UEFA Cup Quarter-finals, second leg/Newcastle Utd 2 PSV Eindhoven 1: For only the second time in their history, Newcastle United reached a European semi-final last night. The other was 35 years ago, almost half a lifetime to Bobby Robson, and Newcastle then went on to win the old Fairs Cup. That will be the omen Newcastle will take into the first leg against Marseille here next Thursday.
Goals from Alan Shearer - his 27th of the season - and Gary Speed - his fourth - were enough to see Newcastle through.
But this was not a fluent performance, especially in the second half when PSV Eindhoven swarmed towards the Leazes End.
Newcastle were reliant on the accuracy of Laurent Robert at corners and free-kicks for all three goals over the two legs. Otherwise Robert was infuriating.
Mateja Kezman equalised Shearer's ninth-minute header and, even after Speed put Newcastle back in front, Newcastle's fans were extremely nervous as PSV searched for a second equaliser that would put them through on away goals.
But Shay Given made some vital interventions and St James' Park was euphoric at the end.
Titus Bramble, in for Andy O'Brien, made his first significant intervention in the 12th minute in the PSV six-yard box when he misjudged a cross from Darren Ambrose. Four yards out, Bramble missed the bouncing ball altogether when any kind of contact would surely have meant a goal.
Newcastle's dismay was genuine, yet not as heavy as it could have been. Three minutes earlier Shearer had given them the lead with a sharp, near-post header so typical of a great striker.
Gary Speed, as he had done against Arsenal, pumped up Newcastle with a couple of early passes, one to Craig Bellamy, another to Shearer, that exposed PSV.
From the second of these Shearer won a corner; Laurent Robert whipped in a cross that saw Shearer rise above Wilfred Bouma to nod in. It was Shearer's seventh goal in his last seven games.
After the Bramble chance, however, the Dutch composed themselves and began to usher men forward. Their task had not been altered hugely by Shearer's goal; they still needed one.
It was clear that getting the ball to Dennis Rommedahl was a principal tactic. The speedy winger justified this with a brace of runs past Olivier Bernard at left-back.
But PSV found it hard to bring Mateja Kezman into the game. Speed was hounding Mark van Bommel, nominally Eindhoven's playmaker, as Newcastle showed similar collective discipline to that in Eindhoven.
PSV manager Guus Hiddink must have been concerned about PSV's lack of penetration, for Rommedahl was removed at the interval and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink was sent on.
Straight from the re-start Hiddink was on the touchline waving his players forward and it was two of the energetic players Hiddink knew from South Korea who earned PSV their 52nd-minute penalty.
Young-Pyo Lee's centre was travelling at pace when Bernard controlled it and the Frenchman clearly thought he had more time than he did. As he went to clear the ball Bernard felt it nipped away from him by Ji-Sung Park. Bernard made contact with Park's midriff and the Spanish referee said penalty. Kezman's conversion was emphatic.
But in the 66th minute Speed rose to meet a Robert corner to beat the goalkeeper.
There were 24 minutes left. All Newcastle had to do was hang on.
Guardian Service
NEWCASTLE: Given, Hughes, Woodgate, Bramble (O'Brien 78), Bernard, Ambrose (Ameobi 81), Jenas, Speed, Robert (Viana 90), Shearer, Bellamy. Subs Not Used: Harper, Elliott, Dyer, Bridges. Goals: Shearer 9, Speed 66.
PSV: Waterreus, Bogelund, Colin, Bouma, Lee, De Jong, Vogel (Vonlanthen 75), Van Bommel, Park, Kezman, Rommedahl (Vennegoor of Hesselink 45). Subs Not Used: Van Dijk, Addo, Wuytens, Van der Schaaf, Do Bonfim. Goals: Kezman 52 pen.
Referee: ME Mejuto Gonzalez (Spain).
