1-0 22 mins Shearer rebound.

2-0 27 mins Cordone close-range shot.

3-0 29 mins Shearer header

3-1 31 mins Nolan shot.

Full time: NUFC 4 BCFC 3

3-2 57 mins Ward header

3-3 70 mins Ward close-range effort

4-3 71 mins Caldwell shot

Match facts:

Our biggest goal scoring spree in this competition since a 4-0 win at Stoke City in 1995/96.
Our biggest home tally in this competition since a 4-1 victory over Notts County in 1993/94.
Highest combined goal tally in one game since our 7-1 thumping of Notts County at Meadow Lane in 1993/94.
First defender to score in this competition since Darren Peacock at Stoke City in 1995/96. (Watson subsequently scored at Liverpool, but was playing in midfield.)
First defender to score at home in this competition since Philippe Albert against Bristol City in 1995/96.


We said:  uncle Bobby, who seemed as high as a kite said, 

''I'm happy, we've won 4-3 here and we've given the crowd a match. We needed a win at home, we needed to score goals and we've done both, and we're in the next round.

'We were three up and it went to 3-3 and they deserved it at the time. They played with a lot of spirit but, for the first half-hour, they weren't in the game. That was as good a half-hour as we've played all season. We were in the driving seat and we made a mistake for the goal which got them back to 3-1.

Then they get a second one from misplaced handling from the keeper and they've got nothing to lose. It's a one-night match. They're 3-2 down, they may as well be 7-2 down because the effect is the same. They just threw caution to the wind and it goes to 3-3.

'But we got the winner and we were inches away from getting another one at the end. You've seen a great game, a fantastic game. That's cup-tie football, you get results like that. It could have finished 6-4 this game.''

Bobby confirmed that he'd been unsighted for Shearer's second goal:

''I have to tell you this, I didn't see the third one. I was arguing with the linesman because we had a handball in the area. 'In my anger at him, I missed the goal, but we got what we deserved because we should have had a penalty."

Bobby also gave a tremendous speech to camera when interviewed by hapless Jeff Brown of Tyne Tees. Brown started his opening question with something along the lines of "well Bobby, a win but..." and got no further as Robson took notable exception to the word but and launched into a heartfelt defence of his team. This included such choice phrases as "you people (journalists) are never satisfied."

"They weren't performing, it's as simple as that. Things didn't work out. You can't play well all the time. They'll have good games and they'll have bad games.

While some media writers chose to link the events of this evening to Bonfire Night, giving the opportunity to throw some fireworks-related prose into their work, this correspondent chose to look slightly further ahead.

As well as hosting the largest crowd of the Worthington Cup this season, St. James' Park now seems to be the venue for the first pantomime of the Christmas period. Had the Newcastle defence dressed up as panto dames, they could hardly have been more entertaining, in a slapstick, pies-in-the-face way. However only moments before, they'd carried off a convincing act of a team that looked odds-on to inflict a beating of sizeable proportions on their visitors. No wonder Bobby looks bemused - he sees it every week, while one performance was enough to send the Bradford Chairman off to the nearby hospital.  

Not surprisingly, Bradford couldn't believe what they were witnessing. After having seen their own version of the ugly sisters (messrs Carbone and Collymore) singularly fail to forget their lines in the first half, Chris Hutchings introduced two more names from the past to bolster his seemingly moribund outfit. 

While Dean Saunders has sprinkled fairy dust for successive clubs to good effect against United since decimalisation, Ashley Ward had been rather less effective since way back in his Norwich days. That all changed, partly due to the increased tempo of the City performance and the open door policy seemingly employed by Harper and his defence. More than once Lee found himself the last defender, and his lack of pace was almost caught out, while Solano seemed caught in two minds between continuing his good work on the wing, and tracking to cover at the back.

Scottish U-21 captain Steve Caldwell certainly had a night to remember on his home debut, with a careless Shearer back pass catching him flat-footed for Bradford's first, and a missed tackle and vain attempt at a header failing to stop their second. By the time Ward bundled home the third via the young defender's shin, he must have cursed Aaron Hughes, whose late withdrawal through illness granted him his opportunity. However, it all turned out right in the end, and within a minute of Bradford drawing level, Caldwell was on hand to whack home Cordone's cross for what proved to be the winner.

Post-match, Peter Jackson and Bobby Moncur both praised Caldwell's contribution, and while he needs to work on his distribution (and could learn a thing or two from his younger brother), his effort and determination shone through. I'm sure Bobby Robson noticed as well that after scoring, Steve didn't embark on massive celebrations, but instead could be seen urging his more experienced colleagues not to let the lead slip. His voice could also be heard organising the defence at times - a rare feature of our backline in recent years.

4-3 scores may not be good for some people's health, but I'll take the risk. A peformance reminiscent of a Keegan team certainly kept me warm on a chilly Tyneside night.       

Biffa