Newcastle certainly started with a desire to get clear from the bottom three in the table. Lundekvam and Svensson were put under pressure, and Danny Higginbotham had to start a rare appearance well.
Newcastle spent the first ten minutes looking for an opening with Speed and Bellamy looking dangerous.
Lee Bowyer was clearly looking for a penalty as a challenge came in on him as he entered the area. A cross from Bellamy reached the far post for the waiting shearer, but Lundekvam and Higginbotham did well, conceding a corner.
Saints rode out Newcastle's pressure, however and were beginning to look more comfortable as the half progressed. Even the loss of an injured Neil McCann who had go off due to an ankle injury didn't disrupt Saints significantly.
For all their good play in restricting Newcastle, Saints couldn't create any clear cut chances for themselves. Saints best chance of the half came from a free kick around thirty yards out. Fernandes' cross was a good one, but Phillips was penalised. Beattie had a very ambitious effort from well outside the box, but it was taken easily by Given.
Newcastle too, created little. Keiron Dyer's shot from a Shearer knock down, went well wide after thirty minutes.
With the crowd beginning to get on top of their players, Newcastle began to push forward once again.The referee allowed play to continue after a foul on Lundekvam. Antii Niemi had to make an excellent save form the right foot of Alan Shearer. Niemi was called into action again from the corner as he touched it over.
Anders Svensson tried to put Shay GIven under pressure from a volley but the 'keeper was never in any danger.
Just as Saints were looking to put some pressure on the home side, Newcastle struck. A lovely through ball by Jenas reached Alan Shearer. Shearer controlled the ball superbly and hit a right foot shot past Niemi for the opener.
Saints had a late bit of pressure but couldn't create anything from it, had to go into the break a goal down.
In the second half, Saints set out their stall to get an equaliser. Some good cross balls from Fernandes and Marsden brought Phillips and especially Beattie back into the game.
A thirty yard thumping shot from Paul Telfer brought out a good save from Given. A Phillips header went across the goal, but wasn't picked up on by a yellow shirt in the box.
At the other end, Keiron Dyer almost made it tow nil, hitting it on the volley and sending it narrowly wide. The chances continued to fall to Newcastle, with Lundekvam being caught in possession, forcing Niemi into making another good save.
Saints looked a little less convincing up front, but Fernandes got a ball into Phillips whose header looped wide of the goal.
With ten minutes left, Fernandes and Dodd were replaced by Ormerod and Prutton as Saints made a last push forward.With the pace of Newcastle's side, Saints were leaving a lot of space and Bellamy raced through and brought out a great save form Niemi.
Phillips had an effort from within the Newcastle penalty area, but could only hit the ball straight at Given. A second chance by Bellamy was superbly blocked by Danny Higginbotham.
Saints tried hard to get a late goal, but not only could they not create anything, but always looked like conceding again on the counter attack.
The last chance of the game fell once again to Bellamy, this time his shot being blocked by Lundekvam.
The game was one of very few chances. While Saints couldn't make the most of the pressure they had in the first half, Alan Shearer made no mistake for the home side.
Saints probably missed Oakley the most, and it took Saints until the start of the second half to put some decent moves together.
However, Niemi showed his class, the defence looked solid against a very pacy, awkward Newcastle front line. In the midfield, Fernandes varied his play with mixed results, but there were some promising signs. Up front, there wasn't too much to talk about with neither of Saints strikers being presented with many opportunities.
As is so often the case, Alan Shearer was the difference between the two sides and Saints have a lot of positives to take away from the game.