Last time we played Leeds United at St James' Park ...
NEWCASTLE UTD 1 LEEDS UTD 0 2003/4 Premiership
NEWCASTLE: Given, Hughes, Woodgate, Bramble, Bernard, Solano (Ambrose 81), Jenas, Speed, Robert (Viana 80), Shearer, Dyer.
Subs Not Used: O'Brien, Harper, LuaLua.
LEEDS: Robinson, Kelly, Duberry, Kilgallon, Harte, Pennant, Matteo, Batty (Olembe 30), Johnson (Bridges 69), Milner (Sakho 89), Viduka.
Subs Not Used: Carson, Richardson.
Att: 52,130
Alan Shearer yet again proved Sir Bobby Robson's match-winner as Newcastle made hard work of disposing of struggling Leeds.
The Magpies passed up a series of first-half opportunities and saw a Gary Speed header crash against the post to leave Shearer's superb fourth-minute strike - his 17th of the season - their only cushion as the game entered its final stages.
Robson would have been furious had his side not tied up three points which appeared to be theirs for the taking almost from the off, but they were made to scrap all the way as the visitors bravely launched a belated rearguard action in which substitute Michael Bridges squandered a glorious opportunity to rescue a point.
Speed and Jermaine Jenas were commanding in midfield for the home side while Shearer and Kieron Dyer caused all kinds of problems for Eddie Gray's defence, although they found Michael Duberry in inspired form.
And a rugged display from lone striker Mark Viduka, who caused former team mate Jonathan Woodgate and partner Titus Bramble problems all night, kept his side in it until the death.
Leeds' problems on and off the field have been well-documented in recent months, but they were compounded with the loss of striker Alan Smith, whose two-match ban for throwing a plastic bottle into the crowd at Elland Road kicked straight in after the club decided not to appeal.
That in itself was a blow against a Magpies' side unchanged from the one which demolished Southampton in the FA Cup third round on Saturday, and one which ran out with the smell of blood in its nostrils.
From the moment Shearer's fourth-minute rocket left his boot, the visitors were in trouble, and they could have trudged off at half-time with the points already safely banked by their hosts and facing a dreadful 45 minutes.
That they were still in the game was down to some inaccurate finishing, one fine save from Leeds' keeper Paul Robinson and in no small part, to the leniency of referee Phil Dowd.
The official saw nothing wrong with Robinson's 33rd-minute challenge on Dyer as he sprinted on to Shearer's flick-on and stabbed the ball past the advancing keeper before appearing to be felled just outside the box, much to the annoyance of the emergency striker.
However, Dyer's frustration was to grow as a half which was dominated by his side wore on.
Newcastle, who were very nearly irresistible at times, had taken the lead when Shearer blasted a low right-foot shot into the far corner after Dyer had flicked Aaron Hughes' pass neatly around Matthew Kilgallon for Solano to roll the perfect pass into his skipper's path.
Dyer might have made it 2-0 with just 17 minutes gone after Laurent Robert had left Gary Kelly for dead to play him in, but his first-time left-foot shot blazed wide.
Jermaine Jenas got in on the act three minutes later with a dipping volley which brought the best out of Robinson low to his left, and after the keeper had escaped his brush with the law, he had another let-off when Jenas split his defence once again only for Shearer uncharacteristically to shoot wide with the goal at his mercy.
Gray's side had seen too little of the ball to cause much damage at the other end, although Viduka's power and the threat posed by Jermaine Pennant's pace were perhaps a warning of what was to come.
They served Newcastle with a warning within two minutes of the restart when Viduka squeezed past Bramble inside the penalty area and sent over a cross which skipper Dominic Matteo sliced high and wide.
Michael Duberry, not for the first time, had to get in a goal-saving tackle on Dyer as United flexed their muscles once again, but Given was called upon to make his first save from Viduka's 59th-minute header after the Yorkshire side broke swiftly.
