Newcastle keep hopes alive

Shearer scores Newcastle's 100th European goal

Newcastle United 2-1 Dynamo Kiev

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Newcastle came back from a goal down to beat Dynamo Kiev and keep their Champions League dream alive.

In a game which the Tyneside club had to win to stand a chance of going through to the second stage, they fell behind to a Maksim Shatskikh goal.

But Gary Speed headed in to level matters and Newcastle hero Alan Shearer won and scored a penalty to round off his side's comeback.

  Key incidents

26 mins: Dabizas comes on for the injured Bramble

45: Bernard on for the injured O'Brien

47: Shatskikh's shot puts Kiev ahead

58: Speed heads in Newcastle's equaliser

68: Shearer scores from the spot for Newcastle

The Magpies will now qualify for phase two if they win in Feyenoord next month and Dynamo fail to beat Juventus.

Champions League tables

Before the game, Magpies manager Bobby Robson said his team had nothing to lose and would attack in a controlled manner.

But the expected early onslaught on the Kiev goal did not materialise as the Ukrainian side gave notice that they were more than capable of scoring on the counter-attack.

To win three times in seven days says a lot for the players' endeavour and commitment

Sir Bobby Robson

It took 12 minutes for Newcastle to threaten the visitors goal when Nolberto Solano's low diagonal free-kick was diverted inches wide by Speed.

French winger Laurent Robert looked out of sorts for Newcastle before bursting into life.

He skilfully passed two Kiev players before delivering an inviting cross to the far post for Ameobi, whose goalbound header was blocked by Goran Gavrancic.

Photo Gallery: Pictures from St. James' Park

Three minutes later Ameobi touched the ball to Solano on the edge of the area but side-footed the Peruvian's delicate return ball just wide when he should done better.

Injured Newcastle defender Titus Bramble was replaced by Nikos Dabizas and the new arrival almost made an instant impact.

Ameobi saw a header importantly blocked by Gavrancic

He powered a header towards goal from Robert's free-kick and Kiev keeper Vitali Reva gathered at the second attempt.

Shatskikh glanced a header narrowly wide prior to the Tyneside club being forced into a defensive re-shuffle at half-time.

The injured Andy O'Brien had to go off and left-back Olivier Bernard came on.

It got worse for Newcastle when, following a controversial throw-in decision in Kiev's favour, the visitors went on to score.

We're still in second position and we will fight to stay in this same position at the end of the first group stage

Dynamo boss Oleksiy Mykhaylychenko

Georgi Peev slid the ball into Shatskikh and he expertly powered a shot in off keeper Steve Harper's post.

Jermaine Jenas's sweetly struck 22-yard shot was then saved by keeper Reva.

But Newcastle were given a glimmer of hope when Speed dived low to head in from a corner.

Nine minutes later, Shearer won a penalty after being impeded by Andriy Husin and the Newcastle striker made no mistake converting the spot-kick.

The goal was Newcastle's 100th in Europe and could prove priceless in a fortnight.

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Newcastle: Harper, Griffin, O'Brien (Bernard 45), Bramble (Dabizas 27), Hughes, Solano (Dyer 82), Speed, Jenas, Robert, Shearer, Ameobi.
Subs Not Used: Given, Acuna, LuaLua, Viana.

Booked: Ameobi.

Dynamo Kiev: Reva, Ghioane, Husin, Gavrancic, Dmytrulin, Leko (Rincon 71), Peev, Belkevich, El Kaddouri (Cernat 77), Nesmachnyi, Shatskikh.
Subs Not Used: Shovkovskiy, Melashchenko, Leandro, Bodnar, Sablic.

Booked: Husin.

Attendance: 40,185

Referee: Juan Antonio Fernandez Marin (Madrid).