SIR BOBBY ROBSON last night saluted his "two old-timers'' after Alan Shearer and Gary Speed steered Newcastle into the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup.

Skipper Shearer and midfielder Speed, 33 and 34 respectively, headed in corners from Laurent Robert as the Magpies sealed a 3-2 aggregate success over PSV Eindhoven and a last-four clash with Marseille, who eliminated Liverpool in round four.

But it was an agonising night on Tyneside after Mateja Kezman countered Shearer's opener with a penalty early in the second half.

Arch predator Shearer notched his 17th European goal for Newcastle, and Robson said: "It was classical and it was a prodigious leap from Gary to another corner from Laurent.

"Gary has been doing that all of his career and he's done it for us on a very important night. It's one of the best goals Gary has scored and one of the most important.

"He's having a marvellous season, so it couldn't have fallen to a more important player for us.

"Alan and Gary are our two old-timers - there're three if you include me, but I'm older than an old-timer!

"Alan and Gary deserve a European final - it would be wonderful for them.''

Robson admitted it had been a fraught evening. "If we hadn't turned the screw again, we could have gone out,'' he said.

"Even at 2-1 we knew if they scored again, we would be out on away goals. We knew the last ten minutes would be tense and Shay Given made a vital save near the end.

"I said before the first leg of this tie that there would be only one goal in it, and so it proved.

"We made two errors, one on the byline and one in the box to give them the penalty. From then on, the tie was very open.

"We're through against one of my former clubs and, in a way, I'm sad they've gone out.

"It's a big victory for us, but I don't know where it stands in the scheme of things.''

Newcastle are chasing their first major trophy since Bob Moncur lifted the Fairs Cup in 1969, but Robson said: "I refuse to talk about finals because we're no there yet.

"I think Marseille is a difficult hurdle. When we go there it will be a cauldron; it's a hostile public and there'll be a 60,000 crowd.

"I think it will be the same again - only one goal difference. They've won home and away against Inter Milan and you can't do better than that.''

PSV coach Guus Hiddink said: "We knew Newcastle were very strong on high balls, corners and free-kicks, but we were always in the game.

"Villareal and Valencia are in the other semi-final and I think Valencia will be in the final.''

Robson, meanwhile, confirmed that centre-back Titus Bramble had picked up a "pretty nasty'' knock on a knee.

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