Speed was desperately unfortunate not to double his side's lead when his thumping header came back off the upright two minutes later, but the Welshman was needed deep inside his own penalty area when Viduka span away from Bramble and volleyed towards goal on 64 minutes.
Seth Johnson was replaced by long-time Newcastle target Bridges with 21 minutes remaining and almost capitalised on hesitation in the Magpies defence within seconds, and the visitors were appealing in vain for a penalty seconds later when Duberry's shot hit Hughes at point-blank range.
Robinson's heroics to keep out Solano's 74th-minute effort denied United breathing space, and his side might have capitalised 11 minutes from time when Bridges was handed a clear sight of goal but scuffed his left-foot shot straight at Given.
Substitute Hugo Viana almost eased the tension with the seconds ticking away, but Robinson was again equal to the task, and United managed to play out time to clinch a vital win.
NEWCASTLE UTD v LEEDS UNITED HISTORY
2003/2004 Wed 07 Jan Newcastle Utd. 1 - 0 Leeds Utd. Premiership
Sun 17 Aug Leeds Utd. 2 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
2002/2003 Sat 22 Feb Leeds Utd. 0 - 3 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Wed 11 Sep Newcastle Utd. 0 - 2 Leeds Utd. Premiership
2001/2002 Sat 12 Jan Newcastle Utd. 3 - 1 Leeds Utd. Premiership
Sat 22 Dec Leeds Utd. 3 - 4 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
2000/2001 Sat 20 Jan Leeds Utd. 1 - 3 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Tue 26 Dec Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 Leeds Utd. Premiership
1999/2000 Sun 23 Apr Newcastle Utd. 2 - 2 Leeds Utd. Premiership
Sat 25 Sep Leeds Utd. 3 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
1998/1999 Sat 06 Feb Leeds Utd. 0 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Sat 26 Dec Newcastle Utd. 0 - 3 Leeds Utd. Premiership
1997/1998 Sun 22 Feb Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Leeds Utd. Premiership
Sat 18 Oct Leeds Utd. 4 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
1996/1997 Wed 01 Jan Newcastle Utd. 3 - 0 Leeds Utd. Premiership
Sat 21 Sep Leeds Utd. 0 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
1995/1996 Mon 29 Apr Leeds Utd. 0 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Sat 25 Nov Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 Leeds Utd. Premiership
1994/1995 Mon 17 Apr Newcastle Utd. 1 - 2 Leeds Utd. Premiership
Mon 26 Dec Leeds Utd. 0 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
1993/1994 Fri 01 Apr Leeds Utd. 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Wed 22 Dec Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Leeds Utd. Premiership
1989/1990 Sat 02 Dec Leeds Utd. 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
Sat 19 Aug Newcastle Utd. 5 - 2 Leeds Utd. Second Division
1983/1984 Wed 28 Mar Newcastle Utd. 1 - 0 Leeds Utd. Second Division
Sat 27 Aug Leeds Utd. 0 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
1982/1983 Sat 12 Mar Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 Leeds Utd. Second Division
Sat 30 Oct Leeds Utd. 3 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
Wed 27 Oct Newcastle Utd. 1 - 4 Leeds Utd. League Cup
Leeds United won 4-2 on aggregate
Wed 06 Oct Leeds Utd. 0 - 1 Newcastle Utd. League Cup
1977/1978 Mon 02 Jan Leeds Utd. 0 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 20 Aug Newcastle Utd. 3 - 2 Leeds Utd. First Division
1976/1977 Wed 02 Mar Newcastle Utd. 3 - 0 Leeds Utd. First Division
Sat 18 Sep Leeds Utd. 2 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1975/1976 Wed 31 Mar Newcastle Utd. 2 - 3 Leeds Utd. First Division
Sat 08 Nov Leeds Utd. 3 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1974/1975 Sat 29 Mar Leeds Utd. 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 21 Dec Newcastle Utd. 3 - 0 Leeds Utd. First Division
