Newcastle Utd 1: Robert 65
West Brom 2: Ameobi 28, Hughes 100

Final Update: 120mins (AFTER EXTRA TIME)

United: Harper, Griffin, Bramble, S Caldwell, Bernard, Robert (Shearer 98), Viana (Speed 46), Jenas, Solano (Ambrose 84), Ameobi, LuaLua  Subs (not used): Given, Hughes

West Brom: Hoult, Haas, Clement, O'Connor, Gilchrist (Volmer 96), Johnson, Dobie, Gregan, Hulse (Hughes 84), Sakiri (Wallwork 58), Gaardsoe  Subs (not used): Murphy, N'Dour

Referee: Neale Barry

Attendance: 46,932

SIR Bobby Robson rang the changes for the visit of West Bromwich Albion in the Carling Cup third round.

As expected, Shay Given, Gary Speed, Alan Shearer and Aaron Hughes all dropped down to the bench, while Andy O'Brien was rested to give Steve caldwell a chance alongside Titus Bramble.

Lomana LuaLua partnered Shola Ameobi in attack, Nobby Solano was recalled and Hugo Viana also started.

Robert stung the palms of Hoult with jusdt a minute gone, and after Haas prevented the ball going for a corner the visitors cleared the danger. Moments later Haas robbed Robert in midfield and ran to the edge of the box before shooting into the Gallowgate End.

LuaLua forced a save from Hoult at his near post on four minutes, then the tricky striker curled a shot just wide from the edge of the box after creating space for a shot.

LuaLua was at the centre of everything in the openinbg few minutes, and he almost set up Solano for the opener on 11 minutes when he skipped inside and squared the ball across the face of goal, but Gilchrist got ahead of the Peruvian to stab the ball away.

A minute later LuaLua saw a back header clip the crossbar after Caldwell rose highest in the box to meet Robert's left wing corner, then after a corner on the other side Bramble headed over.

It was all United in the first 15 minujtes, and a fantastic 60-yard crossfield ball from Viana sent Amerobi racing clear down the right channel but his angled drive flew wide.

Albion won their first corner on 18 minutes when Bernard put the ball out from O'Connor's cross, but Harper looked confident as he gathered Sakiri's cross.

At the other end Albion goalkeeper Hoult had to be alert to race out of his box and get to the ball ahead of Ameobi when Clement's backpass fell short, then both Ameobi and Sakiri traded half chances as play switched from end to end.

But it was Albion who took the lead with 28 minutes gone when Sakiri's corner was flicked on by Clement at the front post, and Gregan, who was standing a yard out, appeared to get the last touch and divert the ball into the net via Ameobi. 

There was some doubt immediately after the goal who was going to be credited with it, and while it was Gregan who appeared to be claiming it there was a string hint of an own goal by Ameobi.

United responded immediately and won a corner of their own seconds after restarting the game, but Albion defended well, then Vianas's long range drive was well saved low to his right by Hoult.

Ameobi almost levelled on 33 minutes after Solano set up LuaLua to cross the ball to the back post, but the striker's header came back off the outside of the post.

Jenas then headed Robert's corner straight at Hoult on 37 minutes, then Viana dragged an effort just wide from the edge of the box after Jenas teed him up.

Newcastle won a corner on the right after Ameobi's cross was deflected away, but once again the impressive Baggies backline cleared their lines, then after another corner was half cleared Solano's powerful strike washeld by Hoult as the First Division side went in a goal to the good at the interval.

At half time it was confirmed that the goal had been credited to Ameobi as an own goal, and when the second half got underway Speed had replaced Viana in the centre of midfield.

LuaLua tried his luck with a spectacular overhead scissor kick on 52 minutes from Solano's cross, but his effort flew over the bar. A foul on the striker gave United a free kick 40 yards out a minute later, and while Robert's strike was accurate and with power, Hoult made the save.

At the other end Dobie and Caldwell got in a tangle as they tried to reach Hass' cross, and Harper eventually gathered.

United won a corner on 55 minutes when Jenas' effort was deflected, and when the cross was half cleared the former Nottingham Forest ace blazed his effort well off target.

Albion made their first change of the evening on 58 minutes when Sakiri was replaced by Wallwork as United waited to take another corner, and the Macedonian was in no hurry to come off as he trotted off to the dug out.

Robert eventually took the corner and saw it cleared at the near post for another flag kick, which again came to nothing.

With 15 minutes of the second period gone West Brom had hardly got the ball out of their own half, and Speed was unlucky not to level on 63 minutes when his header from Robert's corner was saved on the line by Hoult then Caldwell failed to trouble the keeper when Solano chipped the ball into his path.

It seemed a matter of time until United were going to score, and that goal duly arrived on 65 minutes when Robert rifled the ball home after Ameobi set him up.

United continued to pile on the pressure after the goal, and Caldwell went close with a header following Solano's corner, then LuaLua was crowded out as he tried to wriggle his way into the box from the left.

Robert set LuaLua free on 74 minutes, but the goalkeeper saved his shot as he tried to stroke it into the bottom corner and then smothered the ball as Speed tried to pick up the scraps.

Despite the pressure from Sir Bobby's side, West Brom were defending very well and with 10 minutes left it was obvious that Newcastle needed to find a breakthrough if they were to avoid extra time.

LuaLua got the first yellow card of the game on 84 minutes left for a foul on Johnson, then Solano was replaced by Ambrose. At the same time Albion made a change in attack, with Hughes coming on for Hulse.

With three minutes left West Brom won a corner which Clement swung in with his left foot, but Speed leapt to head the ball away, then the Welsh midfielder was in action at the other end of the park when he blazed a shot over the bar in the last minute.

The fourth official indicated two minutes of stoppage time, and withy neither side able to add to the scoring the crowd were in for an extra half hour - and the prospect of the dreaded penalties!

Albion had an amazing let off a minute into extra time when Gilchrist poked the ball straight at his own goalkeeper from Ameobi's cross-cum-shot when it looked almost certain that he was going to put Newcastle in front with an own goal.

At the other end Harper made a fine block with his legs to prevent Hughes from firing the visitors in front on 94 minutes, then in United's next attack Gregan fouled LuaLua wide on the left.

The ball was played out to Jenas and his shot appeared to be handled by a visiting defender, but despite loud appeals from both the players and crowd the referee awarded a corner.

Gary megson made his final change of the night on 96 minutes when Volmer replaced Gilchrist, but the home fans were more interested in the activity on the United bench and they raised the roof when Shearer was thrown into the fray in place of Robert two minutes later.

Shearer immediately went up front alongside Ameobi, with the hard-working LuaLua dropping back to the left side of midfield.

But on 100 minutes, five minutes before the break in extra time, Hughes fired Albion ahead when he latched onto a pass from Clement and slid the ball past Harper. 

Bramble was booked two minutes later for a foul on Haas, and in the last minute of the half Speed flung himself at Beranrd's inswinging cross but could not hit the target and Albion were in the driving seat with 15 minutes left to play.

Dobie needed treatment three minutes into the half when he was hit full in the face by the ball as Griffin tried to lift it back into the box, and play resumed with a drop ball that Hughes tapped back to Harper.

Albion had every player behind the ball in the last few minutes, and every time Newcastle got the ball they were immediately put under pressure by a possee of yellow shirts.

Newcastle threw everything forward in the closing stages - including Harper - in a bid to force a shootout, but West Brom held on to clinch their place in the next round.