45mins Saints old boy Alan Shearer thought he had given us the lead when he poked a Bellamy pullback from the left goalwards. However, replays showed that his effort appeared to be going wide before David Prutton knocked it into the net. 1-0

Half time: Southampton 0 Newcastle 1

53mins Svensson 1-1

57mins Carr's winner came four minutes later in front of the travelling away contingent, crashing in from distance after a free-kick had been touched on to him by Jenas. 2-1

Full time: Southampton 1 Newcastle 2

Souness said:

"It was a gritty and determined performance. We scored two good goals then found ourselves under pressure in the second half.

"They played route one stuff, really in your face and we needed to stand up and be counted and we did that. Hopefully, with a few breaks, we can do well for this club this season.

"The four midfield players we had are more solid types. I just wanted to be a little harder to play against.

"It's difficult football to play against. It was an extremely direct approach, launching it from anywhere on the park.

"But my back four deserve special credit because they dealt with Crouch when he came on and another big striker in James Beattie.

"It was a bit of a throw-back to some years ago with certain teams but we dealt with it very well and that's all you can ask.

"We were solid against difficult opposition. We played some decent stuff in the first half and in the second half our backs were against the wall. The players were determined. We tried to be a bit more solid.

"At Newcastle we have to get what Arsenal and Manchester United have had for a number of years where the cause is all important.

"We can't be a soft touch at the other end. The priority for me is the defending because there is nothing to coach going forward.

"The biggest thing for me was that we were gritty and determined.

"We asked Jenas to do a specific job. Fernandes drags it down the line and checks back on his left-foot and swings it in for James Beattie. He didn't do that once in 90 minutes and that is a big part of their football."

Shearer said of the opening goal:

"Of course I'll try and claim it, believe me. My intention was to kick it at goal and it ended in the back of the net."

And so another unwanted record bites the dust, as we bridged a thirty two year gap and recorded a first league win at the Saints since decimalization. 

In case you didn't know, there are two big ones left now Graeme, or three if you're one of those people who believe we owe the mackems a towsing of the highest order....Man United at Old Trafford and a trophy, any trophy. 

Sort that pair out, you'll be immortalised next to Earl Grey....and you can plant flags anywhere you like after you've been given the freedom of the city and our drinks cabinet.

It may well be a heck of trek for toon-based fans to get here, but after walking away from our third visit of the year to this ground, it's a wee bit bonkers to reflect that now the bogey is banished this is one of our more rewarding haunts.  

As Cameron Diaz might say, there's something about St.Mary's - certainly our recurring Dell Hell is now long banished from the memory. 

Eight goals, two wins and a draw in 2004, to which can be added a 1-1 draw on our second visit - only a 3-1 last day of the season defeat on our debut at the ground saw us lose at St.Mary's, on a day when we had demob fever and the game was overshadowed by that challenge on Dyer by El Khalej.

Here today we stopped Southampton playing and found enough quality when it mattered to beat them. Hardly rocket science, but it was revolutionary enough to see us into uncharted territory. For those that might quibble about the style, we're more than happy to have a go at winning as being the new entertainment and see where that gets us.

Maybe it was the shock of winning here, but we looked a different side here, clad in our blue and black away garb for the first time. Souness picked a team, picked a formation and told his players what to do - and guess what? they did it.

For one reason or another the maverick talents of Dyer, Robert and Ameobi didn't feature, which may have helped in making us more United and should hopefully provoke some head-scratching from those excluded. How they react is up to them - earn their money or sling their hook, it's their call.

And while Robbie Elliott may currently be written about in glowing terms, we're cynical enough to recall some of his less impressive performances in this second stint at the club. But given the chance, he's contributing to the team and exhibiting professionalism - a concept seemingly alien to some of our lot in recent times.

From Bellamy on the wing to Jenas playing a wide holding role, they did their job as allotted, with Bellamy breaking ranks and popping up on the left side of the box to good effect in added time at the end of the first half. 

And up front Shearer may not have had the best of days, but the ball left his foot and ended up in the back of the net for a goal no less important than any he's scored for us. Kluivert also showed more signs that he's getting into the groove and responding to the new regime in place here. 

If Souness does puncture egos and install some reality among the players then he'll find support from the average Newcastle supporter, increasingly embittered at the way in which the club they love they adore conducts itself. 

From the fantasy world of motoring convictions, £100 short back and sides and god knows what else to the overblown rubbish spouted by the chairman, all people want is an honest team giving honest performances - something they can relate to. 

Having the players report in to the training ground more often is as good a way of restricting their social lives as banning them from the bright lights of the toon. 

There's no doubting that we've played three rotten teams in nine days. But we've beaten them. 

Short of keeping three clean sheets, scoring more goals and ending each game with 11 players we couldn't really have done much more. After all, how many times previously have we stumbled when confronted with a similar set of fixtures?

What of our new leader then? - clad in his Sunday best and from what we could see, spending the full ninety four minutes of the game on his feet - perhaps he didn't want to spoil the nice crease in his britches.

And at the end, a broad smile and a wee punch of the air as he took the congratulations of his pitchside confidants and allowed himself a look into the bowels of the director's box. 

Some people thought he may have been seeking out Saints Chairman Rupert Lowe, but we prefer to believe that he was more concerned about the fact our Chairman was sitting next to Mrs Souness.

No big gestures, no milking the applause of the travelling fans - and he didn't even join in with the daft chant, of which his version would probably have been "hand-crafted Italian shoes off....."

We've guffawed at the antics of Souness enough in the past though to know that the lid could come off at any time and that cool exterior will be blown away. 

A pair of touchline bans within 18 months, a ten grand fine and numerous other shenanigans make it a shorter odds bet than it was for him to become toon boss that at some time the mask will slip. 

For now though we'll take solace in these relatively calm waters and get some points on the board, aware of the fact that the next tidal wave to wash across the deck of HMS Newcastle is out there somewhere, even if we can't see it yet.

It's very early days of course and in beating Blackburn, Sakhnin and Southampton we've only done the equivalent of skipping round the Maginot Line.

The real battles lie ahead, but if nothing else this season has become more interesting than it threatened to be when Bobby's Long Goodbye and Shearer's scoring record were the only thing on the agenda. For that and this victory if for nowt else, we're grateful.

Biffa

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