Newcastle progress to next round

Newcastle 1 FC Basle 0 (agg 4-2)

Newcastle ensured their UEFA Cup campaign will continue into the New Year with a functional victory over FC Basle.

Sir Bobby Robson’s men added to their first leg lead when early substitute Boris Smiljanic put through his own goal with 14 minutes gone as they set about their task with some relish.

Kieron Dyer and Laurent Robert tore the visitors to shreds in the opening half-hour and United could realistically have had the game won in that period, but they eased off to allow the visitors back into it, although they rarely looked in any real danger.

Hakan Yakin hit the post with a 52nd-minute free-kick and striker Julio Hernan Rossi had a header rightly chalked-off for offside, but United were able to play the game out with few scares and save themselves for their Premiership trip to Wolves on Saturday.

Basle, like United, made the last 16 of the Champions League last season, but although they played neat football at times, they never really looked like overturning United’s 3-2 first leg lead.

Robson had warned his troops that the tie was far from over and that they would have to dig deep to secure their passage, and skipper Alan Shearer’s uncompromising challenge on Marco Zwyssig with just 17 seconds gone set the tone for his team-mates.

United knew that an early goal would leave an already uphill task almost vertical for the Swiss league leaders and after a bright start that is exactly what they got with just 14 minutes gone.

It will not be the prettiest goal scored at St James’ Park this season as it went in off Smiljanic’s boot – despite Scott Chipperfield’s best efforts on the line – as he tried to clear Robert’s in-swinging corner.

However, the effect it had on the visitors was remarkable. Basle simply fell apart and but for the efforts of keeper Pascal Zuberbuhler and some terrible decision-making from a rampant United, the game, let alone the tie, could have been settled long before the half-time whistle.

Zuberbuhler did well to keep out Gary Speed’s first-time effort on 25 minutes and blocked a blistering effort from Shearer three minutes later as the waves parted before him.

But as the Swiss side managed to hang on by the skin of their teeth, Newcastle were guilty of failing to make the most of promising positions with Robert three times dancing through a ragged defence into the penalty area but failing to produce either a shot or a meaningful pass.

Having rode their luck, the Swiss side started to regain a little composure just as their hosts switched off.

The closest they had come until the last few minutes of the half was when Mario Cantaluppi went to ground under Shay Given’s 26th-minute challenge, although referee Knud Erik Fisker ruled that he had dived and booked him with the home fans fearing the worst as he reached for his pocket.

But three times as the whistle approached Basle got in on Given, the keeper saving well from Julio Hernan Rossi and superbly from Marco Streller before fielding Chipperfield’s effort from a narrow angle in injury-time.

Basle returned after the break knowing they needed to score at least three times to have any hope of surviving in the competition and they almost started the ball rolling with 52 minutes gone.

Yakin, so ineffectual in the first leg, was enjoying a much better evening, and was unlucky not to get his name on the scoresheet after taking control at a free-kick 20 yards out.

His curling shot left Given rooted to the spot but clipped the outside of the post and ran safe.

Argentinian Rossi had the ball in the net six minutes later, but from an offside position.

Basle continued to press without ever really threatening to hurt Newcastle, who found themselves pinned back inside their own half but coping with what was being thrown at them.

They attacked only fleetingly with the Swiss outfit retaining possession well, and it was not until Jermaine Jenas powered his way into the box from Dyer’s 71st-minute lay-off that Zuberbuhler became concerned, although the 20-year-old could not hit the target.

Robson withdrew Dyer and Robert with 11 minutes remaining to send on Nolberto Solano and Darren Ambrose, and the Peruvian got into the action straight away, collecting Shola Ameobi’s pass to cross into the middle, where Shearer hammered in a shot which Zuberbuhler managed to parry.

Speed flicked a header wide and Shearer went just too high as the clock ticked down, but the hard work had already been done.