Caldwell clinches it for lucky Magpies

Newcastle 2 Middlesbrough 0

The Scottish international, included for the first time since March 2001 because of a defensive crisis, pounced on an error by Boro goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer to prod home his side’s second goal three minutes from time after Shola Ameobi had scored the opener.

It was hard luck on Schwarzer who produced superb stops from Alan Shearer, Hugo Viana and Kieron Dyer to keep the Teessiders in contention on a night when the scoreline did not properly reflect what was a tough battle.

Boro, who might have had two penalties and forced Shay Given into several good stops as well as hitting the post, will feel mightily aggrieved to have left Tyneside with nothing to show for their efforts other than full-back Franck Queudrue’s second successive red card.

Bobby Robson’s side rode their luck but crucially took their chances and could have won even more handsomely.

United struggled to get to grips with the fluidity of the Teessiders’ midfield in the first-half as George Boateng allowed Geremi, Jonathan Greening and Joseph Job to link with strikers Massimo Maccarone and Szilard Nemeth.

Geremi forced a fine 15th-minute save from Given after Hughes had cleared a Maccarone header off the line.

The Teessiders might then have had a penalty after Maccarone was felled by Hughes - but just as they started to believe they fell behind.

Ameobi attempted to flick Speed’s pass on to Nolberto Solano. But when the ball came back off Gareth Southgate he was first to react to fire past the stranded Schwarzer in the 20th minute.

Job, Greening and Queudrue all chanced their arm from distance - with the Cameroon international’s 31st-minute shot warming Given’s hands.

United thought they had extended their lead seven minutes before the break when Shearer fired home from an Ameobi cross. But referee Graham Barber had blown early if harshly for a foul on Ehiogu by Ameobi.

The visitors were almost back on terms with 55 minutes gone when Maccarone unleashed a right-foot piledriver which evaded Given’s dive but came back off the post.

Both managers moved to change things with 20 minutes remaining as Carlos Marinelli for the visitors and Dyer and Viana for the home side entered the fray. The Magpies duo combined to great effect within two minutes, Viana curling a shot just over from the England midfielder’s tapped free-kick.

Schwarzer pulled off a fine stop from Shearer eight minutes from time and then made a magnificent double save from Viana and Dyer four minutes later to keep his side in it.

But the Australian’s failure to collect Viana’s corner handed Caldwell the chance to mark his return from close range.

Queudrue, who had earlier been booked for a foul on Ameobi, received his marching orders - for the second game in succession - in the dying seconds for a challenge on Griffin to complete Boro’s miserable evening.

NEWCASTLE: Given, Griffin, Hughes, Caldwell, Bernard, Solano (Dyer 71), Jenas, Speed, Robert (Viana 71), Shearer, Ameobi.

MIDDLESBROUGH: Schwarzer, Parnaby, Southgate, Ehiogu, Queudrue, Geremi, Boateng, Greening, Job, Nemeth (Marinelli 70), Maccarone.

Referee: G Barber (Hertfordshire).