Ruud Gullit's Wembley-bound Magpies had their wings clipped by a first-half double from Leicester.

Muzzy Izzet and Tony Cottee struck the crucial blows for the Foxes, whose movement and width was too much for Newcastle to handle.

Gullit's Toon Army are safely ensconced in the FA Cup final and have no worries about surviving in the Premiership, but the super-cool Dutchman was left scratching his dreadlocks after a shaky performance.

Few of the Magpies can have cemented their claim for a place on the Wembley turf in a fortnight's time after they came off second best to Martin O'Neill's industrious team.

Equally worrying for the Newcastle boss and the ever-faithful travelling support was the half-time withdrawal of Duncan Ferguson.

The big Scot is still to complete a game since returning from his hernia operation and was a long way from his usual combative self at Filbert Street.

Ferguson won a couple of headers in the first half and almost latched onto an Alan Shearer cross but barely influenced the game before he retired at half-time.

By that stage, Worthington Cup finalists Leicester had virtually seen off the challengers from the north.

The Foxes, determined to bounce back after losing their last two games, set off at a quick tempo, encouraged, no doubt, by hesitant Newcastle defending.

Steve Guppy caused panic in the Magpies penalty area with a series of teasing left-wing crosses, but it was a right-wing move which led to the corner which put the home team ahead in the 20th minute.

Izzet, playing up front alongside Cottee, found Robbie Savage on the wing, and his cross was bundled behind by the visitors as Cottee lurked dangerously.

Stefan Oakes, making his first start for Leicester, swung the kick onto the head of his skipper Matt Elliott, Steve Harper saved with his legs, but Izzet squeezed the rebound through a crowded goalmouth.

Alan Shearer fired a warning with a fierce 30-yard drive which had Pegguy Arphexad scampering anxiously across his goalline to tip the ball over the bar.

Theo Zagorakis came off the bench, for Charlie Miller in the 31st minute, and almost made a grandstand entrance. With his first touch, he collected a Neil Lennon pass and with his second stung the palms of Harper with a ferocious left-foot drive from long-range.

There were signs of Gullit's team creaking into life. Robert Lee volleyed high over after a short spell of pressure, and Frank Sinclair's timely clearance prevented Duncan Ferguson from latching onto a Shearer cross.

But the Geordies were rocked by a Cottee classic four minutes before the break.

The veteran goal-poacher accepted a neat ball from Guppy on the left, cut inside and curled an unstoppable right-foot shot beyond the full-stretch dive of Harper.

Temuri Ketsbaia and Stephen Glass replaced Nol Solano and Ferguson after the break, and Gullit's side played with more energy and purpose in the second half.

Nikos Dabizas almost forced a right-wing corner in at the back-post, but Leicester were always threatening on the counter.

Cottee flung himself at a Savage cross, forcing a good save from Harper, and Guppy lashed a half-chance over the bar after Izzet had woven an intricate path into the Newcastle area.

Oakes, who had a splendid debut in midfield, came within inches of marking it with a wonder-goal. He traded passes with Izzet and unleashed a thunderbolt which whistled just wide of Harper's right-hand post.

Zagorakis fired a long-range effort just over and was denied by the legs of Harper in the closing stages.

Ketsbaia forced saves from Arphexad, Gary Speed went close, Shearer headed wide, and Dabizas somehow missed from beneath the bar as Gullit's men rallied, but it was to no avail.

Teams:

Leicester: Arphexad, Savage, Sinclair, Kaamark, Elliott, Izzet, Lennon, Miller (Zagorakis 30), Guppy, Cottee, Oakes.

Subs Not Used: Keller, Campbell, Gunnlaugsson, Fenton.

Goals: Izzet 20, Cottee 41.

Newcastle: Harper, Lee, Speed, Shearer, Domi, Barton, Ferguson (Ketsbaia 45), Beharall, Dabizas, Solano (Glass 45),Hamann.

Subs Not Used: Given, Hughes, Brady.

Booked: Dabizas.

Att: 21,125

Ref: U Rennie (Sheffield).