4. Alan Shearer (0-2 vs Arsenal) - FA Cup Final 1998
Arguably the easiest inclusion on this list was the last time Newcastle United got within touching distance of a major honour. Although they would find themselves back at Wembley the following season, the pasting they received by a Manchester United side on their way to a domestic and European treble makes it hardly worthy of mention, but for a brief spell in the 1998 cup final, there really was a golden opportunity to end the long wait for silverware. Arsenal were favourites going into this game and had the better of the early exchanges, culminating in Marc Overmars shrugging off Alessandro Pistone to sneak in for the opening goal, but as the first 45 drew to a close Newcastle were starting to see progressively more of the ball. The momentum continued after the restart and Rob Lee's cross was headed off the bar by, of all people, Nikos Dabizas, and Arsenal retreated further and further back into their own half. Then the chance came. Tony Adams mis-controlled on the edge of his own box and presented the ball to Alan Shearer, his ensuing panic at the situation robbing him of all balance and chance of recovery. Shearer took a few strides forward and, from a rapidly vanishing angle and on his weaker foot, lashed his shot past David Seaman only to be greeted by the cold, deflating thud of the post. In the end, Arsenal's quality and Newcastle's adventure for a goal led to Nicolas Anelka wrapping things up on the counter attack some minutes later, and the huddled sunburned masses from Tyneside headed back home with nothing to show for their day save a souvenir programme and hole in their wallets. But the balance and flow of a football match is a funny thing, and had Newcastle carried all the confidence going into the final third of the game that an equaliser would have brought, they'd have been the more likely to win it.