Shearer backs misfiring Owen

Newcastle manager Alan Shearer leapt to Michael Owen's defence after seeing the striker pass up a glorious opportunity to snatch a survival lifeline.

When the 28-year-old fired against Portsmouth keeper David James' legs during Monday night's 0-0 draw at St James' Park after being played in, the Magpies' best chance of a much-needed victory had come and gone.

Mark Viduka and Obafemi Martins, who started along with Owen, also failed to convert from good openings either side of the break, although it was the Englishman who was left to reflect upon the most costly miss.

Asked if that would further fuel the arguments of Owen's critics, Shearer said: "I would say everyone's entitled to their opinion but we have got to continue to create chances for him.

"He had one tonight that he would expect himself to put away - so would Oba, so would big Mark - but, if we continue to create, one of them will go in.

"We know, if we keep on, he will get one. Obviously, we would have loved it tonight. It didn't come, so we will look to the next game."

It might have been so different had Owen been at his lethal best in front goal when he was played in by Viduka with 63 minutes gone.

But, as a crowd of 47,481 at St James' Park waited for the net to bulge, James won their duel on a night when victory would have meant so much to the Magpies.

Until that point, they had made much of the running, with Damien Duff forcing a good first-half save from James, but their threat gradually petered out.

Indeed, it was Pompey who finished the stronger with Peter Crouch failing to beat Steve Harper one-on-one with 11 minutes remaining and Richard Hughes seeing an 82nd-minute header come back off the post.

The result leaves Newcastle three points from safety with only four games to play and a daunting trip to Liverpool next up on Sunday.

But Shearer, who had set his players the task of winning their three remaining home games to stay up, remained defiant after two vital points went begging.

He said: "I don't know if that's going to be a good point or a bad point. What I can guarantee is that there will be more twists and turns.

"Four games in football is a hell of a long time. Yes, I am disappointed we haven't won the game, and the players are.

"But we created enough to have won it. If one of the chances had gone in, it would have been a different story.

"But I don't know what's going to (be enough to) stay up. I don't know the points total - no-one does, particularly with the way results are going this season.

"But we have got to stick in there, we have got to keep on fighting and we will."