Solano steps up to seal home horror

It is barely six weeks since Newcastle went to the San Siro and were disappointed to leave with a draw against Inter Milan. Yesterday Sir Bobby's likely lads made the 13-mile trip to Sunderland and were relieved to sneak a win against the whipping boys of the Premiership. After three defeats and a draw, the Tynesiders moved back on track for another Champions' League campaign, but they did so in far from untroubled fashion. It took a string of first-class saves from Shay Given, the disallowing of a Kevin Kyle "goal" in injury time and a penalty from Nolberto Solano to settle this Wear-Tyne derby in Newcastle's favour.

For all the vim and vigour they produced, it was another Groundhog Day for Sunderland: their 13th successive defeat in the Premiership. It was a seventh loss in a row for Mick McCarthy, two more than Lawrie McMenemy suffered in the previous worst start by a Sunderland manager.

"I feel kind of hard done by that we've not got something out of the game," McCarthy said. "We need a result and we couldn't have done more to get one today." The Sunderland manager was particularly aggrieved at referee Steve Bennett's decision to chalk off Kyle's injury-time header, ruling that Tore-Andre Flo had obstructed Given. "I wonder if it would have been the same had we been 1-0 up at St James'," he said. "And, yes, I am bemoaning my luck and whingeing, because we deserved to get something today."

It was always going to be a local spat with a difference. The Toon Army travelled in a mood of undiluted schadenfreude, an advance party changing all the road signs en route to something which happened to rhyme with the Stadium of Light. In the ground they held up black and white placards, saying 'Ha, Ha,' but the first laugh when the action started was on them.

With less than two minutes on the clock, the 3,000 Geordies were celebrating – only for referee Bennett to rule that Alan Shearer had pushed Darren Williams in the act of stooping to head in a right-wing cross from Solano. It was a let off for McCarthy's men but, even with Kevin Phillips and Gavin McCann on the injured list, they proceeded to rattle their opponents with some forceful play. They might even have taken the lead. David Bellion unleashed a left-foot drive from the right edge of the area only for Given to pull off a brilliant one-handed save. Not that it was one-way traffic. Far from it.

At the other end it took a fine block from Thomas Sorensen to deny Craig Bellamy. The Welsh flyer had been released by a ball over the top from Steve Caldwell,who was summoned from bench duty after Andy O'Brien had departed with a broken nose. Solano also squandered a glorious chance, heading wide with the goal at his mercy.

Then, after 26 minutes, Newcastle lost their totemic captain. Shearer took to the field with his forehead and his right hand already bandaged from previous battles, but it was an ankle injury that forced him to make way for Shola Ameobi. "He's on crutches but he can hardly hold them because of his broken hand," Bobby Robson later reported. "We'll have to put him in a wheelchair." It remains to be seen whether Shearer will be patched up for the final two games of the season.

Newcastle might have suffered another wound before the interval, but Given produced two reflex saves in quick succession, denying Jody Craddock and Bellion. Then, in the 42nd minute, Kevin Kilbane felled Bellamy with a crude challenge in the penalty area. Solano made no mistake from the spot.

Newcastle enjoyed the better of the second-half, but without taking a stranglehold on their feisty opponents. Bellion, bound for Old Trafford in the summer, was always a handful and the young French winger went close to equalising with a left-foot drive that was again well saved by Given.

The chances flew thicker and faster at the other end, where Sorensen distinguished himself with two excellent saves from Bellamy. At the final whistle, though, Newcastle were happy just to leave with the three points. Sunderland have not won one for 15 weeks now.

Sunderland 0 Newcastle United 1
Solano pen 43

Half-time: 0-1 Attendance: 45,067