CHAMPIONS LEAGUE - NEWCASTLE 3 - 1 BAYER LEVERKUSEN: When Alan Shearer was asked on Tuesday if he could play with Shola Ameobi, Shearer fixed the questioner with the sort of withering look he normally reserves for goalkeepers. "Of course," said Shearer emphatically, "and score."
Last night Shearer proved right, linking intuitively with Ameobi to devastating effect. In 35 first-half minutes Shearer scored his 19th, 20th and 21st goals of the season, and Ameobi had a role in each.
It was another healthy night for Bobby Robson's side, though Shay Given had to save an Oliver Neuville penalty at 2-0 and was beaten by Marko Babic with 17 minutes left.
Newcastle's second win in eight days against Leverkusen leaves them with six points in Group A, one behind Inter Milan, whom they face away next time out.
Newcastle regulars such as Andy O'Brien and Aaron Hughes were left on the bench while Steve Caldwell and Olivier Bernard were given another chance in a back four growing in confidence. Not that they were busy the way Newcastle began.
There were moments midway through the first half when Leverkusen stand-in coach Thomas Horster's plan of playing on the break worked. By then, though, Newcastle were two up.
Any thought of German containment was blown apart by Newcastle's blistering opening 10 minutes. The subject of Ameobi and Shearer's compatibility was already over once Shearer had nodded in his second.
Ameobi rounded two defenders on the left before driving a low centre across the Leverkusen six-yard box. Jorg Butt got a hand to it but could only divert the ball on to Cris. The ball then cannoned off him and Shearer had a simple task.
His first had not been much harder, guiding in a Gary Speed cross from about seven yards. It had been another unmarked header and, unbelievably, Shearer's first Champions League goal from play. Equally surprising was Newcastle's play became scrappy immediately after Shearer's second.
Robson was off the bench berating Bernard in particular, although he was not the only home player guilty of wasting possession. When Neuville collected the ball on the touchline near halfway in the 19th minute he exploited the increasing hesitancy in the Newcastle defence with a sharp pass that set Franca free. Newcastle claimed offside as Franca bore down on Given.
Contact between the two seemed minimal but Franca had his penalty. Neuville took it but Given guessed right, literally, and saved well.
Jan Simak then worried Bernard and Given again, but 10 minutes before half-time Dyer broke into the Leverkusen area with a typically bright burst. Ameobi fed him and Dyer was about to shoot when the amateur Thomas Kleine pulled him back. Shearer stepped up and showed Neuville how to strike a penalty kick.
The Germans finished the night better through Babic's neat chip, but Newcastle's work was already done.
NEWCASTLE: Given; Griffin, Caldwell, Bramble, Bernard, Kerr (Viana 82), Dyer (Solano 70), Speed, Robert, Ameobi, Shearer (LuaLua 80). Subs Not Used: Harper, O'Brien, Cort, Hughes. Goals: Shearer 5, 11, 36 pen.
BAYER LEVERKUSEN: Butt; Preuss, Kleine, Cris (Zivkovic 29), Placente, Kaluzny, Ramelow (Babic 46), Simak, Basturk, Neuville (Brdaric 61), Franca. Subs Not Used: Starke, Ojigwe, Callsen-Bracker, Dogan. Booked: Brdaric. Goal: Babic 73.
Guardian Service
