Newcastle Utd 3, Middlesbrough 1:SALVATION COULD never be simple on this torrid night. Newcastle United are out of the relegation zone and stand above Hull City, on goal difference, thanks to a winner from Obafemi Martins, who scored within moments of replacing Michael Owens.
Mark Viduka and Nolan helped set him up in the 71st minute and as he lost his balance on the turn the striker still put his finish into the corner of the net.
There was a third goal for Newcastle after 86 minute when Kevin Nolan picked out another substitute, Peter Lovenkrands, to shoot home. This was the club’s first victory under Alan Shearer, and the first time that Newcastle have come from behind to win this season.
Persistence was the key after the hosts conceded the opener to Middlesbrough, who seem sure now to be bound for the Championship.
As relegation struggles so often show, it can be terror that liberates sides. There were no inhibitions here, with each side having scored within 10 minutes. By conceding so early each club may have shown the ill-luck and disorganisation that has led their plight, but no one in the crowd would have been reproachful when the excitement was so intense. Even the Newcastle holding player Nicky Butt was so uninhibited that he jinked towards the by-line after 26 minutes.
The uncontrollable nature of the action could be agonising as the unfortunate Habib Beye blamelessly allowed the visitors to take the lead with an own goal in the third minute. Tuncay manoeuvred for a drive that Steve Harper parried against the Newcastle right-back for the ball to run into the net. It was a night when much adversity had to be faced and Tuncay eventually had to be stretchered off, to be replaced by Marlon King in the 36th minute. He had landed awkwardly and appeared to damage his ankle.
Middlesbrough’s other woes included the dark arts of the set-piece when conceding the equaliser after nine minutes. Nolan seemed to block the makeshift centre-half Matthew Bates as Danny Guthrie lifted over a corner and Steve Taylor headed home firmly.
Shearer must have been stirred by the encouragement. Newcastle had not collected three points at home since long before he was appointed, against Tottenham Hotspur in December. Faith in a win against Middlesbrough must therefore have been based on the idea that terror would inspire them where all else had failed. More practically, there was a realisation the visitors had lost their last 10 away fixtures in the league.
That did not stop them from looking the more refined side in the first half. Gareth Southgate had not been passive. Injury had its influence on his selection, but the manager also opted to put Marvin Emnes in the line-up regardless of the fact the 20-year-old’s sole previous start had come on his debut in a League Cup-tie with Yeovil in August. Elsewhere, he plumped for Mohamed Shawky in midfield.
Emnes went through the centre to smash an effort at Harper, but when the ball came back to the attacker he drilled it wide after half an hour.
There was more individualism to Newcastle. Viduka embodied that with a turn away from two men for a cross on to the head of Michael Owen, who had been reinstated in the starting line-up. Brad Jones displayed fine reflexes to tip the ball over the bar in the 27th minute.
Each side must have been galvanised by the inability of Hull to arrest their fall. Despite the idealism exuded by Southgate, the opener here had been just their 10th league goals in 18 away trips in the league. This match was an extreme test.
NEWCASTLE UTD:Harper, Beye, Steven Taylor, Bassong, Duff, Guthrie, Butt, Nolan, Gutierrez (Lovenkrands 65), Owen (Martins 70), Viduka (Carroll 87). Subs not used:Krul, Coloccini, Ryan Taylor, LuaLua. Booked:Butt, Duff, Nolan.
MIDDLESBROUGH:Jones, Hoyte, Bates, Huth, Taylor (Adam Johnson 76), Downing, O'Neil, Shawky (Aliadiere 69), Sanli, Emnes, Alves (King 36). Subs not used:Turnbull, Arca, McMahon, Grounds. Booked:Bates.
Referee:Mike Dean (Wirral).
Guardian Service
