ANY lingering hopes England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson had of luring Newcastle skipper Alan Shearer out of international retirement were surely laid to rest at St. James' Park on Saturday.

The rejuvenated Shearer is in arguably the best goal-scoring form of his glorious career and that hasn't gone unnoticed at the FA's Soho Square HQ.

But 31-year-old Shearer, who stepped out of the England firing line after Euro 2000, isn't about to risk his future for one last hurrah at this summer's World Cup in Japan and South Korea.

After scoring his 17th goal of the season, and fourth in three games, Shearer said: "For the first time in a long time, I feel really fit and sharp. I don't think I'd be like that if I was playing for England.''

Newcastle boss Bobby Robson won't argue with that. "It's pleasing for me that Alan is in such good form at a time when he's no longer involved at international level,'' said the former England manager.

A career-saving knee operation last May has ensured that Geordie icon Shearer, the Premiership's all-time leading scorer with 194 goals, can pursue his dream of leading Newcastle to the title he won with Blackburn seven seasons ago.

But Robson, who twice came so close to managing a championship-winning side when Ipswich were runners-up in 1981 and '82, steadfastly refuses to engage in title talk.

In his inimitable way, Robson put it in a nutshell. Or maybe that should be an eggshell.

"If you start counting your chickens before they're hatched, they won't lay the eggs,'' was Robson's profound assessment of his second-placed side's prospects.

"We've got character and quality. The formula is ability plus determination. One doesn't work without the other. When you have both, you have a chance.

"We keep coming back in games - I don't know how many more times we can do it.

"We have some young players, but we also have experience with the likes of Alan.

"I still think the teams at the top will lose games - we won't go on winning. The most amazing team at the moment are Ipswich, who were bottom not long ago. They've won six out of seven in the League and they beat Manchester City in the FA Cup. I'm delighted, because they're my old club - but they've still got to come here!''

Third-bottom Bolton, early pace-setters in their first season back in the top flight, could do with a similar change of fortune.

Yet they belied their lowly position against Newcastle and threatened to overturn the formbook by forcing the Magpies to come from behind twice in an eventful first half.

"If Bolton play like this, I think they've got a good chance of staying in the Premiership,'' said Robson. "It's a massive victory for us.

"We had eight games in December and a hectic programme in January. We've won three games in under a week and scored ten goals. I think the lads have been magnificent.''

Bolton boss Sam Allardyce felt that the pivotal point in this game was referee David Elleray's decision to penalise goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen for holding on to the ball for more than six seconds.

The Finnish international, sent off when Newcastle won 4-0 at the Reebok Stadium in October, tried to claim Shearer had impeded him.

But the clock showed that nine seconds had elapsed by the time Jaaskelainen kicked clear and Shearer was quick to appeal.

"If somebody as experienced as David Elleray has been influenced by Alan Shearer, it's a great shame,'' complained former Sunderland skipper Allardyce.

"I've never seen one of those given in any division this season, and I probably won't see one again.''

But Robson insisted: "I think the referee got it right. The law is six seconds and the keeper held it and held it and took nine.''

Nolberto Solano touched the resulting free-kick to Shearer, who drove through the defensive wall to equalise only three minutes after Bolton had taken a 19th-minute lead through Ricardo Gardner.

The Jamaican schemer jinked his way into the penalty area before firing in off the far post after Jamie McClen was caught in possession.

Bolton stunned the home side again in the 33rd minute when former Hartlepool midfielder Nicky Southall blasted home a 25-yarder after Sylvain Distin had only half-cleared from a goalmouth melee.

But Shearer restored parity once more, powering in an awesome eight-yard header three minutes from the break after right-back Aaron Hughes had brilliantly clipped the ball back from the byline.

Shearer spurned two great chances to register a hat-trick, before United keeper Shay Given, who had kept his side in the match at 2-1 down with a stupendous stop from Simon Charlton, pulled off another fine save as he beat away Gardner's swerving effort.

Jaaskelainen then excelled himself to deny Laurent Robert in the 74th minute, but five minutes later Craig Bellamy emerged on the end of a sublime move to seal victory.

Solano delivered a clever ball out to the over-lapping Hughes and Bellamy raced in at the far post to meet the cross and head his 14th goal this season.

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