Shearer saves Newcastle from spot

Newcastle United 2 Dynamo Kiev 1

Alan Shearer kept Newcastle’s Champions League dream alive with a coolly-taken penalty to shoot down Dynamo Kiev.

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.

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.