No cup joy for the returning hero

The prodigal Keegan did his best to plot what would have been the sweetest of victories over his former club and the man who cast him into the international wilderness as a player nigh on two decades ago.

But Robson's side prevailed in this battle of the former England bosses to claim the prize of a last-eight tie at home to Arsenal.

For that, Newcastle can thank winger Nolberto Solano, whose tenth goal of the season in the 59th minute ended Keegan's own Cup dreams.

Ultimately, it was the ideal present for Robson, who celebrates his birthday today, on a night when all the attention was on Keegan.

The odds were stacked against him as soon as defender Richard Dunne became the ninth City player sent off this season after denying Craig Bellamy a goalscoring opportunity in the 28th minute.

But City still managed to match the Magpies and Keegan could easily have inflicted a major embarrassment on his former employers.

After bringing Tyneside to a near-standstill with his resignation as manager just over five years ago, Keegan delivered a valedictory vow that, save for Peter Beardsley's testimonial, he would never set foot here again.

But, with a certain symmetry, fate decreed that in the 20th year since he first joined Newcastle as a player, and a little over ten since he returned to become manager, 'Special K' was back at his spiritual home.

Keegan will forever be regarded with veneration in these parts and the reception when he emerged at pitchside before kick-off was as predictably rumbustious as it was respectful.

Cries of "Keegan, Keegan'' reverberated around the stadium and the man in question returned the compliment by blowing a kiss to those who still hero-worship him after all these years.

Earlier, when he stepped off the team bus, he had been greeted by cheers and chants of "there's only one Kevin Keegan'' - while his players were roundly booed.

For Newcastle, this eagerly-awaited occasion was a welcome distraction from the unseemly events of the previous 12 days, which had witnessed the shaming - and fining by the club - of striker Craig Bellamy and midfielder Jamie McClen.

Bellamy was cautioned by police for a Newcastle city-centre assault on a woman student.

And, in a separate incident, McClen was also cautioned for being drunk and disorderly.

But needs must, and with £6m signing Bellamy proving the perfect foil for skipper Alan Shearer in their first season together, midfield fulcrum Kieron Dyer injured and £5m new boy Jermaine Jenas cup-tied, the Magpies' two miscreants were never in any danger of losing their places.

Owing to suspensions, Keegan was forced to reckon without former United star Stuart Pearce and Ali Benarbia, the ex-Monaco schemer who destroyed Geordie ambitions in the UEFA Cup almost five years ago.

But the biggest blow was the loss of 28-goal leading scorer Shaun Goater, City's match-winner here last season, who had succumbed to a thigh injury.

Keegan had admitted that trying to quell the threat of Shearer, the man he signed for a then-world record £15m in the summer of 1996, was his main pre-occupation.

It was soon easy to see why. Shearer, with 19 goals, is practising his predatory craft to deadly effect this season, and he worked an opening for himself in only the third minute.

The range was certainly to his liking as he let fly from 25 yards, but the right-foot strike dipped just wide of the far post.

Shearer saw another shot charged down by defender Paul Ritchie in the 16th minute, and moments later Gary Speed dragged an effort wide.

There was no let-up to the early fusillade as Laurent Robert drilled in a low drive which keeper Nicky Weaver was happy to parry away.

Keegan's worries mounted when Dunne was dismissed for hauling down Bellamy. It was uncharacteristic route-one stuff from United as keeper Shay Given launched the ball upfield and Shearer beat former Magpie teammate Steve Howey in the air to release Bellamy.

The searing pace of the Welsh international took him clear and Dunne resorted to desperate measures on the edge of the 18-yard box.

But from the resultant free-kick, Solano rolled the ball and Shearer's shot was blocked by the defensive wall.

Depleted City switched to a four-man defence, who were relieved to see an offside flag raised when Bellamy sneaked in behind them to beat Weaver at the far post after Robert had threaded a delightful through-ball.

But Newcastle were equally relieved when former United striker Darren Huckerby knocked the ball narrowly wide of an unguarded goal on the stroke of half-time.

Eyal Berkovic played the ball into space and a rush of blood from Given, who raced from his line, almost proved costly.

Huckerby, however, was sacrificed at the interval as Keegan brought on defender Richard Edghill in a move plainly designed to protect what numerically-challenged City had hitherto achieved.

Yet the visitors still looked capable of springing a surprise and when Berkovic freed Shaun Wright-Phillips in the 53rd minute, Given just got enough on the finish to prevent a goal.

Newcastle should have gone ahead two minutes later when Weaver pulled off a wonderful close-range block from Aaron Hughes, who had tried to force home Bellamy's low, right-wing delivery.

But the goal finally arrived when Speed sprayed a ball out to Solano, who just managed to nick it past the flailing boot of the onrushing Weaver, and the Peruvian was then left with the simple task of knocking into an empty net.

Robert curled a free-kick fractionally over before spirited City threatened an equaliser on four occasions in quick succession.

Paulo Wanchope's drive was deflected over by Robbie Elliott before Kevin Horlock glanced wide from Danny Tiatto's cross. Then Wanchope broke away again only to see his shot saved by Given at the near post, and Wright-Phillips stabbed wide as United reeled under the pressure.

Shearer was booked for bringing down Jensen just outside the penalty area, but when attention moved back to the other end, Weaver made a point-blank save from Bellamy, whose better option was his unmarked skipper.

Howey then somehow diverted wide substitute Clarence Acuna's goal-bound effort, before Niclas Jensen nodded Speed's header off the line and Weaver saved one-handed from Bellamy as Newcastle finished with a flourish.

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