajevo.

Dyer, 23, played a flawless one-two with skipper Alan Shearer in the 56th minute before lifting the ball over keeper Kenan Hagasic to give his side a precious lead to take back to Tyneside.

Bobby Robson’s men fought all the way and could have won more comfortably had they taken their chances.

Lomana LuaLua and Jermaine Jenas both missed with first-half headers and substitute Shola Ameobi hit the bar two minutes from time with a left-foot piledriver. But it took a fine Shay Given save to prevent Jure Guvo giving the home side a 46th-minute lead.

With teenagers Jenas and Hugo Viana holding their nerve under intense pressure and defender Titus Bramble forging a solid partnership with Nikos Dabizas, there was plenty to celebrate as a difficult tie became a little easier.

But for a couple of defensive slips, with French full-back Olivier Bernard guilty on more than one occasion, Newcastle were rarely in trouble during a first half which they controlled.

Dangerman Almir Gredic had the ball in the net with three minutes gone, but was well offside as he ran on to Adin Mulaosmanovic's through-ball, but LuaLua suffered no such inconvenience three minutes later as defender Aaron Hughes made good ground on the right to send in an inch-perfect cross. The ball reached the striker unmarked at the far post, but he planted his header wide of Hasagic’s post.

Defender Sanel Jahic sent a header from a Mulaosmanovic free-kick high over Given’s bar, but the keeper did not have a save to make before the break, although it took an impeccably timed tackle from Dabizas to deny Gredic after frontman Guvo picked him out.

Jenas passed up a glorious chance with 28 minutes gone when he met Nolberto Solano’s near-post corner unchallenged but could only glance the ball across goal.

Zeljo’s Almir Cosic picked out Guvo on the edge of the box just seconds after the restart and he turned smartly before firing in a left-foot drive which Given acrobatically turned away.

LuaLua’s pace was proving useful for Robson’s side as he played Dyer into space on the right with 53 minutes gone, but with Viana unmarked in he middle, he could only pick out the keeper.

But Dyer redeemed himself three minutes later as United staged a lighting raid into enemy territory to devastating effect. LuaLua once again broke from halfway and committed defenders before finding Dyer, who played a

perfect one-two with lynchpin Shearer and lifted the ball over the advancing Hagasic to send the small band of travelling supporters into raptures.

But the Bosnians were by no means beaten, and they proved as much within two minutes as Gredic made the most of Bramble’s momentary uncertainty to race in on goal and fire a low shot inches wide of Given’s right post.

LuaLua should have done better with 20 minutes left when Viana sent him clear, but with Dyer unmarked in front of goal, he failed to round the keeper.

The Democratic Republic of Congo frontman blazed over eight minutes later as the home side committed men to the search for an equaliser.

He made way for Ameobi five minutes later, who almost left his mark on the game with two minutes left when outside the penalty area he fired in a left-foot drive which clipped the relieved Hagasic’s crossbar.

However, by that point, the job had been done to allow Robson’s side to return home with an away goal and more importantly, a first leg lead.

NEWCASTLE UNITED: Given, Hughes, Dabizas, Bramble, Bernard (Quinn 89), Solano, Jenas, Dyer, Viana (Eliot 89), Lu aLua (Ameobi 83), Shearer

ZELJEZNICAR: Hasajic, Jahic (Alajic 72), Mulaosmanovic, Mulalic, Alihodzic, Gredic, Karic, Seferovic, Mesic (Mudranic 83), Cosic, Guvo.

Referee: Michel Lubos (Slovakia)