HAVING cheated Champions League death in November, Newcastle United finally saw their European campaign come to a battling end last night.

Ultimately, defeats against Internazionale and Barcelona at the end of 2002 proved their undoing, and their remarkable renaissance over the past month counted for nothing.

Theirs was a glorious failure, and this vibrant young Newcastle team will have many more attempts at cracking world club football's toughest nut.

But after dramatically hauling themselves back from the brink at Feyenoord at the end of the first stage, they had no second chance against the more streetwise giants of Milan and Catalonia.

Regrets? Newcastle will have a few - a number of which emanated from last night's pulsating encounter that they ought to have won comfortably.

Craig Bellamy, who has had a rollercoaster introduction to the Champions League this season, missed at least half-a-dozen opportunities that ranged from difficult to easy.

Had any of those chances fallen to Alan Shearer, one would have expected the Magpies captain to put daylight between Newcastle and Barcelona

Titus Bramble, who has been immense in recent weeks, was distraught after he was responsible for a mistake that belonged in the Sunday League rather than the Champions League.

In trying to escort the ball back to Shay Given, Bramble inexplicably allowed Patrick Kluivert to steal in, and the striker slipped his shot home from 11 yards.

That first goal of the night, in the 59th minute, came after Barca had begun to exert themselves more on a tie that was been Newcastle's for the taking, had their finishing matched their approach play.

Thiago Motta headed Barcelona 2-0 ahead from Gabri's free-kick after 74 minutes, and that put an end to Sir Bobby Robson's hopes of gatecrashing the quarter-finals.

But Newcastle have no reason to feel ashamed of their Champions League efforts as they look ahead to their final eight Premiership games of the season.

After a poor start that saw them suffer three straight defeats, they have stood toe-to-toe with some of Europe's finest teams and more than held their own.

They will be less nave next time; a better side with better players, including Jonathan Woodgate, when they launch their assault on next season's Champions League, for which they will surely qualify.

For the moment, however, the Toon Army can only reflect on memories of tremendous performances in Rotterdam and Milan, and the evening they beat Juventus at St James' Park.

Newcastle certainly seemed capable of gaining revenge on Barcelona for their 3-1 defeat in the Camp Nou in December as they tore into their visitors last night.

They never allowed the Spanish side to settle in possession, and Kieron Dyer hustled and harried Barcelona to distraction in midfield.

Time and again, Newcastle's tigerish tackling helped them to break up patient Barcelona build-ups around the halfway line.

Bellamy complained earlier this week that his attacking edge had been blunted by the team's requirement that he serves as provider for Shearer.

Last night, however, the roles were reversed as the irascible Welshman was given the opportunity to replicate Faustino Asprilla's achievement in 1997 and score a memorable hat-trick against Barcelona.

Bellamy enjoyed a clear sight of goal on four occasions in the first half after good work by his strike partner, only for him to spurn every one of them.

His third chance was by far the simplest - an eight-yard shot from Shearer's low cross that was diverted on to a post and away to safety by goalkeeper Victor Valdes' outstretched right boot.

Before then, Bellamy had twice screwed presentable chances tamely wide of the Barcelona goal after running on to Shearer flicks through the inside-right channel.

He also fired a first-time effort just over following another intelligent intervention from Shearer, who was using brain and brawn to beat his opponents.

Barcelona were only threatening fitfully, though Fabio Rochemback fired a warning shot across Newcastle's bows when he lifted the ball over the crossbar from eight yards.

That was the visitors' only opening in the first 45 minutes, but as the Magpies faded as the game evolved, so they grew in strength and menace.

They cut through Newcastle's defence with one quick exchange of passes, only for Gaizka Mendieta to over-elaborate and squander the chance.

But Newcastle's reprieve was a temporary one as Kluivert capitalised on Bramble's catastrophic misjudgment to stun St James' Park.

With Inter winning at Bayer Leverkusen, the goal further deflated Newcastle, though Bellamy would have equalised almost immediately had his header been a yard lower.

Motta then headed home Gabri's cross via Given's hand and the underside of the bar, and the goalkeeper saved Newcastle from an even heavier defeat with a fine late save from Gerard.

A third goal would have been hard for the Magpies to bear, but they have brought much to this season's Champions League.

This is a temporary setback for Robson and Newcastle; a valuable learning experience.

Their time will come.

Result: Newcastle United 0 Barcelona 2.

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