ALAN SHEARER'S first hat-trick since Sir Bobby Robson's homecoming party almost three-and-a-half years ago maintained Newcastle's push for a last-eight Champions League place.

United skipper Shearer, back after serving a two-match UEFA ban, hoisted his season goal tally to 21 with a treble strike in the space of 31 first-half minutes of last night's Group A clash at St James' Park.

Shearer announced his return to the European scene in typical fashion, though even he could scarcely have wished for a better start to proceedings.

In only the fifth minute, Gary Speed delivered a measured left-wing chip to the far post where Shearer forced his way in front of Bayer's Argentinian left-back Diego Placente to send a diving header crashing past goalkeeper Jorg Butt from around six yards, and register his first goal in the competition in open play.

United nearly added another just three minutes later when Kieron Dyer cut the ball back from the byline on the right, and full-back Andy Griffin, the Magpies' match-winner in the first group phase victory here over Juventus, brought a smart near-post save from Butt.

When a further three minutes elapsed, however, Shearer capitalised on a double lapse by Bayer defender Cris.

The Brazilian's stray pass found Shearer, who fed strike partner Shola Ameobi on the left.

And when the two-goal hero of last week's 3-1 win in Leverkusen looked for his captain with a low centre across goal, the ball struck Butt - then Cris - before looping up obligingly for Shearer to nod in.

Leverkusen had the perfect chance to pull a goal back in the 19th minute when lone frontman Franca, his side's scorer in the first encounter, was adjudged to have been felled by Shay Given as he attempted to go round the United keeper.

German international Oliver Neuville, whose through-ball had sent Brazilian Franca free, stepped up to take the penalty but produced a poor effort which Given held low to his right.

And Shearer punished the visitors with a penalty of his own in the 36th minute after Dyer had been pulled back by defender Thomas Kleine in pursuit of Ameobi's through-ball.

Butt just managed to apply a faint touch to Shearer's spot-kick, but it was trademark stuff from the Geordie talisman as he fired right-footed and high into the top corner of the net.

It was Shearer's third hat-trick for Newcastle and his last such haul came in the 8-0 home rout of Sheffield Wednesday in Robson's first home game as United manager.

How England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson, looking on from the main stand last night, must wish Shearer would reconsider his decision to turn his back on the international game.

Leverkusen did finally reduce the arrears in the 73rd minute when Yildiray Basturk lofted a delightful ball into the path of interval substitute Marko Babic, who in turn lifted it over the exposed Given.

And they hit the woodwork four minutes later when Kleine went up for a corner and the ball spun off Newcastle defender Titus Bramble and against the bar.

But Robson will be satisfied with a victory which keeps his European dreams alive ahead of the critical trip to Inter Milan a week on Tuesday.

Newcastle were emboldened by Saturday's emphatic 3-0 victory at Leeds, a result which extended their remarkable run of avoiding defeat after European action to 19 games.

Such was the apparent confidence in the Magpie ranks that Robson opted for rotation in defence - and sprang two major surprises in the process.

Andy O'Brien and Aaron Hughes were demoted to the substitutes' bench, with Steve Caldwell and Olivier Bernard recalled.

On the face of it, though, it was something of gamble, given that centre-backs Caldwell and Bramble were playing alongside each other for the first time.

But Shearer and co ensured that virtually all of the first-half action was focused on the other end, where a woeful Bayer defence soon began to wilt.

In fact, United's demolition could have been even more comprehensive had England Under-21 international Ameobi, eager to impress the watching Eriksson, not miskicked from only six yards.

But Ameobi looked impressive after the break as he set off on a forceful run before driving narrowly wide.

He then provided Shearer with the chance of a fourth goal, cleverly beating two defenders before playing a square ball that his skipper could only roll beyond the far upright.

Griffin gave Given a scare when he poked his backpass just past his own goal after Bramble has lost possession in a dangerous position. But Laurent Robert wasn't far away for Newcastle with a thundering 35-yard free-kick which Butt saw late and did well to turn away.

Result: Newcastle United 3 Bayer Leverkusen 1.

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