Fourth place slips away from Newcastle

Newcastle 1 Wolves 1

Newcastle’s Champions League hopes were left in tatters as Alan Shearer missed a late penalty to hand relegated Wolves a draw.

The 33-year-old’s 82nd-minute spot-kick was saved by Paul Jones in an agonising and dramatic conclusion to their final home game of the season which left Liverpool on the brink of clinching fourth place.

United head for Southampton on Wednesday night and then Anfield next Saturday knowing only two victories will see them climb back into the top four, and that even fifth place could be beyond them if Aston Villa win at home to Manchester United.

It all looked to be going so well when Lee Bowyer scored his first goal since his strike for Leeds in a 2-2 draw at Middlesbrough on October 26, 2002 seven minutes before the break.

But substitute Vio Ganea levelled 20 minutes from time and Jones had to pull off a series of saves as time ran down, but none better than the one he made to deny Shearer from 12 yards.

Newcastle ran out knowing nothing other than victory – and a handsome one at that – would be good enough if they were to maintain their challenge for fourth after Liverpool’s demolition of Birmingham last night.

There was no place for £8.5million signing Hugo Viana, whose insipid display in the 2-0 UEFA Cup semi-final defeat in Marseille on Thursday night was rewarded with a return to bench duty as Bowyer, impressive as a substitute at the Stade Velodrome, got the nod.

Steve Caldwell, who unlike Lomana LuaLua, accepted the chance to return from a loan spell to help out his club in their hour of need, was drafted in at centre-half in the absence of the suspended Andy O’Brien as injuries continued to bite hard into Robson’s squad.

Wolves, desperate not to end the season without winning a single away game in the league, were determined to give Newcastle a game.

And for long periods, they did that with Shearer and Shola Ameobi getting little change out of former United triallist Isaac Okoronkwo and Sunderland old boy Paul Butler, and one-time Magpie Carl Cort and Henri Camara stretching the home defence at every opportunity.

Indeed, the home crowd were growing increasingly frustrated as their side failed to break down Wolves with any real purpose, although at least with wide men Laurent Robert and Darren Ambrose they looked to have the means to find the breakthrough.

Both men tested Jones with long-range efforts, and the former Ipswich winger created a glorious 14th-minute opening for Gary Speed, who shot inches wide with the goal at his mercy.

However, just as the black and white faithful were starting to waver, Bowyer chose the perfect moment to open his Magpies account.

He was indebted to the trickery of Ameobi, who bamboozled makeshift left-back Mark Kennedy – Lee Naylor had earlier been withdrawn after injuring himself in a vain pursuit of Ambrose – before crossing to the near post.

Bowyer’s deft left-foot flick beat Jones and instantly lifted the tension hanging over St James’ Park.

It might have been 2-0 three minutes before the break when Ameobi again went through his repertoire before blasting a low drive against the foot of the post with Kennedy blocking Shearer’s follow-up, and it was the visitors who were the happier to hear the half-time whistle.

Wolves boss Dave Jones opted for a reshuffle at the break as veteran full-back Denis Irwin switched from the right to the left and Shaun Newton replaced him with substitute Alex Rae sitting in central midfield, but it was all Newcastle in the early stages as they tried to kill off the game.

Ameobi should have made it 2-0 on 50 minutes after holding off Okoronkwo to reach Shearer’s flick-on, but he fired left-footed across the face of goal, and Speed might have done better after getting his head to a 52nd-minute Robert corner.

United were looking comfortable, but with their lead as slim as it could be, there was no room for complacency, a fact which was underlined on 62 minutes when Bowyer could only help on a Colin Cameron cross to Kennedy, who lifted it back across goal for the unmarked Camara to head into the side-netting.

Wolves were enjoying their best period of the game and Shay Given was sent scrambling anxiously across his goal after being wrong-footed by Titus Bramble’s deflection of Rae’s free-kick.

And they got their reward 20 minutes form time when the United defence backed off Kennedy to allow him to shot from distance, and when Bramble blocked, the ball dropped to Ganea, who fired left-footed past Given to level.

United’s efforts to get themselves back in front lacked direction, but they went desperately close on 80 minutes when Bowyer turned well on Robert’s cross but saw his shot deflected over by Jones’ knee.

The mood was turning ugly at St James’ and Robert was booed from the pitch as he was replaced by Viana seconds later.

However, Shearer was handed the perfect opportunity to claim a precious winner with eight minutes remaining when Paul Ince was adjudged to have pushed Speed and referee Matt Messias pointed to the spot.

Shearer, as so often in the past, stepped up to fire low to the keeper’s right, but Jones guessed correctly to make a fine save and all but end United’s Champions League hopes.