Newcastle 2-0 Middlesbrough

By Phil Dawkes

Harewood celebrates giving Newcastle the lead against Boro

Newcastle extended their lead at the top of the Championship to 10 points with a workmanlike victory over north-east rivals Middlesbrough.

Marlon Harewood side-footed Newcastle ahead in controversial circumstances, with Boro players protesting for a push by Shola Ameobi in the build up.

Ameobi was then on hand to double the lead with a powerful header from Danny Guthrie's superb right-wing cross.

Isaiah Osbourne struck the post for Boro but they created little else.

Newcastle have only dropped four points at home all season and with every passing week look more likely to return to the Premier League at the first available opportunity.

It makes for a very different reality to the pre-season predictions of doom made by many pundits, who foresaw an imploding United lurching from one disaster to the next with the club up for sale and facing up to life outside the top flight.

Their support has remained strong and an attendance of 49,644 - a record for the division since it was renamed the Championship - watched them ease to another three points.

In contrast, Middlesbrough were seen by many as likely promotion-candidates but have struggled, even despite the appointment of Gordon Strachan.

The Scot has now won just one of eight matches since replacing Gareth Southgate and with the club now 14th - 10 places lower than when he took charge - the former Celtic manager appears to face a mammoth task in turning Boro's season around.

Boro did show commitment, but lacked cohesion and creativity meaning Newcastle never had to hit their top form.

And they enjoyed good fortune when they took the lead with a goal that justifiably enraged the Boro defence.

606: DEBATE I quite like Newcastle and have good friends who support them, but some Geordie fans were way off the mark in predicting that they would teach Boro a footballing lesson thefallofalfsoneandonly

From a centrally-placed free-kick Guthrie floated the ball into the box where it was met by Ameobi challenging with the keeper and his header back across goal was poked home by Harewood.

In the aftermath of the goal the Middlesbrough players surrounded the referee to protest and with good cause as replays showed that Ameobi had pushed defender Emanuel Pogatetz before supplying the assist.

Having contributed relatively little Boro almost snatched an equaliser on the half hour and once again there was hint of controversy to the incident.

Gary O'Neil's swerving freekick was saved by Steve Harper and from Osbourne's follow-up the ball was deflected on to the post by Steven Taylor's arm and was then smothered by the keeper.

Ten minutes into the second half Harewood should have doubled Newcastle's lead but when Jose Enrique's cross fell to him four yards out with the goal at his mercy the ball got trapped in his feet and Boro were able to scramble clear.

However, within two minutes it was 2-0 as Guthrie's superb cross from the right-hand side was powerfully headed home by Ameobi for his sixth goal in as many matches.

The second goal ended the game as a contest and while the visitors continued to work hard the only chance they fashioned was wasted by Leroy Lita who blazed over the bar from inside the box.

Late in the game, Newcastle had a penalty appeal turned down when Pogatetz blocked Kevin Nolan's drive with a stray hand, but the protests from the United players was tempered by the knowledge that the three points were already theirs.

Newcastle boss Chris Hughton:
"It's the biggest challenge now. We are where we are, we are the team to be shot down and we are the team everybody has to catch.

"We have to ensure as a group of lads, a staff and a club, we continue to do what got us here in the first place.

"That is what we have got to guard against. The games won't get easier."

Middlesbrough boss Gordon Strachan:
"As a manager, you get some horrible periods in your life, and this is one of them.

"As a player, you can try as hard as you want. You need to deal with it."

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