From Football 365.

Newcastle skipper Alan Shearer is backing Bobby Robson to bring a first trophy to Tyneside in 31 years. The 30-year-old striker played his part in last night's 4-3 Worthington Cup victory over Bradford City with a first-half double to help ease the Magpies into the last 16, and then reiterated his view that Robson can end a drought which extends back to the club's 1969 Fairs Cup success. "While I'm obviously delighted, I would be a lot happier if my goals helped us get a little bit of silverware on the table," he admitted. "I know I've been saying this for some time now, but I believe under Bobby Robson, we've got a great chance of achieving things. "We have to go to Birmingham City in the fourth round where we went out of the competition last year. We didn't play particularly well at St Andrews last season, and I didn't help things when I missed a penalty, but now we have a chance of avenging that result. "A lot of Premiership teams went out last night, including Chelsea, Arsenal, Aston Villa and Leicester City, and with Manchester United seemingly playing their reserve team, it's got to be to our advantage." Shearer's goals against the Bantams - a close-range shot after Aidan Davison parried Daniel Cordone's shot and a simple header from an inch-perfect Nolberto Solano cross - took him to 24 cup strikes for his home-town club. He now has five for the season, and having opened his account at St James', will be keen to add to it as Ipswich head north on Saturday in the Premiership. Wednesday night's goals took Shearer past Geordie legend Jackie Milburn in the all-time cup stakes and left him second only to Malcolm Macdonald, who scored 26 in the FA and League Cups before moving to Arsenal. But he was quick to praise the service he received against Bradford, especially from Peruvian midfielder Solano. "Nobby's crossing was fantastic," he said. "I was delighted with his cross for my second goal, and it was from one of his centres that I hit the crossbar early on. "I have always said that, if I get quality crosses, I will score goals, and we had plenty of quality crosses from Nobby. "I thought at half-time, I might have been in for a hat-trick, but it wasn't to be. We had the chances to kill the game off, but we didn't put them away." Bradford's remarkable comeback from 3-0 down, courtesy of Ian Nolan and substitute Ashley Ward, set the alarm bells ringing, but young defender Steve Caldwell emerged as the hero when he side-footed home Cordone's 72nd-minute corner to secure his side's passage to the fourth round. The 20-year-old Scot, who was thrown in at the deep end after Aaron Hughes was sent home ill before kick-off, was delighted to have got his name on the scoresheet, but his pleasure was tempered by the three goals his side conceded. "Daniel's corner fell lovely for me and it was one of those where you just go for it without having time to think about it," he said. "I was happy at scoring the winner, but as a defender, I was not happy at conceding three goals at home. That was disappointing, but my winning goal makes up a bit for that. "I didn't find out I was playing until I turned up for the pre-match meal and Mick Wadsworth told me I was in. "I was a bit nervous, but I really enjoyed it, even though things did not go the way we hoped after the first 30 minutes." Scottish Under-21 captain Caldwell, whose brother Gary is also on the United books, is the latest youngster to break into the senior ranks, and he believes the future of the club is in good hands. "That goal was for the reserve team coach, Tommy Craig, and all the rest of the players at St James' Park," he said. "We have a great set of young lads coming through here and I want to thank them all because we have helped each other. "The manager has give me and a lot of the boys a chance, and I hope I have done all right for him."

-- Anonymous, November 02, 2000

Answers

Newcastle skipper Alan Shearer is backing Bobby Robson to bring a first trophy to Tyneside in 31 years.

As long as it hasn't got brass handles.

-- Anonymous, November 02, 2000

HE had a choice of routes...The Newcastle way, or the Manchester way. He chose.

-- Anonymous, November 03, 2000

the route he'd chosen all his life, bless him.

-- Anonymous, November 03, 2000