Sheffield Utd 1 Newcastle Utd 2

SHEFF UTD: Kenny, Bromby, Lucketti, Jagielka, Armstrong, Gillespie, Montgomery, Leigertwood (Tonge 56), Stephen Quinn (Nade 56), Kazim-Richards, Stead (Webber 87).
Subs Not Used: Morgan, Geary.

NEWCASTLE UTD: Given, Solano (Onyewu 84), Moore, Taylor, Carr, Milner, Butt, Parker (Emre 56), Duff, Sibierski (Dyer 75), Martins.
Subs Not Used: Harper, Babayaro.

Att: 32,572

... defeat here and the Newcastle manager would have had a long way to look UP, never mind down.

But Newcastle finally got the bit-between-the-teeth at an away ground, and produced the victory that rules out any thought of relegation. With Charlton and West Ham picking up amazing results of late, 40 points is no longer seen as the safety zone.

But we can sleep easy at night after Sheffield United's relegation worries increased and ours went out of the window.

Obafemi Martins scored in the 17th minute when he volleyed home from the edge of the area after James Milner's knockdown, but he could so easily have had a penalty earlier when he was pulled down in the box.

The difference between the sides was seen early in the game. The Blades set off with relegation on their mind, very edgy and taking two touches rather than playing with flair. Newcastle on the other hand seemed in determined mood, and the class players we have in the side started to look it. Yes, even Damien Duff, who on his own admission, has had a poor season.

We had Martins up front looking at his menacing best; they had former Sunderland striker Jon Stead (enough said).

Craig Moore was passed fit, when it was thought he'd played his last game for Newcastle when he was injured last week. And Kieron Dyer and Celestine Babayaro made way for Milner and Antoine Sibierski. Roeder proving he was as good as his word when he said the big names would be dropped if they showed they weren't up for the fight.

The Toon breakthrough came in the 17th minute. Duff's high cross from the left was headed back towards the edge of the penalty area by Milner and the former Inter Milan striker volleyed the ball past the unsighted Kenny.

The second half began with Given making a good save from a Bromby header, although the defender had already been flagged offside, and Duff blazing into the side-netting after bursting down the left.

Parker's ankle injury saw him replaced by Emre with 10 minutes of the half gone.

Sibierski should have put the result out of reach in the 62nd minute when he blazed over an empty goal after fabulous work from Martins. It was a carbon copy of the incident when Andy Cole hit the post from an impossible angle at Oldham back in 1993. The keeper was robbed by Martins and he tried the unthinkable from the by-line. It almost worked, but then Sibierski had the goal at his mercy and blew the chance.

Tonge's miss at the other end was not as bad - Given was stood in his goal - but it was just as wayward, while Nade's diving 71st-minute header from Gillespie's curling right-wing cross rolled past the post. However, the French striker made no mistake in the 74th minute when Gillespie's right-wing free-kick reached him via Kazim-Richards and Montgomery. He drilled home on the angle from 10 yards to lift the roof off Bramall Lane.

However, the joy lasted six minutes as Taylor out-jumped Bromby to head the Magpies in front again from Milner's right-wing corner. The youngster powered in to attack the perfect cross and leave the Blades looking at relegation.

Far better them than us!