ALAN SHEARER betrayed his fear that Newcastle's Anfield jinx could put the kibosh on their Champions League ambitions.

Shearer ensured the Magpies maintained their push for a top-four Premiership finish with a double strike in Saturday night's vital 3-1 home victory over rivals Charlton.

Newcastle moved above the Addicks into fifth place, level on points and goal difference with Liverpool, who only hold fourth spot by virtue of having scored a goal more than Sir Bobby Robson's men.

The sides meet at Liverpool on the final day of the season in what is already being billed as a Champions League qualifying decider.

Shearer insists that, despite the challenge of the likes of Charlton and Birmingham, it will be a "two-horse race'' between Newcastle and Liverpool for fourth place.

But he wants the issue wrapped up before Newcastle travel to Anfield, where they were knocked out of the FA Cup this season and haven't won in the League for ten years.

Since then, the Magpies have picked up just one point in nine visits to the Red corner of Merseyside.

Asked if he would be happy heading there needing only a draw to secure fourth place, Shearer said: "No. I'll be happy going there with a four-point lead!

"Beating Charlton is our most important win of the season to date. It was more important when Liverpool won at home to Wolves earlier in the day with a goal in the last minute.

"It was hugely important that we came up with a very good performance, particularly in the first half. That's the best the fans have seen here from us for a while.

"I said in the dressing room, with about 20 minutes to go in the Liverpool game, don't put it past them to score a late goal - and they did.

"We were well aware of the Liverpool result beforehand because we watched all the results coming in.

"Everybody has been saying it's going to be a two-horse race for fourth place and I think it will be and it will go right down to the last game of the season.

"To be fair, Charlton were very good. You can see why they are up there because they work hard and know their jobs.''

Shearer and Jermaine Jenas gave Newcastle a 2-0 interval lead before Claus Jensen clawed a goal back for Charlton.

"We said at half-time that, if we get a goal it's game over, and if they get a goal it's game on - and they got the goal,'' said Shearer, whose effort from the rebound, after his penalty had been saved by Dean Kiely, secured the win.

Newcastle keeper Shay Given made a crucial save from Chris Perry moments before Laurent Robert won the spot-kick after the Charlton centre-back was adjudged to have brought him down.

Shearer said: "I might get the headlines for my two goals, but Shay's save at 2-1 was equally important.

"It could have been 2-2 and the crowd might gave got on our backs.

"It was a top-drawer save from a top-drawer keeper. For me, he's the best in the Premiership.

"It was going to be hard for us to sustain the effort we'd put in - it would have been virtually impossible to keep up that workrate.

"Charlton were two down at Arsenal and came back into the game. They were 2-0 down here and gave us a game. It's not easy against them - home or away."

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