33 mins: Boateng played a one-two with Juninho in the centre of the pitch and before picking out Zenden running into space on the left side of the penalty area. His first touch wasn't great but the second was powerful enough to beat Given and the returning Bramble to find the far corner of the Gallowgate net. 

Bobby claimed later that he saw nothing wrong with our defending, but may wish to review the tape and then ask why Aaron Hughes charged across to challenge Boateng instead of staying with Zenden....  0-1

Half time:  Newcastle  0  Middlesbrough  1

63 mins: Robert, in space down the left, curled in a ball that was never going to reach Bellamy. As goalkeeper Schwarzer came out to reach the ball, Ehiogu inexplicably tried to clear but only succeeded in slicing the ball right into the path of Bellamy who was able to prod home from six yards.  1-1

83 mins: Ambrose took on Southgate on the right side of the area and fell under challenge from the England defender - not the most violent of fouls but definitely contact made, despite what Southgate tried to claim. 

Shearer ignored smog protests to calmly side-foot his spot kick low to Schwarzer's right. The 'keeper got close but the pace and accuracy of the kick right into the corner of the net foiled him 2-1.

Full time:  Newcastle  2  Middlesbrough  1

Sir Bobby said:

Steve McClaren adjusted his quiff and drawled:

Our splendid record against the chokers XI continues:

Smog on the Tyne - Premiership: 19 points from a possible 24

2003/04: Won 2-1 Bellamy, Shearer
2002/03: Won 2-0 Ameobi, S.Caldwell
2001/02: Won 3-0 Speed, Shearer, Bernard
2000/01: Lost 1-2 Cort
1999/00: Won 2-1 Shearer 2
1998/99: Drew 1-1 Shearer
1996/97: Won 3-1 Beardsley 2, Lee
1995/96: Won 1-0 Ferdinand

And for comparison, 

Toon on Smogside - Premiership: 17 points from a possible 24

2003/04: Won 1-0 Ameobi
2002/03: Lost 0-1 No scorer
2001/02: Won 4-1 Shearer 2, Dabizas, Robert
2000/01: Won 3-1 Shearer, Goma, Dyer.
1999/00: Drew 2-2 Speed, Pistone
1998/99: Drew 2-2 Charvet, Dabizas
1996/97: Won 1-0 Ferdinand
1995/96: Won 2-1 Watson, Ferdinand

692 minutes after his goal against Leeds, Alan Shearer found the back of the net to put an end to his goal drought. For Kieron Dyer though, the first anniversary of his last troubling the Premiership scorers passed in familiar style - that's now 46 league games since his double effort at Elland Road in February 2003.

A second win double of the season coming hard on the heels of the Fulham one and as we seem incapable of adding to our pair of away wins, that's how it will stay. Opportunity still knocks though, with visits to Fratton Park, White Hart Lane, St.Mary's and our debut at the City of Manchester stadium to come.

It's now 15 Premiership games since we last conceded more than one goal in a game, when the roof fell in at Stamford Bridge last November.

And as for the opposition, if they are looking for pointers, this game was the final one before a Cup Final appearance, their 5th in 8 seasons. In those other four though they'd avoided defeat:

1996/97 League Cup final followed:
Boro 1 Forest 1

1996/97 League Cup final replay followed: 
Boro 3 Chesterfield 3

1996/97 FA Cup final followed:
Leeds 1 Boro 1

1997/98 League Cup final followed:
Boro 3 Norwich 0

2003/04 League Cup final followed:
Newcastle 2 Boro 1

Could this finally be the year that they break their trophy duck? Let's hope not. 

Come on you trotters!

It's a proven fact that beer does taste better after your team has won and although we pointedly refuse to adhere to any mumbo jumbo cobblers about this being a derby match, we extract special satisfaction from beating this lot. And celebrating in liquid form...

But when the empties have been collected and the last metro missed, squinting through one eye at the Premiership or the league table in that scrumpled-up copy of the Pink that fell out of your back pocket fails to tell the full story of this game.

If ever a result concealed a multitude of sins, then this one was it. 

Certainly Sir Bobby & Co. dare not bemoan a lack of luck or conspiracy of the fates in the rest of the season's post-match media inquests after the good fortune they enjoyed today.

Middlesbrough aren't a great team but have some useful players. And it remains a source of some irritation hereabouts that they seem capable of scrambling through the qualifying rounds of the League Cup, apparently by dint of being slightly less haughty than our lot when it comes to picking teams of players with applicable attitudes.

