Newcastle steal win with late strikes - report

Newcastle 2 Everton 1

Newcastle’s Champions League villains paid off their debt in thrilling fashion as Alan Shearer‘s sensational volley and Craig Bellamy‘s fortunate winner fired their side to victory over 10-man Everton.

Bobby Robson’s side had trailed to Kevin Campbell’s goal from the 17th minute and, even though they dominated throughout and especially after Joseph Yobo’s dismissal for a trip on Bellamy, they looked as if they were about to become another notch on the Toffees’ belt of 1-0 wins.

However, in whirlwind last four minutes, Shearer thundered home his 101st Premiership goal for his hometown club with a viciously struck volley and then saw Bellamy rekindle memories of Rotterdam with a deflected 89th-minute winner to scupper Everton’s hopes of climbing the league table.

The late show preserved United’s run of never having lost a league game after a Champions League encounter and, although the visitors will be desperately disappointed to have had victory snatched from their grasp at the death, the Magpies were value for their win despite failing to make the most of their possession until the final few minutes.

Desperate to erase the memory of Wednesday night’s drubbing by Inter Milan, United went for the jugular as Shearer, the impressive Kieron Dyer, Bellamy and Laurent Robert launched themselves at Everton.

With luck and a little more accuracy, they could have been home and dry by half-time as the visitors, hampered by the loss of central defender Yobo in the 22nd minute, were forced to endure a torrent.

That they withstood them was no surprise after a run of five successive 1-0 wins in the Premiership, Alan Stubbs and substitute David Weir, introduced at Lee Carsley’s expense after Yobo’s departure, in particular shining in another resolute defensive display.

To make matters worse for the home side, a seemingly endless wave of Newcastle attacks was punctuated by Campbell’s customary goal at St James’ Park as he escaped from defender Steve Caldwell to collect David Unsworth’s long ball on his chest and poke a shot between the legs of the advancing Shay Given.

Newcastle’s response was swift as Dyer, Robert and Nolberto Solano set about the task of stretching the 10 men but, although they found space and time to feed front men Shearer and Bellamy, they discovered, if they needed to be told, that Everton’s renowned stubbornness is no myth.

United might have been awarded a penalty after Bellamy appeared to be pushed by Stubbs and then tripped by Tony Hibbert before the goal, and the Welsh international – sent off against Inter Milan – saw a firm shot blocked by Richard Wright after Shearer had flicked a long ball on.

The Toffees keeper made up for a scuffed 20th-minute clearance to Dyer by saving well when the England midfielder returned the ball at pace, and then pulled off a superb stop to keep out Shearer’s blistering header form a 34th-minute Robert corner.

Dyer shot wide from 18 yards after being set up by Solano six minutes before the break and then Bellamy was inches away from getting a touch to Dyer’s driven cross in first-half injury-time as Everton’s resistance started to wane.

The second half unfolded in much the same fashion as the first as Newcastle hammered away at Everton but could not find a way past the massed ranks of blue.

Bellamy skipped past Thomas Gravesen on the edge of the box on 55 minutes and fired towards goal, where Stubbs hacked clear and then Gary Speed drove high over from 20 yards.

Olivier Bernard almost handed Tomasz Radzinski a chance with a weak header back to Given, but Andy Griffin went agonisingly close on the hour after Bellamy picked him out on the edge of the penalty area.

Wright blocked a firmly-struck effort from Solano and Robert whistled a shot wide, but the feeling that it was not going to be the Magpies’ day grew on 69 minutes when Dyer crossed for Shearer at the near post and the ball hit his left leg and dribbled harmlessly wide.

The introduction of Wayne Rooney in place of Radzinski with 17 minutes remaining added further spice, but the emphasis was on defence as Newcastle made one final push.

Defender Andy O’Brien sent a header inches wide from Griffin’s 81st-minute cross, and Robson made his final play seconds later as Caldwell and Speed made way for Shola Ameobi and Hugo Viana.

But little could a crowd of 51,607 have expected the game to end as it did.

There were only four minutes remaining when Ameobi headed down Robert’s long ball for Shearer to send a volley screaming past the helpless Wright and into the net.

But there was more to come when Bellamy once again got on the wrong side of the Everton defence and, with the help of deflections from Li Tie and Wright, squeezed the ball inside the near post to complete a remarkable victory.