A GREATFUL Geordie nation turned out in force yesterday afternoon to acclaim Newcastle legend Alan Shearer after confirmation that his career is ove, and saw West Bromwich Albion pushed ever deeper into the relegation fire. But despite there being three vital Premiership points at stake, an unlikely European charge to maintain and a manager to appoint, the focus was all on the 35-year-old following his not unexpected admission that he will not play again because of the knee injury he suffered at Sunderland last week. A huge banner showing Shearer in traditional goal celebration pose accompanied by the message, Thanks for 10 great years adorned the Gallowgate End of St James' Park in appreciation of his 206 goals in the famous black and white shirt.

Newcastle lined up with a new-look forward line of Shola Ameobi and Michael Chopra but despite dominating the first half against a hapless West Brom side, Shearer's clinical finishing was badly missed early on.

Ameobi, Nolberto Solano and Chopra all had chances to open the scoring before the Peruvian finally broke the deadlock on the half hour.

Chopra was played into space down the left. He cut inside and unleashed a low rightfooted drive which Clement managed to block, but Solano steered the rebound into net.

At this stage West Brom were hanging on for dear life and Amady Faye hammered a long-range effort just wide seconds later, but the second goal arrived six minutes before the break. This time Neil Clement was perhaps unfortunate to have a penalty awarded against him for a push on Chopra which looked to take place outside the box.

But Ameobi grabbed the ball and smashed it low to Tomasz Kuszczak's right from the spot to make it 2-0.

With his side's chances of Premiership survival ebbing away, Bryan Robson took a major gamble at the break when he used all three substitutions. Nathan Ellington, Junichi Inamoto and Kanu were handed the task of dragging them into the game. But while the did create a number of chances, they could not force the ball past Shay Given The biggest cheer of the afternoon came when Shearer popped his head out of the dug-out to spark a chorus of songs and Ameobi made it 30 in injury time, hammering a further nail into West Brom's coffin.