Shearer makes all the difference

TONY Parkes had it spot on - you goad Alan Shearer at your peril.

The one-time darling of the Blackburn End was booed and jeered last night as he returned to face his former club.

But those taunts from the terraces backfired as Shearer took great relish in ending Rovers' FA Cup dreams with goals number 249 and 250 of his domestic career.

The England skipper's goal celebrations have become almost robotic down the years as he's destroyed teams with alarming regularity.

But last night's brace was greeted by a rare show of emotion from a player clearly out to prove a point.

Striking a provocative marksman's pose after the first, the Newcastle number nine sharply reminded his former worshippers that he still has the back of the opposition net firmly in his sights.

His two clinical finishes bore all the hallmarks of the goals he regularly used to score in a Rovers shirt during four fabulous years at Ewood during the mid-nineties.

And unpalatable though it was for those who used to idolise him, there was no denying it was vintage Shearer.

"He's just a brilliant finisher," said Rovers defender Christian Dailly.

"People criticise him all the time but I don't really understand why because when he gets chances he sticks them in.

"His scoring record at Newcastle is unbelievable yet people still give him stick.

"But he's very clever and, even if he isn't as quick as he was, he uses other things to get the better of you.

"He looked really pumped up for it and you can't afford to switch off against him at all." It was heartbreaking the way Rovers were finally undone by the ice-man himself, after contributing so much to an enthralling cup tie which they could so easily have won during a rousing second half siege on the Newcastle goal.

Matt Jansen might have added a quick-fire hat-trick to his first half equaliser but he couldn't match the aim of the nation's chief sorcerer. And that was ultimately what separated the two teams on the night.

For all Rovers' clever approach play, Newcastle had the deadlier strikeforce.

But there was little to choose between the two sides as a whole, as Tony Parkes' men brilliantly bridged the gap between the First Division and the Premiership.

Rovers started positively enough, carving out a great chance in the opening 10 minutes when Simon Grayson whipped over a magnificent right-wing cross but Blake couldn't get any direction on his header.

Shearer then fired a warning at the opposite end with a bending right footer which curled past the far post.

But it wasn't long before a Shearer special sent the 8,000-strong Toon army delirious on 20 minutes.

Keeper Steve Harper cleared under pressure from Jansen, Duncan Ferguson won the flick on and Shearer burst through the centre of the Rovers defence before belting a shot past Kelly with his right foot, triggering wild celebrations on and off the pitch.

A Shearer centre nearly created another minutes later as Grayson's attempted clearance looped towards his own goal but the defender got back to make an acrobatic goal-line clearance.

Then, suddenly, Rovers were back on level terms.

Peacock dispossessed Kieron Dyer on the half way line allowing Per Frandsen to thread the ball forward and Jansen got there before Harper to poke home a shot from just outside the box. That gave the home side a massive shot in the arm and Blake should have put them ahead with another free header from a Frandsen cross but again he couldn't direct it past Harper.

However, Newcastle always posed a threat on the break and had strong claims for a penalty turned down when Callum Davidson appeared to catch Dyer as he raced onto a Shearer lay off.

Skipper Lee Carsley failed to re-emerge after the break because of a foot problem but, if anything, Rovers grew stronger.

Blake headed wide, Harper spectacularly palmed away a dipping 35 yarder from McAteer, and Jansen couldn't steer home Blake's diving header as the United defence creaked under the pressure.

All games have a turning point, however, and it arrived for Rovers midway through the half.

McAteer and Blake combined brilliantly to release Frandsen in the best move of the match and the Dane crossed perfectly for Jansen but Harper was out quickly to smother his shot.

Once that chance went begging you began to sense the tide might turn.

And that's exactly what happened with 11 minutes left.

McAteer carelessly gave the ball away deep in the Newcastle half allowing Gary Speed to release substitute Didier Domi who tore down the left before crossing for the unmarked Shearer to pounce in typical style at the back post.

To their great credit, Rovers didn't fold after that, although Kelly twice came to the rescue in the closing stages with brave blocks to deny both Speed and Ferguson.

But there was no denying it was Shearer's night and he left Ewood with a smile as wide as the Tyne as United close in on a third consecutive Wembley appearance.

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