Shola Ameobi and Marlon Harewood lifted Newcastle 10 points clear with victory over Middlesbrough.
Ameobi and Harewood claim Tyne-Tees derby honours
Shola Ameobi and Marlon Harewood lifted Newcastle 10 points clear at the top of the Championship with victory over Middlesbrough in the Tyne-Tees derby at a frosty St James' Park.
Harewood fired the home side ahead in the 16th minute from close range after Ameobi headed Danny Guthrie's free-kick back across the area, with Emanuel Pogatetz wrestled down by the Magpies forward and goalkeeper Brad Jones nowhere.
Middlesbrough came close to levelling when Steve Harper could only parry Gary O'Neil's free-kick and Isaiah Osbourne saw his follow-up strike Steven Taylor's hand before hitting the post and falling into the grateful goalkeeper's arms on the line.
David Wheater then saw his second half header from another O'Neil free-kick drift narrowly wide, before the Magpies doubled their advantage moments later as Ameobi buried Guthrie's excellent cross from six yards out.
Chris Hughton's side now looks odds-on for an immediate return to the Premier League after claiming another victory, despite being some way below their best, although the sight of Alan Smith limping off early in the second half and Ameobi requiring ice on his ankle near the end will be a concern
It was another disappointing day for beleaguered Boro boss Gordon Strachan, who took charge from Gareth Southgate with the club just one point off the top spot and now finds his charges 20 adrift and in the bottom half of the table.
Even contest
In a relatively even contest, in front of a Championship record crowd of 49,644, the home side took their chances, while the visitors once again lacked the cutting edge to get anything from the game.
Boro started confidently and Leroy Lita headed over from O'Neil's 12th-minute free-kick, but it was the Magpies who took the lead with 16 minutes gone after a dreadful challenge by Kitson on Smith 25 yards out.
Ameobi got to Guthrie's free-kick marginally ahead of keeper Jones to head down for Harewood to stab the ball home from close range, with Boro appealing in vain for a push on Pogatetz.
Smith, who is yet to score for Newcastle, thumped a left-foot shot just wide three minutes later, and Kevin Nolan missed the target by a much greater margin with 29 minutes gone.
But Harper needed the help of the woodwork four minutes later when, after he had parried O'Neil's swerving free-kick, Osbourne's scrambled follow-up hit Taylor's arm before coming back off the post and dropping into the keeper's arms.
The Magpies started the second half at a much higher tempo than they had done the first, although Boro responded, again without unduly troubling the hosts, for whom Fabricio Coloccini and Taylor were in imperious form.
Error
Jones got away with a glaring error with 54 minutes gone when he blasted a clearance straight at Harewood and saw the ball ricochet just wide of the unguarded net.
The Boro keeper had another let-off seconds later when Harewood failed to convert Jose Enrique's driven cross from point-blank range, and although the Teessiders broke at pace, Lita wasted the opportunity when he fired high and wide from a tight angle.
Wheater headed across goal from O'Neil's 58th-minute free-kick, but Ameobi was not so wasteful seconds later when he climbed high above Wheater to power home Guthrie's cross.
Newcastle relaxed as time ran down, but Boro were in no mood to give up and Lita might have done better with 20 minutes remaining when he found space down the right, but blasted over.
Jones saved a late Guthrie free-kick at the second attempt and Pogatetz appeared to block Nolan's late effort with his arm, although the flag was already up for offside, and the game was already won.
