Boro in triumph against United's nemesis.

Byline: By Simon Rushworth

Newcastle United, read it and weep. Sixteen months ago the Magpies missed out on a second successive season of Champions League football after losing at home to Partizan Belgrade.

But the Serb side, previously unbeaten at home and abroad this season, were no match for rampant Middlesbrough as the balance of power in North-East football shifted further south.

Newcastle can match their Teesside rivals by topping Group D with a draw against Sporting Lisbon tonight, but on this form the Premiership table does not lie.

Goals from reserves Szilard Nemeth, Joseph-Desire Job and James Morrison demonstrated that Steve McClaren boasts considerable strength in depth and Boro can advance into the knockout stages of this season's Uefa Cup with confidence.

What price the competition's novices eclipsing their neighbours and last season's experienced semi-finalists?

Partizan are proof that Europe's less fashionable clubs can profit on the continental stage and Boro should take great pride in a significant triumph against Belgrade's finest.

Lothar Matthaus' legacy lives on in the shape of Vladimir Vermezovic's refashioned squad and the visitors have avoided the decline many observers predicted in the wake of the former World Cup winner's departure earlier this year.

If anything, the current team is more fluid than the one which won its last fixture on North-East soil with flying full-back Ifeany Emeghara and Cameroonian Pierre Boya added to the Serbian mix.

Meanwhile Nemeth and fellow Boro striker Job have been forced to take a back seat this season while Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and, to a lesser degree, Mark Viduka continue to impress as Boro's first choice forward line.

With the star turns on the bench, their understudies sensed a valuable opportunity.

Job's neat pass allowed Nemeth to break the deadlock with ridiculous ease in the 10th minute and the roles were reversed 12 minutes later as the Cameroonian converted his colleague's square pass to double the home side's lead. Perhaps Matthaus has been missed, after all.

It is impossible to imagine any team managed by the meticulous German conceding so soon and so weakly, yet Partizan attacked with verve and determination.

Mark Schwarzer made an awful mess of Dragan Ciric's left-wing corner and, after pushing the vicious inswinger on to Franck Queudrue, the Australian saved further embarrassment by pouncing on the loose and spinning ball.

Moments later the impish Sasa Ilic, loaned to Serie A during the second half of last season, should have done more than drill Boya's pass narrowly wide. Boro survived another scare four minutes before the break when Boya reacted with criminal lethargy to Ilic's inviting shot across an open goal.

In between times, the under-pressure Kralj, having denied Job from close range, was withdrawn and substitute goalkeeper Djordje Pantic announced his arrival with a nervous two-handed punch into no-man's land. Two goals to the good at half-time, the home duly side sensed more.

Nemeth should have added a third from six yards four minutes after the restart, but his weak shot was gratefully gathered by the stooping Pantic. Substitute Simon Vukcevic and the evasive Ilic both reminded Boro's fans of Partizan's attacking pedigree and Albert Nadj's perfectly placed header forced a flying save from Schwarzer.

It was a second half masterclass from the skilful Serbians which ultimately accounted for Sir Bobby Robson's Magpies in 2003 and the visitors were threatening a memorable repeat on Teesside.

But McClaren's men would not be denied their place atop Group E and this result, the gloss added by Morrison's thunderous third, proves Middlesbrough must be considered genuine contenders in their first Uefa Cup season.