Alan Shearer yet again proved Sir Bobby Robson's match-winner as Newcastle made hard work of disposing of struggling Leeds.

The Magpies passed up a series of first-half opportunities and saw a Gary Speed header crash against the post to leave Shearer's superb fourth-minute strike - his 17th of the season - their only cushion as the game entered its final stages.

Robson would have been furious had his side not tied up three points which appeared to be theirs for the taking almost from the off, but they were made to scrap all the way as the visitors bravely launched a belated rearguard action in which substitute Michael Bridges squandered a glorious opportunity to rescue a point.

Speed and Jermaine Jenas were commanding in midfield for the home side while Shearer and Kieron Dyer caused all kinds of problems for Eddie Gray's defence, although they found Michael Duberry in inspired form.

And a rugged display from lone striker Mark Viduka, who caused former team mate Jonathan Woodgate and partner Titus Bramble problems all night, kept his side in it until the death.

Leeds' problems on and off the field have been well-documented in recent months, but they were compounded with the loss of striker Alan Smith, whose two-match ban for throwing a plastic bottle into the crowd at Elland Road kicked straight in after the club decided not to appeal.

That in itself was a blow against a Magpies' side unchanged from the one which demolished Southampton in the FA Cup third round on Saturday, and one which ran out with the smell of blood in its nostrils.

From the moment Shearer's fourth-minute rocket left his boot, the visitors were in trouble, and they could have trudged off at half-time with the points already safely banked by their hosts and facing a dreadful 45 minutes.

That they were still in the game was down to some inaccurate finishing, one fine save from Leeds' keeper Paul Robinson and in no small part, to the leniency of referee Phil Dowd.

The official saw nothing wrong with Robinson's 33rd-minute challenge on Dyer as he sprinted on to Shearer's flick-on and stabbed the ball past the advancing keeper before appearing to be felled just outside the box, much to the annoyance of the emergency striker.

However, Dyer's frustration was to grow as a half which was dominated by his side wore on.

Newcastle, who were very nearly irresistible at times, had taken the lead when Shearer blasted a low right-foot shot into the far corner after Dyer had flicked Aaron Hughes' pass neatly around Matthew Kilgallon for Solano to roll the perfect pass into his skipper's path.

Dyer might have made it 2-0 with just 17 minutes gone after Laurent Robert had left Gary Kelly for dead to play him in, but his first-time left-foot shot blazed wide.

Jermaine Jenas got in on the act three minutes later with a dipping volley which brought the best out of Robinson low to his left, and after the keeper had escaped his brush with the law, he had another let-off when Jenas split his defence once again only for Shearer uncharacteristically to shoot wide with the goal at his mercy.

Gray's side had seen too little of the ball to cause much damage at the other end, although Viduka's power and the threat posed by Jermaine Pennant's pace were perhaps a warning of what was to come.

They served Newcastle with a warning within two minutes of the restart when Viduka squeezed past Bramble inside the penalty area and sent over a cross which skipper Dominic Matteo sliced high and wide.

Michael Duberry, not for the first time, had to get in a goal-saving tackle on Dyer as United flexed their muscles once again, but Given was called upon to make his first save from Viduka's 59th-minute header after the Yorkshire side broke swiftly.

Speed was desperately unfortunate not to double his side's lead when his thumping header came back off the upright two minutes later, but the Welshman was needed deep inside his own penalty area when Viduka span away from Bramble and volleyed towards goal on 64 minutes.

Seth Johnson was replaced by long-time Newcastle target Bridges with 21 minutes remaining and almost capitalised on hesitation in the Magpies defence within seconds, and the visitors were appealing in vain for a penalty seconds later when Duberry's shot hit Hughes at point-blank range.

Robinson's heroics to keep out Solano's 74th-minute effort denied United breathing space, and his side might have capitalised 11 minutes from time when Bridges was handed a clear sight of goal but scuffed his left-foot shot straight at Given.

Substitute Hugo Viana almost eased the tension with the seconds ticking away, but Robinson was again equal to the task, and United managed to play out time to clinch a vital win.

Teams

Newcastle Given, Hughes, Woodgate, Bramble, Bernard, Solano (Ambrose 81), Jenas, Speed, Robert (Viana 80), Shearer, Dyer.

Subs Not Used: O'Brien, Harper, LuaLua.

Goals: Shearer 4.

Leeds Robinson, Kelly, Duberry, Kilgallon, Harte, Pennant, Matteo, Batty (Olembe 30), Johnson (Bridges 69), Milner (Sakho 89), Viduka.

Subs Not Used: Carson, Richardson.

Booked: Kelly.

Att: 52,130

Ref: P Dowd.