Shearer on the offensive crediting defenders for Magpies resurgence

NEWCASTLE skipper Alan Shearer has hailed his side’s often criticised defence for allowing he and his flying team-mates to fire the club into the race for honours.

Bobby Robson’s men have earned their fair share of plaudits for the prowess of the likes of Shearer, Craig Bellamy, Kieron Dyer and Laurent Robert going forward, but the perceived wisdom has been that they would win nothing until they sorted out their defensive problems.

Indeed, there was only one focus during the January transfer window as Robson and chairman Freddy Shepherd launched a successful bid to take Leeds United’s England defender Jonathan Woodgate to St James’ Park.

However Woodgate, who arrived with a thigh injury and a clause in his contract which would not allow him to play against his former club at the weekend, is yet to kick a ball for the Magpies. They have, nevertheless, cemented their place in the Premiership’s top three and given themselves an outside chance of making the Champions League quarter-finals.

That is testament to keeper Shay Given and the likes of Titus Bramble, Andy O’Brien, Aaron Hughes, Olivier Bernard, Andy Griffin, Steve Caldwell and Nikos Dabizas, who have combined to concede only four goals in an unbeaten seven-game run since their FA Cup exit at first division Wolves.

“We were bitterly disappointed with our performance in the FA Cup defeat at Molineux and one or two words were spoken afterwards,” said Shearer.

“We knew we would have to tighten up if we were going to have a chance this season and that we would have to stop conceding goals at home.

“And, to be fair to the lads at the back, for the past two months they have been magnificent.

“This is shown in our results and it has given us a platform to go on and play some good football and score some good goals.”