Shearer landmark goal eases Robbo's worries

Alan Shearer smashed home the 250th league goal of his career to clinch a precious first Premiership victory of the season for Newcastle.

The 33-year-old fired the ball past Southampton keeper Antti Niemi a minute before the break to claim his side’s 4000th league goal at St James’ Park but more importantly, hand manager Bobby Robson a much-needed victory.

But for Niemi, Shearer – who is now just one goal behind second-placed Len White in the club’s all-time scoring list – might have collected a hat-trick, and Craig Bellamy too had cause to curse the big Finn.

Newcastle keeper Shay Given had only one real save to make from a Paul Telfer piledriver, and although James Beattie and Kevin Phillips were largely kept under control by the Magpies’ defence, the points were up for grabs until the final whistle sounded.

Robson’s side went into the game knowing that nothing other than a victory would do, and they set about their task with an admirable vigour.

Kieron Dyer was again at his energetic best, although he found great difficulty when presented with the few half-chances which came his way before the break in locating the target, while Bellamy was typically irritating to the Saints defence in every sense of the word.

But for all their endeavour and at times neat football, clear-cut chances were few and far between, and an atmosphere which had been so positive in the early minutes of the game as the home supporters among a crowd of 52,127 voiced their support for the manager in no uncertain terms, began to cool.

However, as he has done so often in the past, when the time came for Shearer to play his hand, he did not let Robson or the black and white faithful down.

The Newcastle skipper had been well marshalled by Michael Svensson and Claus Lundekvam for much of the opening period, but he found space twice within minutes as the half-time whistle approached.

Bellamy, for once, got the benefit of a lenient decision by referee Phil Dowd on 37 minutes to break into space on the left edge of the Saints’ penalty area and square the ball for his captain, who belatedly gained control before firing in a blistering shot which Niemi turned away superbly.

However, there was little the Finn could do to deny Shearer a minute before the break after he once again slipped his marker inside the box as Jermaine Jenas rolled the ball into his path.

The striker turned and instantly, before the keeper could set himself, lashed his shot inside the far post to relieve the tension hanging over the stadium.

For their part, Southampton competed without prticularly troubling the Newcastle rearguard, and although former Sunderland striker Phillips was industrious, Shay Given had only one save to make from a tame long-range Beattie strike.

Newcastle re-emerged determined to take the game by the scruff of the neck, and they might have done so within three minutes of the restart had Mr Dowd ruled in Dyer’s favour.

The England midfielder played a short corner to Bowyer and then tapped the ball past Chris Marsden inside the penalty area before being felled by his challenge.

Dyer was convinced that he had a cast-iron case, but Mr Dowd was not prepared to listen.

The Saints weathered the early storm and started to build up a head of steam, but it was not until the 66th minute that Given had a genuine save to make when he dived acrobatically to tip away Telfer’s long-range effort.

Newcastle started to press once again and Niemi had to get down well to keep out Shearer’s 71st-minute snapshot, but they were relieved seconds later to see Phillips fail to find a team-mate with a driven low cross after breaking free down the left.

Phillips got his head to a 77th-minute Fabrice Fernandes cross but could not direct his effort at goal, and as the visitors went for broke, the Magpies started to hurt them on the break.

But again Niemi stood tall to keep out Bellamy’s 84th-minute strike after he had collected Jenas’ inch-perfect pass and shaken off Lundekvam.

Phillips shot straight at Given on the turn with three minutes remaining, but it took a last-ditch block from Danny Higginbotham to deny Bellamy a second for Newcastle at the death.