Kevin Keegan's return to St James' Park ended in tears as Nolberto Solano shattered his FA Cup dream.

The former Newcastle boss arrived on Tyneside as a hero and left saluting 10 more after seeing his side push the Premiership contenders all the way despite having defender Richard Dunne sent off just 29 minutes into the game.

United eventually booked their place in the quarter-finals with Solano's 59th-minute strike, but they were forced to withstand a superb second-half fightback from the men in blue with goalkeeper Shay Given making fine saves from Shaun Wright-Phillips and Paulo Wanchope.

Nicky Weaver too was called upon time after time to keep his side in it, but his efforts eventually counted for nothing as Bobby Robson - 69 tomorrow - got one over on the man he has replaced as the Geordie Messiah.

Robson made just one change to the side which secured a fourth successive victory against Southampton last weekend as full-back Robbie Elliott returned in place of Nikos Dabizas and Sylvain Distin reverted to central defence.

Keegan was forced into something of a reshuffle with key midfielder Ali Benarbia and former Magpies defender Stuart Pearce suspended.

Australian Danny Tiatto and Paul Ritchie were handed starts, although in-form striker Shaun Goater again missed out after failing a fitness test on a thigh injury.

Few arriving at St James' Park expected anything less than a feast of attacking football as two of the country's most exciting sides went into battle.

And although the opening 45 minutes ended without a goal, there was no lack of endeavour on show.

However, clear-cut opportunities were few and far between as the City defence stood firm in the face of a withering onslaught while their opposite numbers, with Distin and Aaron Hughes in particularly good form, rarely looked likely to concede.

Newcastle largely controlled the opening period as the visitors, prompted by Eyal Berkovic, concentrated on trying to get the ball to Darren Huckerby wide on the left.

But it was the pace of Laurent Robert and Craig Bellamy which proved the more decisive as United started to pile on the pressure.

Alan Shearer saw a long-range effort blocked by Ritchie and Gary Speed dragged a 17th-minute effort wide of Weaver's left post.

But as Speed and Jamie McClen started to gain the upper hand in the middle of the park, Robert and Bellamy got the bit between their teeth and started to run at their men.

And it was the Welshman who provided the defining moment of the first half when he raced on to Shearer's 28th-minute flick-on only to be hauled down by Dunne on the edge of the penalty area.

Referee Alan Wiley had little option but to produce a red card - City's ninth of the season - and although Newcastle wasted the free-kick, the die was cast.

From then on, it was largely one-way traffic, Wright-Phillips diving in to deny Bellamy at the far post on 32 minutes and Speed seeing a goal-bound effort hit Robbie Elliott and run to safety.

However, City should have been in front in injury time when Given, who had enjoyed a quiet evening to that point, badly misjudged the pace of Berkovic's through-ball and was beaten to it by Huckerby, only for the former Magpie to side-foot his shot wide.

City, who replaced Huckerby with Richard Edghill at the break, were first to show in the second half, but Wanchope failed to make the most of a huge misunderstanding in Newcastle's defence to put Berkovic clean through on goal.

And the United rearguard creaked once again on 53 minutes when Berkovic put Wright-Phillips in on goal but Given did just enough to save with his legs.

But the home side were almost in front two minutes later when Bellamy's persistence earned him a chance to cross for Hughes, who saw his shot blocked at point-blank range by Weaver.

The breakthrough finally arrived with 59 minutes gone when Solano raced on to Speed's long ball and, after barging his way past Tiatto, rounded Weaver and stabbed the ball into the empty net.

United could have made it two moments later when Robert turned Distin's clearing header into Bellamy's path, but Edghill managed to hold him up until cover arrived.

But the visitors refused to throw in the towel and almost snatched an equaliser within a minute, Elliott denying Wanchope with a fine tackle, Horlock sending a header across the face of goal and Given producing another good save at his near post to keep out the Costa Rican.

Berkovic and Tiatto continued to drive Keegan's men forward and pinned United back inside their own penalty area for a seemingly endless period.

It was a rare break-out and a mistake from Ritchie which presented the Magpies with a golden opportunity on 75 minutes, but again Weaver refused to be beaten as Bellamy shot smartly on the turn.

United gradually regained control as the seconds ticked away despite the efforts of the tireless Berkovic, and they almost extended their lead three times within seconds at the death.

Steve Howey bundled a cross from Lomana Lua Lua just past his own post and Niclas Jensen cleared a Speed header off the line before Bellamy saw a volley deflected inches wide.

It took a goal-line clearance from Ritchie at the death to deny Bellamy a goal, but the victory by then was secure.

Teams

Newcastle: Given, Hughes, O'Brien, Distin, Elliott, Solano, McClen (Acuna 66), Speed, Robert (Lua-Lua 85), Shearer, Bellamy.

Subs Not Used: Harper, Ameobi, Dabizas.

Booked: Shearer.

Goals: Solano 59.

Man City: Weaver, Howey, Ritchie, Dunne, Wright-Phillips, Horlock, Berkovic, Tiatto (Negouai 86), Jensen, Huckerby (Edghill 45), Wanchope.

Subs Not Used: Wiekens, Dickov, Nash.

Sent Off: Dunne (29).

Ref: A Wiley (Burntwood).