1973/1974 Sat 02 Mar Leeds Utd. 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Wed 26 Dec Newcastle Utd. 0 - 1 Leeds Utd. First Division
1972/1973 Tue 26 Dec Leeds Utd. 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 23 Sep Newcastle Utd. 3 - 2 Leeds Utd. First Division
1971/1972 Wed 19 Apr Newcastle Utd. 1 - 0 Leeds Utd. First Division
Wed 01 Sep Leeds Utd. 5 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1970/1971 Sat 10 Apr Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Leeds Utd. First Division
Sat 26 Dec Leeds Utd. 3 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1969/1970 Fri 26 Dec Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 Leeds Utd. First Division
Sat 23 Aug Leeds Utd. 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1968/1969 Thu 26 Dec Leeds Utd. 2 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 05 Oct Newcastle Utd. 0 - 1 Leeds Utd. First Division
1967/1968 Sat 16 Mar Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Leeds Utd. First Division
Wed 25 Oct Leeds Utd. 2 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1966/1967 Mon 26 Dec Leeds Utd. 5 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 24 Dec Newcastle Utd. 1 - 2 Leeds Utd. First Division
Tue 13 Sep Leeds Utd. 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. League Cup
1965/1966 Mon 16 May Newcastle Utd. 2 - 0 Leeds Utd. First Division
Sat 30 Apr Leeds Utd. 3 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1963/1964 Mon 30 Mar Leeds Utd. 2 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
Fri 27 Mar Newcastle Utd. 0 - 1 Leeds Utd. Second Division
1962/1963 Sat 09 Mar Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Leeds Utd. Second Division
Sat 20 Oct Leeds Utd. 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
1961/1962 Sat 28 Apr Newcastle Utd. 0 - 3 Leeds Utd. Second Division
Sat 27 Jan Leeds Utd. 0 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
1959/1960 Sat 13 Feb Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 Leeds Utd. First Division
Sat 26 Sep Leeds Utd. 2 - 3 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1958/1959 Sat 18 Apr Newcastle Utd. 2 - 2 Leeds Utd. First Division
Sat 29 Nov Leeds Utd. 3 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1957/1958 Sat 26 Apr Newcastle Utd. 1 - 2 Leeds Utd. First Division
Sat 14 Dec Leeds Utd. 3 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1956/1957 Sat 16 Mar Leeds Utd. 0 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 03 Nov Newcastle Utd. 2 - 3 Leeds Utd. First Division
1947/1948 Sat 24 Jan Leeds Utd. 3 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
Sat 20 Sep Newcastle Utd. 4 - 2 Leeds Utd. Second Division
1933/1934 Sat 06 Jan Newcastle Utd. 2 - 0 Leeds Utd. First Division
Sat 02 Sep Leeds Utd. 3 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1932/1933 Sat 15 Apr Leeds Utd. 6 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 14 Jan Newcastle Utd. 0 - 3 Leeds Utd. F.A. Cup
Sat 03 Dec Newcastle Utd. 3 - 1 Leeds Utd. First Division
1930/1931 Sat 07 Mar Leeds Utd. 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 24 Jan Leeds Utd. 4 - 1 Newcastle Utd. F.A. Cup
Sat 01 Nov Newcastle Utd. 4 - 1 Leeds Utd. First Division
1929/1930 Sat 19 Apr Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 Leeds Utd. First Division
Sat 14 Dec Leeds Utd. 5 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1928/1929 Sat 16 Feb Leeds Utd. 0 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 06 Oct Newcastle Utd. 3 - 2 Leeds Utd. First Division
1926/1927 Sat 01 Jan Newcastle Utd. 1 - 0 Leeds Utd. First Division
Mon 27 Dec Leeds Utd. 1 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1925/1926 Mon 05 Apr Newcastle Utd. 3 - 0 Leeds Utd. First Division
Wed 16 Sep Leeds Utd. 2 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1924/1925 Sat 21 Mar Newcastle Utd. 4 - 1 Leeds Utd. First Division
Sat 15 Nov Leeds Utd. 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division