FA PREMIERSHIP - Middlesbrough ... 1 Newcastle ... 0: It is the intention of Newcastle United to give Arsenal sleepless nights all the way to the final eve of the Premiership season. It is actions rather than intentions that matter, though.

Newcastle failed to act on their words last night as Middlesbrough, outplayed to some extent in the first half, roused themselves to display admirable spirit in the second and inflict on Bobby Robson's team their first league defeat since St Stephen's Day.

A goal from Geremi just past the hour of a disjointed, at times feisty, match left Newcastle in third place, eight points behind Arsenal. Middlesbrough jumped above Fulham and Manchester City and the record attendance inside the Riverside was buzzing with the sight of Boro's first Premiership victory over their North-east rivals here.

Juninho, despite his lack of match fitness, was again the inspiration, although the fact Mark Schwarzer made no serious save all night said everything about the Geordies lack of penetration.

The postponement of the original fixture was deemed to have benefited Middlesbrough. Several Boro players were unfit then, including Juninho and Ugo Ehiogu, while Michael Ricketts had not completed his transfer from Bolton when the game was called off.

Yet Newcastle could not have fielded Gary Speed that day as he was recovering from a hernia operation. Nor, of course, could Jonathan Woodgate have played. Woodgate only finalised his move from Leeds that afternoon and arrived on Tyneside with a thigh injury anyway.

In a change from last Saturday against Chelsea it was Titus Bramble partnering Woodgate, not Andy O'Brien. That's a worrying development for O'Brien.

The fact Jermaine Jenas returned on the right at the expense of Nolberto Solano will also concern the Peruvian. The sight of Newcastle's midfield four outnumbering and outpassing Boro's trio of Geremi, George Boateng and Jonathan Greening in the early stages will have been a mixed consolation to Solano.

Newcastle were enjoying their numerical superiority, though there was only an 11th-minute miscue from Kieron Dyer to show in terms of attempts on target. That statistic does not reveal the nature of Newcastle's territorial domination, and yet when Boro's first genuine effort came in the 26th minute it was the most threatening moment of the game so far.

Stuart Parnaby created it, the young right back getting behind Olivier Bernard to send in a cross from the by-line. Ricketts got to it first but a combination of a scooped shot and an Aaron Hughes block sent the ball over the bar.

Juninho, in particular, seemed heartened by the suggestion of home enterprise and twice threaded passes through to Massimo Maccarone. Both Woodgate and Bramble made big interventions. That interrupted Newcastle's flow - Laurent Robert started to receive stick from his colleagues - and as the first half ended neither Schwarzer or Shay Given had made a save.

Newcastle began the second half with the obvious intention of rectifying that situation. Craig Bellamy and then Robert both made piercing runs only to falter when it came to shooting and Gareth Southgate almost scuffed a Robert cross into his own net.

Another deft pass from Juninho sent Maccarone scampering free but this time, when the Italian prepared to shoot, Hughes slid in to deflect the ball over. The match then had a turbulent patch as tackles flew in. The Newcastle bench was angered by one from Greening on Jenas on the hour but the referee, Andy D'Urso, ignored it.

It appeared to have broken down when Maccarone got in Juninho's way but the Brazilian fed the ball to Frank Queudrue lurking on the left. Queudrue has an excellent left foot and he curled a centre towards the Newcastle penalty spot. Geremi nipped in to meet it and his angled header was strong enough to leave Given flapping in mid-air.

Guardian Service

MIDDLESBROUGH: Schwarzer, Parnaby, Ehiogu, Southgate, Queudrue, Greening, Boateng, Geremi, Juninho Paulista, Maccarone (Murphy 80), Ricketts. Subs Not Used: Nemeth, Job, Doriva, Crossley. Goals: Geremi 62.

NEWCASTLE: Given, Hughes, Woodgate, Bramble, Bernard, Jenas, Dyer, Speed (Viana 76), Robert (Ameobi 77), Shearer, Bellamy. Subs Not Used: Solano, O'Brien, Harper. Booked: Bernard, Bramble, Viana.

Referee: A D'Urso (Essex).