SIR BOBBY ROBSON'S 200th game in charge of Newcastle proved a disaster as a dramatic sudden-death penalty shoot-out defeat destroyed their Champions League dreams.

For Robson, it was Turin and the World Cup of 1990 all over again as Partizan coach Lothar Matthaus, who skippered West Germany to victory over Robson's England in a similarly agonising shoot-out, triumphed again.

Milivoje Cirkovic converted the winning kick after Aaron Hughes had been one of seven players to fail from the spot.

Among them, with the first kick, was Newcastle skipper Alan Shearer, who blasted high into the Gallowgate end.

A 'silver goal' in the first period of extra-time failed to materialise, and as chances went begging at either end, the agony of penalties loomed.

It might have been different if a Shearer free-kick in the dying seconds of extra-time had not been brilliantly hacked away by goalkeeper Ivica Kralj.

But, cruel though the manner of the defeat was, Newcastle could scarcely complain after being outplayed for long periods by the slick Serbs.

Now the Magpies must console themselves with a place in the UEFA Cup - the draw for which is tomorrow in Monaco - as they try to come to terms with the loss of a £12m Champions League jackpot.

Partizan stunned the Geordie fans when they seized the lead on the night only five minutes into the second half.

Kieron Dyer, making his 250th career appearance at club level, failed to clear after Olivier Bernard had won the ball.

And Albert Nadj pounced to give Partizan skipper Sasa Ilic the chance to cross low from the right for striker Ivica Iliev to stroke the ball into an unguarded goal.

Robson had shown his ruthless streak by dropping Laurent Robert as punishment for his snub to the bench when he was substituted after a lacklustre display in Saturday's 2-1 home defeat by Manchester United.

Portuguese star Hugo Viana took Robert's place on the left wing, and there must now be serious doubts about the Frenchman's future on Tyneside.

Robson made four changes in all to the side he sent out against the champions, although one was enforced with Lee Bowyer serving the second of a six-game European suspension.

Nolberto Solano, Newcastle's scorer in Belgrade, came in for Bowyer and along with Shay Given and Gary Speed became a club record breaker by making a 28th appearance in Europe, beating Robert Lee's total.

Robson had warned that Alan Shearer was in for another uncomfortable night against the uncompromising Taribo West, whose physical approach by all accounts literally left its mark on the United skipper in the first leg.

And, with a hairstyle that gave the former Derby County defender the appearance of having devil's horns, there looked to be evil intent in a sixth-minute tackle from behind on Shearer that somehow went unpunished by Dutch referee Jan Wegereef.

From the resultant free-kick 30 yards out, Solano and Dyer teed up Viana for a shot that lacked the pace or power to cause goalkeeper Ivica Kralj any great concern as he dived low to his left.

Striker Shola Ameobi, given a vote of confidence by Robson after his below-par performance against Man. United, produced a more threatening header in the 25th minute.

Dyer played a neat one-two with Solano to centre from the right, and Kralj was back-pedalling desperately as the ball dropped on to the roof of the net.

There was further frustration for Robson's men when a right-wing corner from Solano was nodded goalward by Jonathan Woodgate, but diverted over by the head of Shearer.

But arguably the best chance of the first half fell to the visitors when Malbasa delivered a dangerous ball from the left across the face of goal, where striker Andrija Delibasic just failed to reach it.

Newcastle pressed straight after the restart, with Dyer winning the ball from Milan Stojanoski to present Viana with a shooting chance which he skewed wide.

They were made to pay when Partizan broke to take the lead on the night and throw the tie back into the melting pot.

Dyer immediately attempted to make amends when he burst through into the box but could only muster a weak finish which Kralj turned away one-handed.

In a desperate gamble, Robson swallowed his pride and threw on Robert in place of the largely ineffectual Viana.

But in stoppage time at the end of 90 minutes, Given had to get his body behind and powerful strike Malbasa.

Robson brought on Jermaine Jenas for Speed at the start of extra-time, which began ominously for Newcastle with livewire Iliev pulling the ball across goal and just beyond Delibasic.

Shearer then beat West to Solano's cross to head wide and receive a bloody nose for his trouble from his marker's challenge.

Robert, introduced to provide more ammunition from the wing, did just that in the 102nd minute, but Ameobi could only force the ball wide under pressure from Djordjevic.

Jenas was then guilty of a criminal miss when he headed wide from in front of goal on the end of Aaron Hughes' cross.

Result: Newcastle United 0 Partizan Belgrade 1 (After extra-time. Aggregate 1 - 1, Parizan win 4 - 3 on penalties).

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