And having claimed maximum points on the comparatively lush swathe of Old Trafford last time out, on our rapidly browning pitch they remained eminently capable of playing the ball to feet and unsettling our defences, Zenden being allowed a dry run in from the left before opening the scoring with an improved shot second time round.

After a brief early flurry though, the home side by comparison were leaden-footed in the main and apparently lacking something in the grey matter department, as ball after ball was lumped forward for Shearer to tussle with Ehiogu and Southgate, while Bellamy hovered in the hope of being able to feed off the odd scrap. Pretty it wasn't.

Any semblance of wide play rapidly disappeared, with Ambrose constantly looking over his shoulder to try and keep tabs on the wayward Hughes and on the other wing, Robert apparently less interested in trying to get past Mills and fixated with whacking long-range free kicks into the crowd - I know he puts the odd raker in, but it seemed as one stage as if the Six Nations had come to St.James'...

And winding the handle on the NUFC.com gramophone, we'll also give an airing to that old favourite, the Kieron Dyer shuffle for the umpteenth time, now a scratched record with well-worn grooves, but one which curiously fails to make it to the top of the charts despite all the attendant hype. 

I'm obviously not clever enough to spot the vital contribution he makes to the "wor effort" and neither seemingly is Gary Speed, who sadly remains the pivotal figure in this team while he's the only midfielder prepared to scrap and slug it out with the big lads on the other side - and then do it all again 90 seconds later.

We endured 45 minutes during which we failed to put together any cohesive passages of play, with the exception of a move just before break that saw Dyer weakly poke the ball goalwards, in a similar manner to that which brought Cort a goal at Molineux later that afternoon. Lightning doesn't strike twice though.....

The Dyer one had me beating my hands on the bare concrete wall behind my seat, utterly frustrated that he didn't put his foot through the ball and just pagger the bloody thing - am I alone in thinking that?

Anyway, half time came and the half-expected boos rang out from home sections - and without rekindling that particular debate, those pouring scorn had a point.

Back for more then with a slight upturn in the atmosphere and if not skillwise at least an apparent redoubling of effort by the black and whites. Attacking the Gallowgate end, we continued though to show little in terms of movement or creating chances for either Bellamy or Shearer.

And then, just after the hour, things started to unravel for the League Cup finalists....Robert skimmed over a speculative cross from the left with some urgency for once and all at once, Boro were undone.

Perhaps Schwarzer was momentarily confused by the fact American rapper Coolio appeared to have invaded the pitch, fatally pausing until he realised it was in fact the erratically-haired Ehiogu - by then in the act of teeing up Bellamy to walk the ball into the empty net.

As the crowd came to life and Bellamy's gob moved into overdrive (some lovely wind up verbals on Mills as the goalscorer retreated back to his own half) we suddenly regained some of our old assurance and the ball began to flow downhill towards the Boro goal.

Bellamy's measured first-time beaut of a volley from a right wing cross almost did the trick, as did Robert's reprise of a free kick that he once used to good effect at Derby County, hooking a grass-cutter round the outside of the wall and forcing the 'keeper into a save at the foot of his right-hand post.

Speed and Ambrose were also involved as the ball pinged around the Boro box and both Newcastle players and crowd apparently sensed that a winner was coming and upped the ante (no idea what that means but it sounds canny...)

The barmy and increasingly rattled Mills was booked ten minutes after the equaliser, which should surely have been the signal for Robert or someone to torment him down the flank and provoke him into the madness that he'd previously demonstrated in that corner of the ground when playing for Leeds and lashing out at Bellamy.

That didn't happen, but with just over five minutes left the breakthrough came down the opposite flank when Southgate was tempted to tiptoe too far towards the in-flight Ambrose and Poll ignored the clearer view of the linesman on the Milburn side to comply with the crowd's wishes. Had it been Joonneeeneeoooh at the Riverside, he'd probably have got the verdict as well.....

The big man ended his goal drought by converting from the spot and then celebrated in front of the Gallowgate with a roar that was a combination of excitement and pure relief - and after their late chance was ruled offside, I knew how he felt....

Verdict from the heart? Great to beat them again, nice to get three points, good to be back fourth and enjoyable to silence them with two goals that woke the crowd up.

Verdict from the head? Two self-inflicted goals got us off the hook, our soft midfield was rendered impotent for an hour, two talented strikers got better service from the opposition than from their own players and without Woodgate the defence creaks like an old barn door in the wind.

Twelve games to go then, plus the UEFA Cup adventure - in all probability there'll be another dozen tight tussles like this one and we'll need significant quantities of resolve, spirit, skill and luck. Better check that inventory again Bobby, some of the vital supplies appear to be missing - good job we'd stocked up on the others, this time. 

Biffa

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