Géremi strikes to extinguish Newcastle's title flame

Middlesbrough 1 Newcastle United

As, deep down, we all knew it was, the Premiership is a two-horse race and whatever faint hopes Sir Bobby Robson might have had of a first domestic championship, they were extinguished in the most undistinguished circumstances last night.

After Newcastle had beaten Chelsea on Saturday, their manager mused that Arsenal's five-point lead was four too many and after possibly their most insipid display of the season – and the only one in which they did not manage a shot on target – the gap is eight points.

While Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsène Wenger argue whether Manchester United or Arsenal has the more difficult derbies, Newcastle's local fixtures have usually given them little trouble; they had not lost a Tyne-Tees league fixture away from home since 1991 when Middlesbrough were a club of limited ambition. Given that it was four months since the home side had kept a clean sheet or Newcastle had failed to score, a 1-0 Middlesbrough victory was not likely.

Boro have underperformed this season although their record against the Premiership's leading clubs at home has been outstanding; few could have been stifled so effectively as Gareth Southgate and Ugo Ehiogu strangled Robson's attack of Alan Shearer and Craig Bellamy.

This was a defensive, attritional fixture; Géremi's headed goal from Franck Queudrue's cross in the 63rd minute was the only save either goalkeeper was asked to make and the efforts of the Middlesbrough back four was matched by Newcastle's, especially Jonathan Woodgate.

"You will not see many better defensive displays this season," the Boro manager, Steve McClaren, said. "We have set standards but we have not maintained them consistently. We have beaten Manchester United, Newcastle, Liverpool and we've got Arsenal to come but we have to produce it against everybody."

The game was supposed to have been played on 1 February but was called off after snow on Teesside, all of which had melted by kick-off. Robson intimated his belief that Boro, who might have been without both their central defenders, were running scared, although Newcastle should not rue the postponement too much since they would not then have had Jonathan Woodgate's services.

The display of Woodgate, who grew up in Middlesbrough, was summed up in one moment when a pass by Juninho put Massimo Maccarone clear on goal and just as he was set to shoot, the ball was stolen from him in one fluid movement.

Woodgate's endeavour was not matched by Newcastle's midfield, especially Laurent Robert, who roused Robson to fury on the touchline with a flurry of inadequate passes.

Perhaps typically, Boro's winner began with an error as Juninho, the architect of any Boro moves of consequence, collided with Maccarone. The ball fell to Queudrue, whose cross was met by a superb header from Géremi, which nestled in the left-hand corner of the net. Moments later Boro were almost through again, but the ball fell to the right-back, Stuart Parnaby, rather than a recognised striker.

Both sides lacked width and Robson thought Newcastle's tactics of attempting to attack through the middle played into Boro's hands, although he was not despondent. "We have spoilt you," he said. "You realise we can't win every match."

Middlesbrough (4-3-1-2): Schwarzer 6; Parnaby 7, Ehiogu 7, Southgate 7, Queudrue 6; Géremi 6, Greening 5, Boateng 5; Juninho 7; Ricketts 4, Maccarone 3 (Murphy, 79). Substitutes not used: Nemeth, Job, Doriva, Crossley (gk).

Newcastle United (4-4-2): Given 6; Hughes 5, Woodgate 8, Bramble 6, Bernard 6; Jenas 5, Dyer 6, Speed 6 (Viana, 75, 5), Robert 3 (Ameobi, 76); Bellamy 4, Shearer 5. Substitutes not used: Solano, O'Brien, Harper (gk).

Referee: A D'Urso (Billericay) 4.