Premiership: Half-time lead for Newcastle

Newcastle 1, Middlesbrough 0 (half-time)

Alan Shearer’s 10th goal of the season fired rampant Newcastle into a half-time lead in their derby clash with Middlesbrough.

The 31-year-old striker saw his initial shot saved by Mark Crossley on 28 minutes but was alert enough to poke home the rebound as the Magpies threatened to run riot before the break.

But it was Boro who continued to creak and the home side should have gone ahead on 23 minutes after Elliott, Shearer and Gary Speed combined superbly to put Kieron Dyer through.

The England international raced clear of the red shirts and rounded Crossley, but he delayed his shot as he tried to improve a narrow angle and Franck Queudrue.

Such was United’s dominance that they committed as many men as possible to every attack, and they were almost caught on the counter on 27 minutes when Whelan and Boksic broke swiftly but Given again came to the rescue when the Croatian tried to cross.

The breakthrough finally arrived a minute later when Queudrue could only hammer Speed’s raking long ball into Shearer, and although the former England striker saw his initial shot excellently saved by Crossley, he reacted first to stab the rebound home.

The Teessiders had little choice but to adopt a more positive approach, but they should have been two behind on 32 minutes when Bellamy played a superb one-two with Shearer but then completely miskicked in front of goal.

To their credit, Boro refused to throw in the towel and it took a fine 34th-minute tackle from O’Brien to deny Carlos Marinelli a shot after Whelan had recycled Robbie Stockdale’s deep cross.

United were appealing for a penalty a minute from the break when Bellamy lashed a shot straight at Stockdale after leaving Ehiogu for dead, but referee Mark Halsey was unmoved.

Then the Welshman went inches wide in injury-time after Hughes picked out his run to the near post after playing a one-two with Solano to split the Boro defence.