SIR BOBBY ROBSON has admitted that time is running out for him and Alan Shearer to realise their cherished dream of leading Newcastle to FA Cup glory.

It will be half a century next year since the Magpies last won the oldest cup competition in the world.

Robson, then an aspiring young professional with Fulham, was among the Geordie throng at Wembley to witness Jackie Milburn and Co repeat the successes of 1951 and '52.

Although Robson managed the Ipswich side that beat Arsenal in the 1978 final, the Newcastle boss confesses that parading the Cup around Tyneside would be his proudest moment in football.

Robson, who led Newcastle to a Wembley semi-final defeat by Chelsea four years ago in his first season in charge, saw another chance to achieve his burning ambition disappear at Anfield on Saturday, when Liverpool - victors in the Magpies' FA Cup final appearance 30 years ago - prevailed once more.

Skipper Shearer is likewise driven in his quest for an elusive FA Cup winner's medal. When the opportunity comes around again, it will be the last one for Robson and the final chance for Shearer as a player.

Robson is almost certain to retire at the end of next season, when he will be 72, and Shearer is destined to hang up his boots at the age of 34.

There would be no more fitting a farewell for both than an FA Cup-winning finale, and Robson declared: "No-one more than myself and Alan Shearer wants to win it more for Newcastle.

"It was a thrill for me winning it as manager of Ipswich and that will never be forgotten.

"But trying to win this blessed cup for Newcastle is difficult and we can't think about it this year. I feel sad in a way for Alan as well because, like me, his lifespan in the game is diminishing.''

Robson recalled: "I was there as a fan in 1955, and if anyone had said to me that it would be another 50 years at least before we won it again, I would never have believed them, not when it was the third FA Cup we'd won in five seasons.

"I was a player at the time with Fulham when I saw those three cup finals.

"But lots of other clubs haven't won it for a long time - we're not the only ones.

"We still have two fronts to fight on, the UEFA Cup and, of course, the question of whether we can finish fourth in the League, which appears to be the only spot available to anyone else outside Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea.''

Notwithstanding the unexpected challenge of the likes of Charlton and Fulham, Liverpool and Newcastle are seen as the most likely contenders for that fourth spot and a place in the Champions League.

But if it comes down to a showdown between them on the final day of the season when they meet again at Anfield, Robson will have to lay another bogey.

The former England boss has now visited Anfield 30 times as player and manager without winning.

And he admits that the prospect of battling for the prize of a return to the Champions League would be a major incentive to end his jinx in the Red corner of Merseyside.

Mindful of mounting speculation over his future, Robson joked: "I've got one more chance that I know of to win here.

"But we have to be in a position where we don't need to win here, because it's a tough place to win.

"Anfield is one of the magical arenas in England - it always was when I came here as a young manager when Shankly, Paisley and Fagan were here.

"The atmosphere for this cup tie was marvellous, it reminded very much of that crazy night we had at Feyenoord last season.

"We had a strong contingent here and the Kop were in good form. Alan Shearer came in from the kick-in before the match and said: 'What an atmosphere out there'.''

Indeed there was. Newcastle's vociferous near-7,000-strong band of followers gave the Kopites a run for their money in the decibel stakes.

And their side were a match for Liverpool - but only until half-time. After that, Gerard Houllier's men moved into a higher gear and Newcastle found themselves stuck in neutral.

Houllier said: "We didn't want a replay, we said that at half-time, so we said: 'Let's go for it.' We've beaten a quality side.''

With Liverpool back to virtual full strength, Robson said: "He put his best side out and he hasn't been able to do that because of injuries.

"With Didi Hamann, Steven Gerrard, Michael Owen, Jamie Carragher, Stephane Henchoz and Steve Finnan, they look solid again. Their defence blunted our forward line in the second half.

"No-one has handled Alan Shearer better than Henchoz and Sami Hyypia - he was kept quiet. Alan broke free once right at the end and hit the second best shot of the match - the best was from Laurent Robert.''

Newcastle winger Robert produced another wonder goal, hard on the heels of his staggering overhead kick in the home win against Fulham a week ago, to deliver a fourth-minute response to Liverpool's 70-second opener from Bruno Cheyrou.

Fellow Frenchman Cheyrou coolly stroked into an unguarded goal after keeper Shay Given had been left stranded by left-back Olivier Bernard's decision to go for the same ball to block the shot of Emile Heskey.

But after Bernard had been fouled by former Newcastle midfielder Hamann, Robert unleashed a 78mph free-kick from around 30 yards which flew like a missile past the flailing arm of keeper Jerzy Dudek and into the top corner of the net.

Jermaine Jenas, otherwise outstanding in Newcastle's midfield, should have handed his side the lead in the 19th minute when he headed wide from Nolberto Solano's right-wing corner.

With Anthony Le Tallec having replaced hamstring victim Heskey at half-time, Liverpool set about Newcastle with greater urgency.

Genuine chances remained scarce but, when Gerrard broke down the left just after the hour-mark and checked before curling over a teasing cross, Cheyrou was there to power home a ten-yard header.

Shearer brought the save of the game from Dudek in injury time when he spun away from his marker and made room for a stinging shot.

But, as Shearer himself later conceded: "Most of the time, you get what you deserve and, in the second half, they were better than us.

"If you're going to win matches, you have to create chances, and we didn't really create any."

Result: Liverpool 2 Newcastle United 1.

Read more about Newcastle United FC here.