AS career memories go, a home debut against Barcelona is the sort that should be plastered all over a footballer's scrapbook.

But August 7, 2002 is unlikely to find any place in Titus Bramble's 100 golden moments.

It could have been the greatest night of the fledgling career of the Magpies' defender.

Unfortunately Patrick Kluivert and Javier Saviola turned it into a game that nightmares are made of - directly to blame for two goals, and conceding a penalty which was saved by Shay Given in a 3-0 defeat.

Surely lightning couldn't strike twice for Bramble against the Catalan giants.

Whoops!

A fairly solid first-half last night with just a couple of minor mishaps was merely a prelude to what was to follow after the break.

You wouldn't associate a long ball upfield with Barcelona but that's exactly how their opener came, thanks to the former Ipswich centre-back.

There seemed little danger on the hour. The £5m signing had more than enough time to clear his lines but he appeared caught in three minds.

Whether he thought Given was going to collect, or that his Nemesis Kluivert wasn't really breathing down his neck, or that he had time to play himself out of trouble.

Whatever he thought, it didn't involve the Holland international stealing the ball off his foot and bundling it home.

No hole appeared to swallow up the former Tractor Boy, no alarm clock to bring him out of the nightmare he was enduring.

Just some consoling arms from his teammates and the realisation that he'd just cost his side any real hope of a win.

Among those to offer the England Under-21 international words of encouragement was Kieron Dyer.

In the build up to last night Dyer proclaimed his intention to bury his Camp Nou nightmare when his attempt to clear resulted in a goal for Thiago Motta.

A tireless 90 minutes from the speedy midfielder wasn't enough to turn the game in the Magpies favour but he undoubtedly laid to rest his Barca hell.

For Titus, however, the misery goes on and a visit to the Catalan capital will not top his holiday list this summer.