WHEN Graeme Souness urged his players to concentrate on all matters Sporting in the build-up to last night's game, he wasn't only referring to Newcastle's opponents from Lisbon.

With the fall-out from Saturday's "Thriller with the Villa" continuing to dominate the Tyneside agenda, Souness has spent most of this week fending off questioners bemoaning football's moral vacuum and the ethical shortcomings of Newcastle's response to last weekend's unprecedented scenes.

Yet, amidst all the soul-sehing and head-shaking, the United boss has had to prepare his side for what was arguably their most important game of the season.

Saturday's 3-0 defeat - yes, there was a game of football amidst all the chaos - dashed any hopes of European qualification via the league, while the absence of Kieron Dyer and Lee Bowyer from the FA Cup semi-final with Manchester United has all but ruled out a continental spot via that route.

So, when it came to naming his side for last night's UEFA Cup quarter-final first leg , Souness was always going to have to balance principles with pragmatism.

In an ideal world, the Scot would no doubt have liked the option of giving both Dyer and Bowyer a cooling off period in which to atone for their errors away from the focus of the fans.

But, as the last week has shown, Newcastle do not operate in an ideal world and, just five days after their bizarre bout of fisticuffs, both Dyer and Bowyer were back in the squad to face Sporting Lisbon.

The former was named in the starting line-up - hardly a surprise after being publicly exonerated by both Souness and chairman Freddy Shepherd - while the latter found himself on the bench despite being hit with a club record £200,000 fine earlier in the week.

But, with the same unpredictably that seems to characterise everything that happens at St James' Park, it was Bowyer that ended the night with his reputation enhanced.

Dyer remained a peripheral presence throughout most of a first half that offered little other than Alan Shearer's assured opener.

The 26-year-old went close to adding to his skipper's strike five minutes before half-time but, after cutting inside to dump Rui Jorge onto his backside, his shot was too close to goalkeeper Ricardo.

That proved to be his only significant contribution as, 18 minutes into the second half, he pulled up clutching the same hamstring that has caused him so much trouble in the past.

Cue a disconsolate trudge to the touchline, and his second handshake of the week with Bowyer.

This one looked more heartfelt and, after "pleading with the fans for forgiveness" earlier in the day, Bowyer's calls for clemency were answered as he was given a warmer welcome than he perhaps deserved.

His all-action style has endeared him to the Newcastle fans this season and, while Saturday's act of attrition remains unforgivable, the 28-year-old did enough last night to show why Souness has been so reluctant to banish him completely.

His first touch almost sent James Milner flying through the middle and, while his 70th-minute challenge on Sa Pinto earned a booking, it underlined the competitive streak that ensures he remains a valuable commodity in the midfield heartland.

Total redemption is still some way off but, by showing remorse and running in equal measure, Bowyer has at least shown he can use his head in more ways than one.

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