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Newcastle 2-0 Middlesbrough

Newcastle rode their luck to win the north-east derby thanks to goals from Shola Ameobi and Stephen Caldwell.

The defeat means Middlesbrough have taken just one point in three games, though Steve McClaren's team will feel that the score flattered Newcastle.

We've ground out a result

Newcastle manager Sir Bobby Robson

The biggest sense of injustice belonged to Middlesbrough's Massimo Maccarone.

The Italian striker had a header cleared off the line, a reasonable penalty appeal turned down and saw a second-half shot cannon off the post.

Key incidents

20 mins: Shola Ameobi gives Newcastle the lead

87 mins: Stephen Caldwell doubles Newcastle's advantage

90 mins: Frank Queudrue's dismissal completes a miserable evening for Middlesbrough

Rubbing salt into Middlesbrough's wounds, Frank Queudrue was dismissed late on for the second consecutive game, while Newcastle's win saw them move ahead of their local rivals in the Premiership table.

Photo gallery: Action from St James' Park

Early on after Laurent Robert's low shot was blocked by Mark Schwarzer's feet, Middlesbrough enjoyed a purple patch of play and were unlucky not to score.

Aaron Hughes did well to clear Maccarone's header off the line and Shay Given could only palm away Geremi's low shot.

The Italian striker was also flabbergasted that just before Newcastle's goal he was not awarded a penalty after being brought down by Hughes.

Television replays showed that Maccarone was clearly fouled.

Soon after the restart, the former Empoli striker's powerful shot rebounded back off Given's left-hand upright.

Newcastle's Aaron Hughes and Middlesbrough's Joseph-Desire Job challenge for the ball
Middlesbrough have won just one point in nine

In that early period of Middlesbrough dominance, Geremi was particularly influential, frequently slipping away from Robert and giving Olivier Bernard plenty of problems.

Geremi was equally happy to surge infield and just past the half-hour another of his efforts went narrowly wide.

In the face of this Middlesbrough onslaught, Newcastle took advantage of a misplaced George Boateng pass to snatch the lead.

Gary Speed chipped the ball into Ameobi, who tried to flick the ball behind Gareth Southgate into the path of Nolberto Solano.

Ameobi failed to find Solano, but the flick rebounded off Southgate back into the path of the Newcastle striker, who quickly reacted to drill the ball past Schwarzer.

Schwazer made three excellent saves in the second-half, but from a corner the Middlesbrough goalkeeper fumbled, allowing Stephen Caldwell to wrap up the game for Sir Bobby Robson's side.

The only minor irritation for Newcastle was Alan Shearer's failure to score his 100th league goal.

Always in a derby game the first goal's important

Middlesbrough manager Steve McClaren

If the former England striker had managed that feat he would have equalled Jimmy Greaves' record of scoring 100 league goals for two different English clubs.

The Newcastle star did get the ball in the net in the first half, but Amoebi was adjudged to have fouled Ugo Ehiogu in the build-up to the 'goal'.

A miserable night for Middlesbrough was concluded with Queudrue's late dismissal.

Newcastle: Given, Griffin, Hughes, Caldwell, Bernard, Solano (Dyer 71), Jenas, Speed, Robert (Viana 71), Shearer, Ameobi.
Subs Not Used: Elliott, Harper, LuaLua.

Booked: Griffin, Shearer.

Middlesbrough: Schwarzer, Parnaby, Southgate, Ehiogu, Queudrue, Geremi, Boateng, Greening, Job, Nemeth (Marinelli 70), Maccarone.
Subs Not Used: Vidmar, Crossley, Cooper, Wilkshire.

Sent Off: Queudrue (90).

Booked: Ehiogu, Queudrue.

Attendance: 51,558.

Referee: G Barber (Hertfordshire).


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