Bradford City defender Darren Moore is hoping to shrug off a knee injury to fulfil an ambition and line up against England captain Alan Shearer tomorrow.

The Bantams travel to Tyneside for their FA Cup fourth round clash with Newcastle hoping to extend their fine recent run of eight wins in nine league and cup games.

City's 24-year-old defender has been receiving treatment since the 2-1 midweek victory over Crystal Palace in the hope he can extend his ever-present record this season.

Moore said: "I have got a bit of fluid on the knee which has made it a bit sore since the game. It is just a case of hoping it settles down.

"I have had round-the-clock treatment with physio Steve Redmond and I am confident I will be fit. I don't want to miss any game, never mind a trip to St James' Park which, as a kid, is somewhere you dream of playing."

Asked if he had any special plans to deal with Shearer, he said: "I would imagine if I am playing that I will be marking him. Everyone knows what the lad can do but all we can do is work hard and concentrate throughout."

Manager Paul Jewell is relishing the clash and has called for a repeat of the workrate his side have shown in the First Division during the last few weeks. However he did stress that City's task is a difficult one.

He said: "People are talking about Newcastle as if they are going through an awful time. They still have one of the best three strikers in the world and other world class players too.

"Just because we are second and they are in the bottom half of the table, everyone seems to assume that it will be an easy win for us. I just want us to go and do ourselves justice."

When the draw was made, Jewell banned his players from talking about the Newcastle clash until after the Crystal Palace game in midweek. And he believes this has helped the Bantams chalk up three consecutive league wins since beating Grimsby in the FA Cup.

"We have kept the game out of our minds. I just thought that with us going so well at the moment that the important thing was the league games must not be overshadowed.

"That maybe happened a little when we played Leeds United in the Worthington Cup so I decided to approach the game in a different manner."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.