Alan Shearer marked his return to Newcastle's first team with the 400th goal of his career as his former club Southampton succumbed at St James' Park.

The former England skipper fired home a ninth-minute penalty - his 249th Premiership strike and his first since November 14 after a 12-game injury lay-off - to pave the way for a precious victory.

Titus Bramble's 38th-minute second goal ultimately clinched the points, with Peter Crouch maintaining the visitors' interest by pulling one back three minutes before the break.

Yet again, the Magpies were forced to endure a nervous conclusion as they paid the price for failing to take their chances, and Steven Taylor needed to make a crucial late block to deny David Prutton.

It was largely down to the outstanding performance of Southampton substitute goalkeeper Paul Smith that Newcastle won by just a single-goal margin.

Smith was thrown into the fray when Antti Niemi was stretchered off following a collision with Shola Ameobi after he had been hauled down by defender Calum Davenport for the penalty.

Newcastle had more than enough opportunities to kill off a side who are yet to win away from home in the league this season.

But they were repeatedly frustrated and that allowed former Sunderland man Kevin Phillips and the towering Crouch to unsettle their defence.

Shearer needed just nine minutes to make his mark.

Had Niemi not needed attention following the penalty incident, he would have got his name on the scoresheet even sooner.

Referee Uriah Rennie had little hesitation in pointing to the spot after Davenport hauled the England Under-21 striker back.

And following a four-minute wait during which Smith replaced the Finn, Shearer sent the newcomer the wrong way to give his side the perfect start.

It should have been a romp from there on as Newcastle's mobile midfield tore the visitors to shreds, with Craig Bellamy and Kieron Dyer carving huge swathes through the Southampton rearguard.

Bellamy saw a goal-bound effort blocked by the new 'keeper's foot after 21 minutes and Dyer forced a superb 25th-minute save from Smith with a dipping effort four minutes later.

The visitors were riding their luck, but it ran out seven minutes before the break after Paul Telfer was booked for a bad challenge on Bellamy, giving away a free-kick.

Bramble timed his run to the near post to perfection to lift home debutant Celestine Babayaro's set-piece over Smith and to give his side a cushion.

However, Southampton dragged themselves back into it three minutes before the break when Crouch reacted first as former Sunderland striker Phillips' header came back off the bar and fired past Shay Given.

Ameobi and Bellamy both went close as Newcastle attempted to restore their two-goal lead before the break, to no avail.

Newcastle went straight back on the offensive after the restart, although it was the visitors who created the first half-chance when Phillips headed down for Crouch whose first-time volley was well off target.

Jenas tested Smith with a curling effort, while Bellamy wasted two good opportunities in quick succession when he completely miskicked from Shearer's cross and then volleyed high and wide from Jean-Alain Boumsong's excellent far post delivery.

The home side just needed to find the killer final ball, and manager Graeme Souness opted for change on 62 minutes when he brought off Shearer and replaced him with Patrick Kluivert.

Southampton were enjoying their best spell of the game, and it took a good defensive header from Taylor to prevent Jamie Redknapp's cross from reaching Rory Delap. Crouch was also incensed that Bramble's 72nd-minute challenge did not result in a penalty.

Ameobi forced another good save from Smith with a deflected shot which reared up off the pitch and substitute James Milner, on for Bellamy, tested the 'keeper with a rising drive.

Crouch's aerial prowess was becoming an increasing concern, and it was he who provided the service for substitute Anders Svensson to head wastefully over 11 minutes from time.

There were to be two major scares deep into injury time as Given saved well from Telfer's long-range effort, but he needed the help of a superb block by full-back Taylor to keep out Prutton's effort with virtually the last kick of the game.

Teams:

Newcastle: Given, Taylor, Bramble, Boumsong, Babayaro (Hughes 86), Jenas, Bowyer, Dyer, Bellamy (Milner 75), Shearer (Kluivert 62), Ameobi.

Subs Not Used: Harper, Robert.

Goals: Shearer 9 pen, Bramble 38.

Southampton: Niemi (Smith 6), Telfer, Lundekvam, Davenport, Higginbotham, Prutton, Redknapp, Delap, McCann (Anders Svensson 66), Phillips (Ormerod 87), Crouch.

Subs Not Used: Oakley, Nilsson.

Booked: Telfer, Crouch.

Goals: Crouch 42.

Att: 51,266

Ref: U Rennie (S Yorkshire).