Shearer in confident mood

Paris - Newcastle captain Alan Shearer was in confident mood before their UEFA Cup fixture at home to Dutch club Heerenveen on Thursday, believing they could make it through to at least the last four.

Newcastle's 2-1 victory in the Netherlands in the first leg meant the north east club had a record of six wins from their seven UEFA Cup games this season.

"We got to the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup last season and fell at the last hurdle and I'm confident we can at least get that far again this time around," said the former England captain.

It was the 34-year Shearer who got Newcastle back into the first leg at the Abe Lenstra stadium last week with an equaliser after Heerenveen had scored first. Lee Bowyer went on to hit the winner.

Newcastle went on to beat Chelsea on Sunday to earn a home FA Cup quarter-final tie against Tottenham or Nottingham Forest to make it a big week for Graeme Souness's men.

Should Newcastle win, they would meet Greeks Olympiakos or Sochaux of France in the last 16. Olympiakos are 1-0 up from the first leg with the trip to France to come.

Middlesbrough still have work to do against Graz AK, who have Champions League experience and beat Scotland's Rangers in the UEFA Cup group stages, in their home match. In the first leg, the Austrians twice equalised for an eventual 2-2 scoreline.

Should Middlesbrough beat Graz AK, they will come up against Sporting Lisbon or Dutch club Feyenoord. Sporting lead 2-1 before their trip to the Netherlands.

Middlesbrough captain Gareth Southgate is wary of picking up a European ban after a yellow card in last week's first leg. The 34-year-old England international was booked for the second time in this season's competition in Austria and a similar fate at the Riverside would rule him out of the first leg of the tie against either Sporting Lisbon or Feyenoord if they go through.

"I couldn't believe it when the ref produced a yellow card," he said.

Coach Steve McClaren told The Evening Gazette that reaching the last 16 would be a major achievement for his club "and we want to be there" he asserted.

"We won't be under-estimating Grazer. We know that we have a very tough match to come if we are to get through this round."

The first leg of the tie between Austria Vienna and Athletic Bilbao is being held Thursday after snow postponed last week's fixture. The second leg has been scheduled for Sunday.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin