Newcastle Utd 1: Shearer 44'

Southampton 0:



United: Given, O'Brien, Jenas, Dyer, Shearer, Bellamy, Speed, Hughes, Bramble, Bowyer, Bernard  Subs (not used): Griffin, Harper, Ameobi, Ambrose, Viana

Southampton: Niemi, Dodd (Prutton 80), Marsden, Lundekvam, Phillips, Beattie, McCann (A Svensson 20), M Svensson, Higginbotham, Fernandes (Ormerod 80), Telfer  Subs (not used): Jones, Hall

Referee: Phil Dowd

Attendance: 52,127

SIR Bobby Robson made one change to the side that lost at Arsenal, with Gary Speed returning in place of the banned Laurent Robert. 

Steve Harper was back on the bench after recovering from the torn hamstring he picked up playing for the reserves.

There was a rousing chorus supporting Sir Bobby from all four sides of the ground as the game got underway, with United attacking the Leazes End.

Bowyer was claiming a penalty inside the first two minutes when he went down just in side the box under a challenge from Dodd, but referee Mr Dowd wasn't having any of it.

Bellamy's cross from the right a minute later was headed away for a corner, but when Bowyer swung the ball in the Southampton defence cleared their lines.

Hughes won United a free kick in a dangerous position when he was fouled wide on the right a yard in from the byeline, but as Speed rose to head Bowyer's set piece he was adjudged to have fouled Lundekvam.

Bowyer had the ball in the net with a crisp finish from the edge of the box on 16 minutes, but the referee said he had used his hand in controlling the ball so the effort did not stand.

On 20 minutes, Southampton wewre forced into a change when Neil McCann was replaced by Anders Svensson after taking a knock in a collision with Hughes.

O'Brien, who had earlier clattered Beattie, was cautioned when he brought down the England striker with another foul on 25 minutes.

As the game reached the half hour mark, neither goalkeeper had been called upon to make a save as most of the play was centred around a packed midfield.

United won a corner thanks to Jenas on 31 minutes, and when the ball was only half cleared Dyer's strike from the edge of the box flew wide.

Jenas and O'Brien then both required treatment as they clashed heads challenging for a high ball with Telfer.

Shearer was unlucky not to give Newcastle the lead on 37 minutes when Niemi pushed his strike wide after somke good work from Bellamy on the left. Bowyer took the corner from the left and saw it deflected away for another flag kick on the opposite flank, but this time the ball was cleared.

At the other end Andres Svensson tried his luck from distance with a dipping half volley but Given wasn't troubled.

Bernard deflected Fernandes' cross away for a corner four minutes before the interval, but it was United who took the lead two minutes later.

Jenas sliced the defence open with a neat through ball, and Shearer reacted quickly to fire a first time strike past Niemi to record his 250th career league goal.

The Saints won a corner in first half stoppage time, but United cleared the danger to go in 1-0 up at the interval.

United won two corners inside the first two minutes of the second half, and from the second one Dyer had claims for a penalty when he was upended by Marsden but again nothing was given.

A timely block from Higginbotham stopped Bowyer from latching onto a Bellamy through ball on 53 minutes as The Magpies looked to double their advantage, then Michael Svensson had to hook the ball away from Bellamy's cross.

Bowyer became the second United player to be booked on 55 minutes when he fouled Svensson on the edge of the Southampton box.

A great turn from Bramble started a move which turned defence into attack for United, but when Bowyer was fed the ball 25 yards out his attempt at a chip sailed over the bar.

Beattie saw a glancing header loop over on 63 minutes, then two minutes later Telfer's piledriver was tipped over by Given and the corner was cleared.

United's next attack saw Hughes make progress down the right, and when his cross eluded Speed, Dyer's angled volley flew just wide into the sidenetting.

Shearer's flick on 69 minutes almost sent Bellamy clear when Lundekvam misjudged the bounce, but the ball eventually ran wide and United had to settle for a throw in.

Shearer then got a shot in which was well held by Niemi after a scramble in the box following a free kick on the left, then at the other end Phillips turned Bramble and crossed into the middle but there were no yellow shirts on hand to poke the ball home.

Michael Svensson was booked for the visitors when he tripped Bowyer as the midfielder tried to find a route to goal. Jenas has been injured in a collision seconds earlier, and when play was stopped for the foul on Bowyer Jenas received some treatment.

Play resumed with United taking a free kick in a position just left of centre 30 yards out, but Shearer's drive was blocked by the wall.

With 10 minutes left, Dodd and Fernandes were replaced by Prutton and Ormerod, then a minute later Bramble was cautioned when he obstructed Beattie on the touchline.

Niemi made a fine save to deny Bellamy after a great through ball from Jenas on 84 minutes, but once again the corner was cleared.

Phillips then swivelled and fired straight at Given from 10 yards after Beattie's flick on as the game went into the last five minutes.

Southampton tried to pump the ball forward as much as they could in the closing stages with Ormerod operating as a third striker,  and United almost caught them on the break when they cleared a corner as far as Jenas, but Anders Svensson stopped him in his tracks with a blatant foul.

Bowyer and Bellamy combined in the last minute, but when Bellamy shot Higginbotham flung himself in front of the ball to block the effort.

Three minutes of stoppage time were added on at the end of the game, and the relief was there for all to see when the referee blew for full time.