Geremi goal sinks Magpies

Middlesbrough 1

CAMEROON international Geremi dented Newcastle’s unlikely title charge a devastating blow to claim the derby honours for Middlesbrough last night.

The midfielder headed home Franck Queudrue’s 62nd-minute cross to clinch the points in an entertaining contest which remained in the melting pot until the final whistle.

Juninho was handed a place in the starting line-up for the first time since his latest return to Middlesbrough.

He was one of three changes as the injured Chris Riggott and Malcolm Christie, as well as Colin Cooper, made way with Ugo Ehiogu and Massimo Maccarone also winning recalls.

Newcastle boss Sir Bobby Robson also shuffled his pack Andy O’Brien, Nolberto Solano and Hugo Viana dropping to the bench.

Titus Bramble was named alongside Middlesbrough-born Jonathan Woodgate at the heart of the defence, while Laurent Robert returned from suspension and Jermaine Jenas recovered from an Achilles problem to take over on the right side of midfield.

Boro lined up with Juninho sitting in the hole behind Michael Ricketts and Maccarone, but it took him a little time to get to grips with the pace of the game after such a long spell on the sidelines.

Jenas was finding plenty of space on the right and Mark Schwarzer had to come from his line to claim the 20-year-old’s third-minute cross after he had escaped Franck Queudrue with little difficulty.

However, it was the home fans who were on their feet seconds later after Juninho span away from Bramble and played the ball in towards Maccarone, although his pass was too strong.

Newcastle had started with the greater enterprise, but as the game wore on, Boro began to pose an increasing threat, Stuart Parnaby forcing a fine headed clearance from Woodgate after escaping from Olivier Bernard down the right.

George Boateng was penalised for clipping Robert’s heels on 20 minutes.

From the free-kick Alan Shearer’s ambitious effort from all of 35 yards sailed high over.

It was the Teessiders who mounted the first dangerous attack on 26 minutes when Juninho played Parnaby into space down the right and his first-time cross was taken off Ricketts’ toe in front of goal by Aaron Hughes.

But as the game switched rapidly from end to end, Dyer wasted another glorious opening two minutes later when, after Jenas had picked out his run, he steered a left-foot shot well wide of Schwarzer’s right post from the edge of the box.

The visitors found themselves on the back foot five minutes before half-time when Bernard was penalised for a foul on Juninho 20 yards out, but Geremi’s free-kick hit Jenas in the wall and Maccarone hit the loose ball over.

Boro found themselves back under the cosh within a minute of the restart when Dyer intercepted Ehiogu's loose pass and played Bellamy into space on the left.

Southgate managed to hold the Welshman up as he tried to round him inside the penalty area but he was able to pick out Robert, who sent in a curling cross which Southgate sliced over his own crossbar.

Boro finally broke the deadlock with 62 minutes gone when Queudrue was allowed time and space on the left to pick out Cameroon international Geremi, who managed to get in front of his marker to send a header past Shay Given and into the back of the net.

It could have been 2-0 three minutes later when Boateng’s reverse pass caught out the United defence to put Parnaby in on goal, but the youngster blazed his first-time effort high over.

United were in trouble again on 70 minutes after Dyer was bundled off the ball inside the Boro box, Greening and Juninho combining to put Maccarone into space on the right, although his cross was ushered to safety by Woodgate.

But it was Bernard who almost levelled with 11 minutes remaining when he collected Bellamy’s pass before cutting inside and blasting a left-foot drive inches wide.

MIDDLESBROUGH: Schwarzer, Parnaby, Ehiogu, Southgate, Queudrue, Greening, Boateng, Geremi, Juninho Paulista, Maccarone, Ricketts.

NEWCASTLE: Given, Hughes, Woodgate, Bramble, Bernard, Jenas, Dyer, Speed, Robert, Shearer, Bellamy. Referee: A D’Urso (Essex)