New Delhi: A 3-1 win in the Tyne-Tees derby for Newcastle has strengthened their survival hopes while Middlesbrough could be doomed.
A sardined St. James' Park Stadium greeted Newcastle United's 3-1 win over Middlesbrough with a raucous uproar as fans repeatedly bellowed and hailed their potential saviour - Alan Shearer, who looked emotional at the final whistle.
The victory, though, could doom Gareth Southgate's 'Boro outfit, who have just two games remaining to remedy their woes.
The goals arrived from a Habib Beye own goal in the opening stages, Steven Taylor swiftly riposted, before Obafemi Martins and Peter Lovekrands struck the winner and the sealer in the second half.
An electric atmosphere pumped its way around the terraces of Newcastle's home ground in the minutes preceding kick-off and the 52,000 attendees, minus the travelling Teessiders, could all be seen frantically waving their black and white flags as they performed their part in forming, as requested by various key personnel, an intimidating arena.
Within moments of referee Mike Dean signalling the start of the game - a match that pitted two local north-east rivals together, and was also a relegation dog-fight - a frenetic to-and-fro ensued, and after the third minute, the game had its first goal.
After some good work by Afonso Alves that helped play-in Turkish international Tuncay Sanli, Newcastle glovesman Steve Harper closed him down, but in the kerfuffle Habib Beye could not control his footwork and the ball trickled over the line to give the visitor's an away lead.
The crowd were stunned. Only one pocket of fans were chanting. The vast majority of St. James' Park had been silenced.
But the stadium decibel levels, that had been so proud during the game's build-up, was to be restored only six minutes later.
Australian Mark Viduka, who has featured only intermittently during the current campaign but was deemed to pose enough of a creative threat to 'Boro to convince Shearer to field him, struck the frame of the goal in the sixth minute, but Steven Taylor went one better in the ninth as he rocketed a bullet-like header into Bradley Jones' net. It was a great dead-ball cross, from the corner, into the head of Taylor, and the Newcastle defender - who was born in the London borough of Greenwich, screamed the black and white of Tyneside as he celebrated with the crowd.
Newcastle then eased their way into the game after the initial hiccup, and after sustained periods of possessional play, Jones was forced into action as Viduka sent a well-weighted cross into the box, and the diminutive Michael Owen got ahead of his marker to nod goal-ward. Jones managed to palm the header skyward and behind for a further corner kick that bore little fruit.
The first-half finished one-goal-a-piece, but there were further talking points including a perceived Andrey Taylor hand-ball that was over-ruled, as well as a clear chance for Marvin Emnes, but the Dutchman failed to re-store Middlesbrough's lead as Harper parried, and Emnes blasted the rebound off-target.
The second half began much in the same manner as the first; without the goals but with all the drama, as both Viduka and Nicky Butt had chances to get United in front for the first time in the evening. Viduka aimed to doom his former club via his backheel - a tactic many players had done in the past that unwittingly doomed an opponent into England's second tier; Denis Law's infamous reverse clip immediately springs to mind...
As the game grew on, Shearer made a set of inspired substitutions. He brought on Lovenkrands and Martins in the space of five minutes, and the Nigerian scored in his first minute of football on the evening. Kevin Nolan played a delicate pass into the path of the former Internazionale ace, and 'Oba' drove right into the corner of Jones' net.
Lovenkrands ensured the points and wrapped up the win with United's third goal in the 86th minute with a powerful volleyed attempt.
An almost teary-looking Alan Shearer stood by the touchline as a proud crowd chanted so loudly on the final whistle, that this result could have been mistaken for a cup and/or domestic division win.
The fate of Newcastle United is now in their own hands, as they usurp Hull City to 17th position in the Premier League, beating the Yorkshire outfit on goal-difference despite having the same amount of points. Middlesbrough, though, have it all to do.
LINE UPS
Newcastle - Harper, Beye, Steven Taylor, Bassong, Duff, Guthrie, Butt, Nolan, Gutierrez, Owen, Viduka.
Subs - Krul, Coloccini, Martins, Ryan Taylor, Lovenkrands, LuaLua, Carroll.
Middlesbrough - Jones, Hoyte, Bates, Huth, Taylor, Downing, O'Neil, Shawky, Sanli, Emnes, Alves.
Subs - Turnbull, Aliadiere, King, Arca, Adam Johnson, McMahon, Grounds.
Goal-Scorers - Beye [OG] (3), Taylor (9), Martins (71), Lovenkrands (86).
Referee - Mike Dean
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