Hardened Speed wary of PSV

NEWCASTLE midfielder Gary Speed will use the bitter lesson he learnt in this season’s Champions League to fuel his quest for UEFA Cup glory.

Speed and his team-mates were on a high when they returned from Serbia in August holding a 1-0 lead over Partizan Belgrade in the final qualifying round for Europe's elite club competition. However, Lothar Matthaus' men won by the same scoreline at St James' Park in the return leg and got the better of Newcastle in a dramatic penalty shoot-out to claim their place in the Champions League proper.

The memories of that night remain fresh in the minds of Robson's players, who head into the second leg of the UEFA Cup quarter-final clash with PSV Eindhoven tonight having returned from Holland last week with a creditable 1-1 draw and aprecious away goal.

Speed knows the advantage is minimal, but insists the Partizan experience has hardened Newcastle for the task which lies before them.

"We're at home and we've got an away goal, so I think we'll be kickingourselves if we don't go through," he said. "But against PSV, it's going to be a tough match and we know this season that if you get a result away, it doesn't necessarily mean you're going to get through the tie.

"We got a good result at Partizan Belgrade and they came back here and they beat us and knocked us out of the Champions League. Since then, we've learnt a bit of a lesson and hopefully, that lesson can see us through."

Newcastle's early Champions League exit after their adventure last season, in which they reached the second phase, came as a huge blow.

Their determination to return next time around is all-consuming.

"Everyone wants to be in the Champions League and we want to as well," said Speed.

"We were bitterly disappointed when we got knocked out, but the next best thing to being in the Champions League is going and winning the UEFA Cup, and that's what we're striving for.

"If we win the UEFA Cup this year, that would be a fantastic achievement for the club but this time next year, hopefully we'll be in the Champions League."

Robson has been in the game too long to take anything for granted, and he is well aware his former club will come with all guns blazing knowing they must score if they are to have any chance of progressing.

Newcastle were boosted yesterday when UEFA confirmed defender Titus Bramble, who was involved in an incident with PSV midfielder Remco van der Schaaf in the first leg, will not be brought to book on the basis of video evidence.

And there was good news too when Kieron Dyer declared himself fit.