Toon triumph in Tyne-Tees derby

Goals from Shola Ameobi and Stephen Caldwell in each half was enough to give Bobby Robson's men all three points against an unlucky Boro side.

Ameobi struck after 20 minutes and Caldwell celebrated his first game in almost 20 months with the second three minutes from time after a mistake by Mark Schwarzer in the visitors goal.

The visitors misery was compounded in the final minute when French defender Franck Quedrue saw red for the second time in a week for his second bookable offence.

The game got off to a fast and frenetic start with both sides eager to earn bragging rights in the North East.

Newcastle had the first clear opening of the game after eight minutes with Laurent Robert forcing Schwarzer into a good save with his legs and Jermaine Jenas' follow-up attempt from 25 yards just flew over the crossbar.

The impressive Geremi had the visitors first chance a minute later, but his shot from the edge of the box fizzed wide of the post.

A minute later Middlesbrough almost broke the deadlock with Massimo Maccarone seeing his far post header cleared off the line.

Jonathan Greening sent over a pin-point cross from the left and Maccarone got away from his marker Olivier Bernard to head goalwards, but was unlucky to see Aaron Hughes on hand to clear the ball off the line.

Middlesbrough were beginning to dominate things in midfield and Geremi forced Given into a tremendous save in the 15th minute.

The Cameroon international was given too much time and space to line up a shot from the edge of the box and Given could only push out his powerful shot, but fortunately for Newcastle Nolberto Solano was on hand to clear the danger.

The visitors thought they should have had a penalty in the 19th minute when Maccarone was brought down by Hughes in the box, but Graham Barber turned down their appeals.

Middlesbrough's misery was compounded when Newcastle opened the scoring a minute later somewhat against the run of play and there was a little slice of luck about Ameobi's strike.

The big striker tried to flick Speed's cross to a team-mate, but only managed to knock the ball into his own path past Gareth Southgate inside the box and he reacted quickest to thump his left-footed shot into the bottom left-hand post.

The visitors tried to respond two minutes with Job calling Given into action again with another shot from the edge of the box.

Quedrue then played in Maccarone in the 26th minute down the right, but with the angle against the Italian he fired his shot well wide of the target.

Geremi tried his luck for the visitors again on the half hour, but his left-footed shot slid inches just wide of the right-hand post with Given at full stretch.

Alan Shearer had his first chance of the game a minute later when he latched onto a mistake by Ugo Ehiogu, but under pressure from Southgate and Ehiogu he hurried his shot straight at Schwarzer.

Robert came close to netting a spectacular goal in the 34th minute with Jenas picking the Frenchman out free wide on the left with a superb pass, but Robert's stinging volley flew into the side-netting.

Shearer thought he had grabbed his 100th Premiership goal for The Magpies after 38 minutes when he volleyed in from close-range, but his effort was ruled out by r