NEWCASTLE United will be pinning their hopes on a Geordie striker when they look to book their place in the UEFA Cup final in Marseille in a fortnight's time.

Nothing unusual there you might think given that Alan Shearer went into the first leg of the semi-final as the joint top scorer in this season's competition.

But, given last night's events at a raw and raucous St James' Park, it could well be Newcastle's other homegrown hitman that holds the key to a first European final appearance for 35 years.

Shola Ameobi might have been born in Nigeria but, after moving to Tyneside before his teenage years, the 22-year-old knows all about the footballing heritage of his adopted homeland.

And, if there's one thing Newcastle fans want more than some long-awaited silverware, it's for that silverware to be won by one of their own.

Ameobi's Geordie accent is as broad as his smile and, while the grinning has been kept to a minimum this season, the last laugh could still be to come.

Making only his fifth start of 2004 last night in place of the injured Craig Bellamy, Ameobi's languid, laidback style posed one of the few questions that Marseille's disciplined three-man central defence were unable to answer.

Shearer might have won his usual share of headers and knockdowns, but it was Ameobi's elusiveness that most threatened to give Newcastle a crucial headstart in two weeks' time.

Offering a threat is one thing though, delivering it is quite another and, if the Magpies are to score an all-important away goal in the Stade Velodrome, Ameobi is going to have to find a way of converting his good work into the only currency that counts - goals.

In many ways that failing sums up the youngster's Newcastle career since he made his senior debut against Chelsea in September 2000.

His 121 subsequent appearances have contained enough flashes of brilliance to justify Sir Bobby Robson's assertion that Ameobi has all the assets to ultimately replace Shearer as Newcastle's number nine.

But a return of 22 goals suggests the lack of a killer instinct that was nowhere to be seen again as Newcastle failed to find a way past Fabien Barthez in the Marseille goal.

Three times Ameobi found himself in the right place at the right time before the break, but three times he was unable to make his presence count.

Intelligent running earned him half a yard of space as Laurent Robert threw over the most inviting of crosses in the 14th minute, but his attempt at a diving header merely ended in him thudding into the turf.

More impeccable approach-play ended in him holding off the imposing Abdoulaye Meite three minutes later, but his tame shot was straight at Barthez.

Then, shortly after the half-hour mark, another tussle with Meite ended with the referee blowing before Ameobi rolled the ball into the net. Harsh, maybe. Hard to predict, sadly not.

The second half brought more of the same frustration with Ameobi's demeanour growing more and more sour as he was denied the opportunity to run at the Marseille backline.

And a bang on the hip meant his night came to a premature end - replaced by fellow Tynesider Michael Bridges with 13 minutes left.

Hardly the performance of a match-winner, but there was so little to choose between the two teams last night that one goal could be enough for either side in the second leg.

Didier Drogba showed he is more than capable of getting it for Marseille with a rasping second-half strike that cannoned against the post.

Ameobi possesses the same raw talents as the Ivory Coast international - but his display suggested he hasn't quite mastered how to use them yet.

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