The North-East Summit || Middlesbrough F.C. news, reviews and comment

THE NORTH-EAST SUMMIT - MAGPIES LEAD THE WAY TO SAFETY 4-4-08
Stuart Young

Newcastle are now the leaders of the north-east rivalry league after their win at Tottenham.

Sunderland move to within a point of Boro after their win over West Ham whilst Boro move down a place after their defeat at Stamford Bridge.

Newcastle

Kevin Keegan's side thrashed a sorry Spurs team on Sunday by four goals to one.

The win has almost guaranteed their Premiership safety for another season. They have also leap-frogged local rivals Middlesbrough with their three point display at White Hart Lane.

The early signs did not look good for Keegan's men after Darren Bent scored for Spurs with a well guided header into the bottom corner.

However, the goal gave Newcastle a lift and they produced a number of chances before drawing level through a rare goal from Nicky Butt.

The leveller gave Newcastle confidence. They grew stronger and stronger in the second half and in the end they ran out comfortable winners at White Hart Lane.

Geremi scored the second for Newcastle with a free-kick that wrong-footed Spurs keeper Paul Robinson.

Michael Owen finished off a great Newcastle move with a neat strike past Robinson to make it 3-1, before Martins made the game safe with a great run down the middle, beating two players and slotting the ball past the Spurs keeper into the empty net.

It was a very good performance by Newcastle. There was good build-up play at times, with lots of energy and pace when attacking. Keegan seems to have got his players playing as a team rather than playing for themselves.

Two successive wins is a rarity for Newcastle but Keegan looks to have changed the mentality of the players and he will now be focusing on building the team over the summer.

Reading are Newcastle's next opponents at St James' Park on Saturday and Kev will be looking for three wins in a row. A win on Saturday should also guarantee them Premiership football for next season.

Middlesbrough

I could not believe what I was seeing at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. Boro produced a number of great chances to score against The Blues and could have even come away from London with three points.

In the end it wasn't to be as Ricardo Carvalho's early headed goal was enough for the Blues to win and maintain their terrific home record as they chase Manchester United in their quest for the title.

After the game, Southgate admitted that his team were scared of the opposition in the first half. At half time, Gareth instilled confidence back into the team. This gave them the lift they needed to compete against Chelsea and go on to produce some very good chances that they should have taken.

Like with Newcastle, Middlesbrough are turning things around and are performing much better than earlier in the season. The signs are looking promising for next season.

It will be interesting to see what Alves will be like once he has had a pre-season under his belt. If the Brazilian is producing opportunities like the ones against Chelsea, whilst lacking match fitness and still adapting to Premiership football, then it looks like we have bought a gem.

Another positive note to mention about the club moving forward is the number of youngsters coming through the academy. Not only are these players coming through and playing well but they are here to stay as most of the first-team youngsters have signed extensions to their contracts.

Middlesbrough now turn their attentions to the most in-form team in Europe, Manchester United. They will arrive at The Riverside on the back of a 4-0 win over Aston Villa and a 2-0 win away at Roma in midweek. How does any team stop this awesome side?

This week, Gareth Southgate will be focusing on preparing the team mentally for the game against United on Sunday. He witnessed his side create a number of chances against Chelsea and will know that the team can produce the same against United. There will be no pressure on the Boro players so they can have a real go at Sir Alex's side.

Sunderland

Roy Keane's side continued their progress to safety with a well deserved win against West Ham at The Stadium of Light last Saturday.v Andy Reid's late winner gave Sunderland three vital points. This has now given them a healthy gap between themselves and Bolton, who are third from bottom.

The win also sees Keane's side move to just a point off local rivals Middlesbrough and two points behind Newcastle.

Sunderland travel to Craven Cottage on Saturday for a tough relegation battle. Keane knows how important this game is. A win would virtually guarantee Sunderland's safety for another season in the top-flight.

Things are hotting up in the North-East as all three sides are now separated by only two points. Newcastle head the race for the summit, with Boro and Sunderland hot on their tail.

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