Football: BACK PAINS FOR ADAMS; NEWCASTLE 3 COVENTRY 1 Defensive howlers cost Sky Blues.

Byline: IAN CLARKSON at St James' Park

THERE was brand new pitch and a brand new manager but it was same old Coventry as they crashed out of the FA Cup at Newcastle.

The Premiership side had ripped up their pitch and laid brand new surface for the visit of Coventry, but Micky Adams will have been kicking the turf after acouple of defensive howlers cost his team.

Shocking errors ensured that his first game in charge ended in defeat - and it cold have been worse if Luke Steele hadn't pulled off a string of fine saves.

The on-loan Manchester United shotstopper proved that he could be the best goalkeeper at Old Trafford on current form but was powerless to stop Newcastle racing into a two-goal lead.

Alan Shearer and Shola Ameobi capitalised on mistakes from Richard Duffy and Stuart Giddings to leave Coventry reeling, although Dele Adebola pulled a goal back in the third minute of first half injury time to give the Sky Blues hope.

But after Celestine Babayaro cut through two weak tackles seven minutes into the second half and smacked a deflected drive past Steele it was game over.

Coventry kept plugging away until the end, but Shay Given could have gone home early as he wasn't called into action again.

Adamsknew it was going to be a tough job at Highfield Road when he took over, but he was in good spirits despite the defeat and reckons the future looks brighter.

He said: 'The boys worked hard and that has given me renewed confidence for the battle ahead.

'I was pleased with the new signings - Duffy and Christian Negouai - who were excellent. I think they will be decent acquisitions. They both need gamesand there is a bit of work to do but I can't ask for any more.

'I don't want to kid anyone at the club. We are not battling for promotion - we are in a relegation dogfight.

'It was a fair result. The team are still learning lessons and they have improved on last week's showing against Queens Park Rangers. I was pleased with the effort but class tells in the end. The fans were terrific for us today and we are going to need them for the remaining months of the season.'

Adams also paid tribute to his young keeper, who produced a top-class performance and kept the score respectable. And he is convinced that he will go on to bigger and better things in the future.

'Luke Steele is a terrific prospect and is as good as anyone out there at his age,' added Adams. 'He will only get better and I think it wasagood piece of business from Manchester United to buy him.

'Wehaveonly got him till the end of the season and he will be a top quality goalkeeper.'

Andy Morrell's return to the north-east ended in disappointment as he was carried off with a twisted ankle inside 15 seconds.

That set the tone for the afternoon and Steele produced his first wonder save of the game after 11 minutes when he turned a fierce Babayaro drive round the post. Duffy's last-ditch tackle denied Shearer as he was poised to pull the trigger and Steele then parried Jermaine Jenas' header from point-blank range.

It was one-way traffic but the Sky Blues looked as though they were going to hold firm until Shearer struck eight minutes before the break.

Michael Doyle fed Duffy on the righthand side and his pass back to Doyle fell short and Jenas picked the ball upon the half-way line.

He ran into the area before squaring the ball to Shearer, whose shot from the edge of the box took a slight deflection and beat Steele.

Five minutes later Coventry fell further behind after young full-back, Giddings was caught in possession.

The left back was trying to shield an aimless pass from Titus Bramble out of play but Ameobi muscled him off the ball 35 yards from goal.

The big striker powered into the area before cutting in and smacking a sweet left-foot drive past Steele at his near post.

It looked like being a rout but Coventry then enjoyed their first spell of pressure and pulled a goal back through Adebola.

Stern John had a goal ruled out for offside but, in injury time, Adebola met a Stephen Hughes corner and flicked his header past Given and into the top corner.

Kieron Dyer's rocket shot was palmed away by Steele after the break but any thoughts of acomebackwere scuppered after Babayaro made it 3-1.

Dyer's runand pass found the left-back and he cut inside challenges from Duffy and Doyle before unleashing a rasping drive.

Patrick Kluivert crashed a header against the underside of the bar from two yards out following good work from Dyer and Shearer, but the last half hour fizzled out and Coventry's cup dreams have ended for another year.

However, Adams won't be unduly concerned and he will be looking ahead to the crucial fixture against Preston as he bids to keep the Sky Blues in the Championship.

STAR MAN: Luke Steele

CAPTION(S):

STUMBLING OUT: Coventry City's Richard Duffy is tripped by Newcastle's Shola Ameobi; BRIEF HOPE: Coventry striker Dele Adebola pulls a goal back in yesterday's defeat against Newcastle