IN the film of the same name, February 2 was Groundhog Day - a day when the same events happened time and time again.

For Newcastle fans, this has been Groundhog Season and, with a grim predictability, the Magpies last night managed to mark the occasion by throwing away yet another winning position with alarming alacrity.

The 1-1 draw with Manchester City was the tenth game this season in which Newcastle have failed to convert a lead into victory at the final whistle.

That propensity for shooting themselves in the foot has cost United 22 points - a tally that would have taken them into third place despite their recent much-publicised problems.

One of Graeme Souness' major headaches has gone following Craig Bellamy's loan move to Celtic.

But the Magpies boss has so far been unable to remedy the ailments that continue to afflict his side's defence.

Titus Bramble's lack of concentration repeatedly proves costly and, after strolling through the first half at the City of Manchester Stadium, the error-prone defender undid all of his side's good work with one mistimed tackle on Shaun Wright Phillips.

Robbie Fowler's penalty cancelled out Alan Shearer's record-breaking opener - the striker became the first player to score 250 Premiership goals with a typically emphatic finish - and ensured Newcastle would stay stranded in the bottom half of the Premiership.

Bellamy had scored the dramatic last-gasp winner when the two sides met on Tyneside in October but, with no player other than Shearer looking like scoring last night, Newcastle were left with a familiar feeling of what might have been.

Kevin Keegan knows all about Shearer's prodigious goalscoring talents after shelling out £15m to take the 34-year-old to Tyneside in July 1996.

So the Manchester City boss will have been particularly incredulous at the space his defenders afforded the former England skipper in the ninth minute.

Ben Thatcher went to sleep as Shearer ghosted into the right-hand channel but, while Bramble's perfectly-weighted long ball left him in the clear, United's number nine still had plenty to do as David James left his line to close down the angle.

Shearer has made a career out of polishing off such chances though and, without breaking stride, he despatched a searing drive that tore past James into the roof of the net.

Souness might have been stoking a few fires when he disparaged Bellamy's goalscoring record on Tuesday but, by drawing attention to the Welshman's lack of success, the Magpies manager also served to underline just what his side will miss when Shearer hangs up his boots in the summer.

It is doubtful whether any other player in the Newcastle ranks would have shown the same composure as they bore down on goal and, after getting his own way in the Bellamy situation, Souness will hope to have similar success in his attempts to tempt Shearer into a retirement re-think.

For the time being, though, Newcastle's fans will have to make the most of the next four months and, after firing his side into an early lead last night, Shearer went on to produce the kind of old-fashioned striking display that has supposedly become redundant in the modern game.

Neither Richard Dunne nor one-time Newcastle transfer target Sylvain Distin knew quite how to deal with him and, by drawing in both centre-halves, Shearer created the space for Shola Ameobi to curl narrowly over the crossbar in the 14th minute.

Souness had opted for a three-pronged attack in Saturday's FA Cup win over Coventry but, with Lee Bowyer having shaken off a groin strain, the United boss sacrificed Patrick Kluivert to bolster his midfield at the City of Manchester Stadium.

The ploy initially worked a treat, with the visitors rendering City's attacking talent utterly impotent in a surprisingly low-key first half.

Amdy Faye's arrival from Portsmouth was rather lost amidst the Bellamy ballyhoo but, by refusing to stray from in front of the back four in his two games so far, the Senegal international has already provided the structure and solidity that the Magpies have been crying out for all season.

With fellow newcomer Celestine Babayaro sticking close to Wright-Phillips, City's first-half chances were restricted to a Jon Macken header that looped beyond the far post and a similar effort from Fowler that crept narrowly over the crossbar.

In fact, the home side's best chance of reducing the arrears came from a problem with the pitch - ironic given United's recent problems - as Shay Given almost suffered the most embarrassing of goalkeeping howlers.

Bramble's backpass took an outrageous bobble as Given went to clear but, while the ball leapt over his foot, the Irish international was able to hack to safety before it crept over the line.

Bramble could not be faulted on that occasion, but the same could not be said four minutes after the break as City drew level following yet another defensive lapse.

The former Ipswich centre-half found himself on the wrong side of Wright-Phillips as the winger raced on to Macken's flick forward and, after he scythed him down from behind, Fowler stroked the resultant spot-kick past Given.

Bramble almost made amends in the 67th minute, hooking Stephen Carr's free-kick past the post after it eluded everyone else in the 18-yard box, but Newcastle were gradually forced on to the back foot as City grew in both confidence and composure.

Andy O'Brien had to be at his most alert to thwart the onrushing Wright-Phillips, but neither side could grab an undeserved winner before the final whistle blew.

Result: Manchester City 1 Newcastle United 1.

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