Alan Shearer today swept away the nightmare of the last six turbulent months
on Tyneside to leave the Toon Army dreaming of Wembley glory.
Newcastle and England's £15million striker struck in the 60th minute of this
pulsating FA Cup semi-final at Old Trafford with a goal of typical tenacity to
break the hearts of Sheffield United's men of steel.
Of all the magnificent goals which Shearer has scored in his remarkable career
none can have been as timely or as important.
It took Newcastle through to their first major final in 24 years against
Arsenal at the Twin Towers next month - and it brought a golden glow back to
United.
Shearer's strike might not have been the most beautiful goal of his
injury-curtailed season - but there can be little doubt it was the most
valuable.
Stuart Pearce fed the influential John Barnes, who chipped in a dangerous
cross, and Shearer rose in a crowded penalty area to send a looping header
goalwards.
Sheffield goalkeeper Alan Kelly dived desperately to parry the ball. But, as
the Blades' defence froze, Shearer inevitably was the first to react and
sprinted forward like Linford Christie out of his blocks to bundle the ball over
the line as Kelly tried to clear.
Manager Kenny Dalglish, his poker face melting into an ecstatic beaming grin,
leapt from the dug-out in frenzied celebration.
The Newcastle players ran to drown the prostrate Shearer in a sea of euphoria,
and when he rose he turned to the Magpies' fans with a huge grin and lifted both
arms in salute.
As the Toon Army sang his praises the sighs of relief which rang around Old
Trafford could surely have been heard as far away as the Tyne Bridge.
For this was the goal which eased six months of misery during which the club
has careered from crisis via calamity to pure farce.
It was the goal which temporarily banished the memory of Newcastle's desperate
plunge down the Premiership table. It hid the shame of the players' high jinks
in Dublin.
It soothed the open wound which still festers in much of the north-east over
the sleaze allegations which forced the resignations of directors Douglas Hall
and Freddie Shepherd.
Most of all it probably saved Dalglish's job.
All the heartache was forgotten as the United faithful saluted their hero.
If this was 'Mary Poppins' - as the disgraced directors had dubbed Shearer -
then Newcastle just loved his brand of magic.
No one could begrudge Newcastle their hour of glory after a performance full
of passion and determination - even if it did still lack Premiership finesse and
class.
Barnes, Gary Speed and David Batty were superb in midfield. Newcastle's
defence, such a weak link in this troubled season, held out in the face of some
courageous Sheffield pressure.
The attack, with Swedish striker Andreas Andersson a constant threat, were at
last penetrating where they have been sterile.
But spare a thought for the bravery and commitment of Sheffield, taken into
this semi-final by caretaker manager Steve Thompson after a topsy-turvy season
of their own, well worthy of comparison with the bizarre happenings on
Tyneside.
They fought bravely; Nicky Marker and Wayne Quinn were outstanding in midfield
but they always lacked that killer punch up front.
This was a match that began slowly but eventually burst into life midway
through the first half to the accompaniment of a huge clap of thunder.
The rain tumbled down and so did Newcastle's Andersson in the 23rd minute when
he looked clean through on the Sheffield goal.
As he tripped, however, his flying boot caught the ball and, in a fluke which
would have been at home in the snooker world championships, the ball rolled
agonisingly towards the goal.
Only a desperate last-gasp clearance from Sheffield's impressive central
defender Lee Sandford kept the goal intact.
Indeed, it was the start of a hectic sequence of close scrapes for the First
Division side, who could have gone in at half-time three goals down.
Speed, probing and harassing at the heart of Newcastle's midfield, arrived
late to send a header thudding against the foot of Kelly's post.
Then Shearer fluffed the best chance of the half with the goal at his mercy.
Andersson, not for the first time, created havoc down Sheffield's left, and
his shot-cum-cross arrived at the feet of Shearer who somehow got the ball stuck
between his feet - and the chance was gone as Roger Nilsen cleared.
Sheffield's commitment could not be questioned, however, and it brought
first-half bookings for Sandford, Vas Borbokis and captain David Holdsworth.
Marker joined them in the notebook for pulling back Batty as the second-half
excitement grew.
Then came Shearer's fifth Cup goal of the season, and it seemed Newcastle
might coast to victory.
No such luck, not with the Yorkshiremen showing all the grit and determination
we've come to expect from Sheffield this season.
Bobby Ford's shot was deflected just past the post by Newcastle defender
Philippe Albert in the 80th minute, as Sheffield surged forward for the
equaliser.
It seemed it must come, and all of Yorkshire leapt in the air as Quinn's
88th-minute header brought a quite spectacular save from goalkeeper Shay Given.
That, though, was Sheffield's last throw, and as the final whistle went Sir
John Hall rose in the directors' box and cheered his players with his arms above
his head.
Sir John has spent £70million in the last six years in a bid to bring a major
prize to St James' Park.
"We've got the best supporters in the game, and I'm delighted we're taking
them to Wembley," he said later.
It was just as well they had the best striker too.
Teams
Sheff Utd: Kelly, Borbokis, Nilsen, Quinn, Sandford, Holdsworth,
Saunders (Katchouro 74), Marker (Dellas 73), Ford,
Marcello (Taylor 63), Stuart.
Subs Not Used: Short, Tracey.
Booked: Sandford, Borbokis, Holdsworth, Marker.
Newcastle: Given, Barton, Batty, Shearer, Barnes, Speed, Pearce,
Gillespie, Albert, Dabizas, Andersson (Ketsbaia 73).
Subs Not Used: Hislop, Rush, Tomasson, Hughes.
Goals: Shearer 60.
Att: 53,452
Ref: G Poll (Tring).
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