Manchester City will be put on red alert on Saturday as Newcastle striker Alan Shearer vows to end his barren run.

Shearer completed nine games without a goal from open play in the 1-1 Worthington Cup draw at Orient.

Joe Royle's side will need no reminding that in the same position last year, the former England skipper blasted five past Sheffield Wednesday in an 8-0 drubbing as he finally slipped back into gear.

Shearer came close to ending his drought several times at Brisbane Road, but a combination of excellent goalkeeping from Ashley Bayes and last-ditch defending denied him.

''I tried a Superman header, I tried everything, and the keeper pulled a save off from me again,'' he said. ''But I'll keep on working hard and one will go in.

''I'm not worried at all. I had the same kind of start last season and I still scored 30 goals for Newcastle.

''People started to criticise me then and I can smell it coming again, but it doesn't worry me. I'm too old and experienced for all that.

''I know that if we create chances, I will score goals. I have faith in my ability, that's something that's never changed.

''We are not creating a great number of chances and we all have to accept responsibility for that.

''In all the games we've played, I've probably had four or five half-chances and, looking back, I wouldn't have done anything different."

United left London knowing that, just as in the first leg, they had enjoyed enough opportunities to win comfortably, even though Tommy Taylor's side battled valiantly.

''It was similar to the home game really,'' said Shearer. ''Our possession far outnumbered theirs, and every time we went forward, we looked dangerous.

''But I don't think we were ever in danger. The only blip was to give the goal away just before half-time, which I suppose made the second half more difficult than it should have been."

Kevin Gallacher was delighted to have collected his second goal of the season and helped his side into the third round.

''We knew they were going to come at us and make it difficult for us, but we made loads of chances and it's just disappointing that we didn't put more away,'' he said.

But while United came away from Brisbane Road relatively pleased with their evening's work, they left with striker Carl Cort facing another month on the sidelines after a recurrence of his hamstring injury.

''That's very frustrating,'' admitted Shearer. ''He might be out for a little while now, but I suppose I've got to get used to it, playing up front on my own."

The injury crisis seems to be spreading outside the confines of St James' Park, with two targets manager Bobby Robson has identified as potential cover for his sidelined centre-halves breaking down.

l Manchester City's Northern Ireland international Tommy Wright is in line to face his old club Newcastle on Saturday, for only his third appearance in 2 years.

Joe Royle has been left to count the cost of Manchester City's dramatic Worthington Cup win at Gillingham on Tuesday, without six starters, including England under-21 ace keeper Nicky Weaver, who has a groin injury.

Former Newcastle favourite Steve Howey, who left St James' this summer, is definitely out after missing the 4-2 extra-time cup win with a torn hamstring