Three times this season I've dirtied my feet on Wearside to watch Newcastle in some shape or form (reserves, kids, big lads) and three times I've safely returned to civilisation, honours even.

However, in stark contrast to the meagre turnouts for the previous two visits, Saturday was the real deal and amidst all the hype and hyperbole, Tyne-Wear derbies thankfully returned to their rightful place: Saturday afternoons in the top league, with both sides officially represented in the stands, a situation not afforded to us since we last lost on Wearside in 1980.

Whether this situation ever gets repeated however, depends very much on whether the local cops are prepared to invest time, manpower and money to keep the two factions apart as they did here. While a fully-escorted, roads blocked off, helicopter-shadowed bus convoy from Tyneside was certainly the safest way to get there, apart from digging a tunnel, God knows what it cost.

Similarly, the thin yellow line between mags and mackems outside the away end brought back memories of the Miners strike, as one side frantically tried to elude the human police barrier and the other stood back and watched, from a safe distance. Had serious disorder become a reality, rest assured significant reinforcements round the corner would have had their card games interrupted.

It has to be said that our Wearside brethren seem to be significantly more wound up about this whole Tyne-Wear thing than we are. Perhaps it's all that envy about lifestyle and facilities. How else can one explain the wild-eyed drooling maniacs we were confronted with at 5pm ? 

Perhaps a better use of resources by the local authorities would be to have the fire brigade turn their hoses on the unwashed mackem masses. Were one to credit this wild bunch with any sense, a plot to cause disorder on a scale likely to thrust local MP's into rushed media releases and ban away fans might be suspected. In the event, the mindless lunacy that saw one loon propel himself the length of the pitch to dive in among the toon fans seems to be infectious round here.

As to the on-pitch proceedings that punctuated this testosterone fest, suffice it to say that things didn't all go according to plan for us. With the presence of a central defence one could reasonably call "suspect", things went remarkably well until the home side started to bounce the ball towards the head of one N.Quinn. Cue panic by the Greek on an opponent-hugging scale not seen since his infamous Highbury early bath.

The Sunderland defence seemed to be similarly incapable of reading our attacking game, and the two goals bagged should have been at least doubled as Dyer and Domi found unexpected avenues to goal. The game threatened to become the stuff of black and white dreams until a jolt of reality from Kevin Phillips gave a reminder of the home record that had been stoutly defended here all season, and was never going to be surrendered to deadly foes such as ourselves without a fight.

Everyone in the ground and seemingly in the Newcastle dressing room knew what to expect from the second half and unfortunately we seemed to be incapable of shaking things up from the inevitable. 

The unfortunate injury to Pistone certainly upset our forward momentum, and Bobby may have intended to introduce Hughes for one of his struggling defenders after an hour in an ideal world, but the initiative seemed to have been surrendered once the teams changed ends. That said, the dirty mackems left it late to get one back, and that had dubious elements to it, Steve Harper having made three great saves before having no chance with a second Phillips strike from close in.

A brief glimpse of Diego Gavilan didn't provide any opportunity to check out his supposed gifts, while an earlier introduction for Kevin Gallacher may have provided the outlet that we searched for in the later stages. Certainly the lad was straining at the leash to get on, in contrast to Auntie Alan, who didn't make the impact he would have prayed for. However, this was one game where he was wasn't going to be substituted - that would have been too ironic.....

I would have gladly grabbed a point pre-match, as I suspect Bobby would have, but at 3.22pm, as more goals and glory beckoned, three should really have been claimed. This United side is very much a work in progress, by no means the finished article: some old adage about running and walking seems vaguely appropriate in this case. 

As things stand, defeating the teams currently below us in our remaining fixtures will keep us away from bother, but the steady progress needs to be maintained against Manchester United next week. 

One or two regular SJP attendees would do well to reflect on the justified praise heaped on home fans here for their vocal support and encouragement. However, if they do climb off their hands and cheer us on against Fergie's boys, please don't behave like the mackem goons who partially invaded the pitch and chanted racist slogans at visiting black players. 

You wouldn't want to get mistaken for this lot....