Sport 28-08-2003 Newcastle Crash Out who: Newcastle United what: Lose Champions` League qualifier against Partizan Belgrade on penalties where: St James` Park, NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE when: Last night snippet: "Sir Bobby Robson`s side blew their Champions League dream by missing four penalties in a dramatic shoot-out," reports The Mirror after the qualifier ended all square after two legs and a goalless half hour of extra time. "On a night of high drama and incredible tension at St James` Park, Newcastle put in a terrible performance against [Serbian champions] Partizan." Nolberto Solano`s away goal in Belgrade was cancelled out by Ivica Iliev`s 50th-minute goal in front of a crowd of 37,293, just 81 of whom had made the long journey from the Balkans, says The Guardian. Partizan won 4-3 on pens - Milivoje Cirkovic scoring the winning goal after Alan Shearer, Kieron Dyer, Jonathan Woodgate and Aaron Hughes had all missed from the spot. "Everyone is quite distraught to be honest," says Sir Bobby, quoted by the BBC. "But I have to compliment our visitors, who I thought played very well. They gave us a tough match - they played better than they did at home. "Even with Jonathan Woodgate back, Newcastle`s defence still had that anxious feel to it," says The Guardian`s Michael Walker. "Newcastle`s real problem lay at the back," agrees Henry Winter in The Telegraph, who singles out Andy O`Brien in particular for poor marking. "The sorry truth for Robson, who had been hoping to celebrate his 200th game as Newcastle manager in style, was that if you do not field Champions League-class defenders, you are not going to get into the Champions League." [... more]

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