Shearer double haunts Keegan and slapstick City

There was a time when Kevin Keegan was worshipped as a messiah at St James' Park. With each return visit to Tyneside, he is looking increasingly like a mere mortal. In the Geordie football cathedral yesterday, Keegan's Manchester City slumped to their third defeat in four games, thanks to some defending of the Keystone Cop class and the enduring goalscoring knack of Alan Shearer. It was their manager's fourth failure at St James' since he walked out in January 1997.

A loser in Peter Beardsley's testimonial match against Celtic and in two previous visits with City, Keegan was staring down the barrel of another defeat from the moment Shola Ameobi poked in the opening goal - in almost apologetic fashion - after Steve McManaman, on nominal guard duty at David Seaman's left-hand post, failed to clear a Laurent Robert cross. That was in the 57th minute, and with Sven Goran Eriksson watching City's former Real Madrid man, who has not figured in his England plans since his slapstick performance against Albania at St James' Park two years ago.

Twenty minutes later Shearer made it 2-0, meeting Olivier Bernard's exquisite cross from the left with a clinical close-range header. And eight minutes after that it was 3-0, Shearer scrambling the ball past David Seaman from close range. It was painful stuff for Keegan, who paid £15m for Shearer in the summer of 1996. The Geordie totem has since scored 157 goals for Newcastle.

"Alan's a master of his trade," Keegan said afterwards. "Of his type, there still isn't a better English striker. There isn't anyone better at what he does in the world. When I paid £15m for him people said I had overspent but with every year that goes by it looks more and more value for money. How you replace him, I don't know." Neither, one suspects, does Sir Bobby Robson. Shearer has scored 100 goals now for his latest club manager. "It's outstanding marksmanship," Sir Bobby said. "That's 100 goals in four years - and he wasn't in the team when I came here." Ruud Gullit, wherefore art thou? At least City held out longer than on their last visit to St James'. On that occasion, a Premiership fixture in January, they were 1-0 down in ten seconds, when they worked the ball back to Carlo Nash from the kick-off and Shearer charged down the keeper's attempted clearance to score.

They enjoyed their fair share of possession in the first half yesterday, but without ever troubling Shay Given in the home goal. Newcastle, hammered 5-0 at Chelsea a fortnight ago, took time to get into their attacking stride but threatened twice as half-time approached. It took a brave two-footed challenge by Seaman to stop Shearer connecting with a Ameobi through-ball and the feet of City's veteran custodian also diverted wide a Robert drive.

Newcastle carried their late first-half momentum into the second half. Twice in the opening three minutes the lively, influential Robert drilled shots wide from the left edge of the City penalty area. Then came McManaman's costly dally, and the brace for the 33-year-old Shearer.

It all added up to another defeat for City and for Keegan. In one respect, though, it was just like the old days for the one-time Newcastle manager. His last taste of victory at St James' was a 3-0 win against Leeds on New Year's Day 1997. Shearer scored twice.

"How long can he go on for?" Keegan pondered before departing. "If he could play against us the way we played today, another 20 years, I would think."