Shearer salute

Not since Alan Shearer notched his 200th League goal in Newcastle's 2-0 win at Coventry almost a month ago had it been given an airing.

Even then, the United skipper's milestone strike came from the penalty spot.

So Saturday's headed match-winner at Maine Road, Shearer's first goal in open play since he nodded England to an historic Euro 2000 victory over Germany in June, was a timely reminder of what Kevin Keegan will be missing when hostilities are renewed with the old enemy this weekend.

The Wembley we have all come to know and love stages its last match as Keegan's England open their World Cup qualifying campaign against the Germans.

But Shearer, who retired from the international arena in the summer - ultimately beaten but unbowed as England captain - can't help Keegan this time.

Instead, Shearer will be up in the gods at the old stadium, working as a pundit for Sky TV.

Although, as a former England manager, he doesn't want to appear unpatriotic, Newcastle boss Bobby Robson is more than happy that his talismanic striker will be watching rather than playing this Saturday.

On a footballing level, Shearer's focus now is on Newcastle and nothing else.

And after failing to score in open combat in nine games this season, it was a perfect ten of sorts when he settled the issue against Joe Royle's Manchester City with a 74th-minute finish, to clinch United's first top-flight win at Maine Road for 41 years.

Replays showed Shearer was off-side when substitute Nolberto Solano, who had been on the field only a matter of moments as a replacement for the injured Kieron Dyer, swung the ball over from the right.

But slack City left Shearer unmarked on the six-yard line and former Newcastle goalkeeper Tommy Wright, who had produced a string of superlative saves to deny Shearer then Gary Speed, Dyer and substitute Lomana Lualua, was finally beaten.

Now Robson hopes the goal will trigger an avalanche like the ten-in-four-games haul Shearer enjoyed last season after a similarly lean start.

Robson said: "Alan needed that goal. I'm relieved and I think he will be slightly relieved, in spite of the fact that it wasn't worrying him that he hadn't been scoring.

"It's a great goal for him and let's hope it sets him on his way because his performances have been very sound. He's leading the line very well for us.''

With a hamstring injury claiming Carl Cort, Argentinian Daniel Cordone started as Shearer's strike partner and set up an early chance for him with a cross whipped in from the left.

Shearer met it with his head, but Wright - whose last Premiership outing had been over a year earlier as a loanee with Newcastle in Robson's first game in charge at Chelsea - reacted magnificently to turn the ball away.

Yet the second-half withdrawal of Cordone in favour of recent £2.25m teenage capture Lualua, gave the Magpies greater movement and impetus.

It was Lualua who linked with Solano to provide Shearer with the opening for the breakthrough.

And Robson felt it was a just reward for Shearer's all-round endeavour.

"He battles centre-halves all the time while the others around him, like Cordone and Lualua, are will-o'-the-wisp players.

"They don't battle - they feed off him. Alan tried to manufacture things all afternoon.

"Kevin Keegan would have been tempted to keep picking him, because we all think Alan is the best striker in this country and the most mature.

"But now he's out of the equation and Kevin can look at whether it's going to be Andy Cole and Robbie Fowler up front, or Michael Owen with somebody else, or whether it's the moment for Kevin Phillips to come in.

"Kevin's got some younger legs at his disposal and that's what he needs now.''

On Saturday, however, it was the old stagers - if we can class Shearer as one at 30 - who stole the show.

And Robson, the grandfather of them all at 67, said: "Tommy Wright got the man-of-the-match award and I think he deserved it.

"He made at least three outstanding saves. For a 37-year-old, he's in pretty good shape.''

But United's margin of victory should have been trebled late in the game when Solano - clean through on two occasions - failed to finish, the second time clipping a post with his low drive.