BOBBY ROBSON'S European dreams were agonisingly dashed in an eight-goal extravaganza at St. James' Park last night.

French side Troyes clinched a place in the first round of the UEFA Cup on the away-goal rule, after Newcastle fought back from 4-1 down to level the scores.

The Magpies had got off to a flying start in the second leg of this Intertoto Cup final through Nolberto Solano's sublime second-minute goal.

But slick Troyes turned the game on its head. Medhi Leroy scored with a 25th-minute free-kick and Nicolas Gousse added a second three minutes later.

Then Samuel Boutal put the boot in with a brace in 46 and 62 minutes.

But spirited United refused to give up the ghost. Shola Ameobi pulled one back in the 65th minute and Gary Speed converted a 70th-minute penalty before Aaron Hughes equalised at the death when he touched in Lomana LuaLua's corner, moments after keeper Tony Heurtebis had blocked a Nikos Dabizas header from point-blank range.

Robson stoked up the smouldering embers of the first leg with a pre-match attack on the visitors, who he accused of being "underhand'' for having lodged a protest to UEFA against the eligibility of Solano.

The Peru star, dogged by controversy and currently at loggerheads with Robson over his insistence on resurrecting his international career, had been at the centre of allegations concerning the validity of his passport credentials.

Shay Given enjoyed a more comfortable start to proceedings last night, than on Saturday as United seized the early initiative.

Solano struck an early opener, the South American ace let loose a dipping drive from around 25 yards which left Heurtebis comprehensively beaten.

But Troyes, fresh from their superb victory at Marseille last weekend, then started to show ominous glimpses of form, and Given was completely bamboozled when Leroy's 30-yard free-kick swerved viciously and the keeper could only help the ball into the net.

Three minutes later United faced a mountainous task as the French outfit grabbed a second away goal. Gousse ghosted past Warren Barton and broke clear to bury an angled shot beyond Given and into the far corner of the net.

Things got worse for United in the second half when Barton' indecision saw Boutal make it 3-1.

Soon it was four through Boutal's bullet header, but although Newcastle fought back to level things up at the end it was the French side who advanced into the UEFA Cup.

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