Shearer spot on for Magpies

Newcastle 2 Dynamo Kiev 1

The visitors took the lead two minutes after half-time when Maksim Shatskikh took advantage of a dubious decision to shoot past Steve Harper, but Gary Speed's 58th-minute equaliser set the stage for Shearer to win it from the spot 10 minutes later after he was fouled by Andrii Husin.

United were enjoying plenty of possession if creating few openings early on, but Aaron Hughes' neat pass allowed Jermaine Jenas to take aim from 25 yards on 11 minutes, although he dragged his effort wide.

They went close three minutes later when, after Gavrancic not for the first time had felled Ameobi, Gary Speed made contact with Nolberto Solano's free-kick but directed his effort wide. Robert in particular was seeing plenty of the ball but was unable to produce the quality of cross required in the early stages to trouble the Dynamo defence. The Frenchman found Ameobi at the far post two minutes later, only for the striker to again power his header into the combative Gavrancic. Robson was forced into a reshuffle when Bramble limped off to be replaced by Dabizas, and the Greek international joined his side as their momentum increased. United stepped up a gear as half-time approached, but the Kiev defence, ably marshalled by Tiberiu Ghioane, the man head-butted by Craig Bellamy in the Ukraine, held firm.

Spanish referee Juan Antonia Fernandez Marin did not reappear after the break through injury and was replaced by fourth official Jose Javier Omar Losantos, and he was joined on the pitch by United's Frenchman Olivier Bernard, who replaced O'Brien as Hughes moved into central defence.

But disaster struck for the home side within two minutes in controversial circumstances when the new official, on the advice of his one of his assistants, wrongly awarded a throw-in to Kiev and as United protested, El Kaddouri took it quickly to allow Belkevich to race away.

He fed Peev, who cut inside before playing in Shatskikh to fire past the stranded Harper and give Kiev the lead. Stung by the perceived injustice of the goal, Newcastle set about the task of dragging themselves back into the game by forcing a series of corners, and Jenas hammered a left-foot shot from a 55th-minute Shearer knockdown straight at Reva. Robson's men got themselves back on level terms with 58 minutes gone after an incessant period of pressure resulted in a corner. Solano curled the ball towards the penalty spot when Speed got in a diving header which Reva could only push into his own net to throw the game back into the melting pot. Shearer was handed a golden opportunity when Husin dragged him back as he tried to reach Dabizas' cross and the referee pointed to the spot.

The official made the striker replace the ball before he blew the whistle, but he remained calm to slot past Reva and give his side the lead. Mykhaylychenko immediately sent on striker Diogo Rincon in place of Leko as the Toon Army went into raptures, but their excitement was tempered by a Kiev resurgence.

The substitute should have scored 15 minutes from time when Husin's header from a Belkevich corner was cleared to him six yards out but he shot harmlessly across goal.

Fellow new arrival Cernat tested Harper with a curling shot through a crowded penalty area six minutes later as the visitors rallied in the search for an equaliser, but the keeper's positioning was perfect.

The visitors continued to fight tooth and nail as the game entered the dying seconds and United were forced to defend tigerishly, but having forced their way to the brink of victory, they refused to allow their advantage to slip.

Substitute Dyer forced an injury time save from Reva after running on to Ameobi's pass, but the points were already in the bag.

NEWCASTLE: Harper, Griffin, O'Brien, Bramble, Hughes, Solano, Speed, Jenas, Robert, Shearer, Ameobi.

DYNAMO KIEV: Reva, Ghioane, Husin, Gavrancic, Dmytrulin, Leko, Peev, Belkevich, El Kaddouri, Nesmachnyi, Shatskikh.