We can win this, say Newcastle

Bobby Robson has long dismissed his side as Championship contenders, but Newcastle may yet make their manager eat his words after an Alan Shearer-inspired comeback set up a 3-2 win over Bolton.

There is an air of self-belief about the Geordies these days and this new spirit is keeping them in touch with the rest of the Champions League hopefuls. The longer Robson's men stay up there, the longer the squad will believe. Even the boss is starting to come round to the idea.

He said:'I think the top six will stay up there until the end of the season, with no-one pulling away or dropping out. But I still think teams at the top will lose a couple of games and it won't be win, win, win, win.

'But there's no talk of the Champions League or the title in our dressing room.You can't start to count chickens or you won't lay an egg!' Robson may be wrong there. His players may not be discussing the big prizes in front of him, but there is little doubt that Newcastle's ambitions are changing with every win.

Aaron Hughes, whose determined running and crossing brought a goal for Shearer and the winner for Craig Bellamy as Newcastle twice came from behind, said: 'We were aiming for a place in Europe at the start of the season, but now we have to be looking at a Champions League spot.' 'Today's was the sort of game we'd have lost last year. Even if we do fall behind we feel we're going to get goals.

'We're second in the table and have so much to offer going forward. People are starting to take notice.' Despite Newcastle's assured performance, Bolton had every right to feel aggrieved. Understandably, manager Sam Allardyce is growing increasingly sick of winning plenty of plaudits but no points.