An own goal from Stuart Pearce midway through the second half and a late Matt Le Tissier penalty gave the Saints the points after Newcastle skipper Rob Lee had given the Magpies a 47th minute lead.

Le Tissier fired home his 46th penalty in 47 attempts after a Newcastle player handled in a mad scramble on the goalline with just three minutes remaining.

But while Kenny Dalglish would have been quite happy with a point his side suffered a major blow eight days before the FA Cup semi-final with Lee going off after suffering a injury which looked to be to his hamstring.

And this on an afternoon when he was having his best game of the season for club.

It is 26 years since Newcastle won at the Dell - seven defeats and four draws since - no wonder the home crowd were in confident mood as the game kicked-off.

In recent seasons it was the Magpies who came almost expecting a win on the South Coast - how things have changed since Kenny Dalglish took control in the corresponding game last season.

Although the Magpies boss steadfastly refuses to panic as he continued to back his men against any threat of relegation even he accepted they face a tough trip to Selhurst Park on Tuesday against Wimbledon.

United were without the influential David Batty, the England star started a two-match suspension, while Warren Barton was also banned. And, they faced former star John Beresford.

Within 90 seconds Keith Gillespie fired a shot narrowly past Paul Jones left hand upright before David Hirst hit back with a great 30-yard effort which clipped the top of Shay Given's crossbar in an exciting opening.

The visitors had started quite brightly and on the quarter hour Gillespie tested Jones with a fine effort before Danish international striker Jon Dahl Tomasson wasted the chance of the half.

Finding himself in acres of space and with keeper Jones on the edge of his box he somehow managed to hit his final effort straight into the grateful arms of Jones - the Dane simply isn't playing with any confidence at the moment.

Carlton Palmer was booked in the 21st minute before Ostenstad took the game by the scruff of the neck only to have one effort, in the 26th minute fly well wide, and then six minutes later have a goal disallowed for offside.

The home side, after an ineffective opening 20 minutes, were now in control pushing the Geordies back onto the edge of their box.

The bright play of the opening stanza had now once again been replaced by hesitancy and indecision although skipper Rob Lee was holding his side together with a workmanlike show in midfield.

The Magpies were playing Greek international Nikos Dabizas in an unusual holding role in midfield, in the absence of the suspended David Batty, while Darren Peacock was doing well enough in his battle with Ostenstad.

United were ahead within two minutes of the start of the second period when a suicidal Dodd backpass was intercepted by skipper Lee, he coolly rounded keeper Jones and then fired home from an acute angle for his third goal of the season.

Shearer, on his return to the Dell, twice went close with fine efforts, one of which produced a great save from Jones plunging spectacularly away to his left in the 55th minute.

Disaster struck for the battling visitors when Lee went off with a hamstring injury in the 57th minute and then Pearce put through in own goal 12 minutes on.

Beresford crossed a corner from the left and as Palmer tried to bundle the ball over the line Pearce got his foot to the ball to divert into his own net from close range.

Teams:

Southampton: Jones, Dodd, Benali, Palmer, Lundekvam, Dryden, Le Tissier (Basham 88), Oakley (Richardson 69), Hirst, Ostenstad, Beresford.

Subs Not Used: Johansen, Gibbens, Moss.

Booked: Palmer, Oakley, Lundekvam, Le Tissier.

Goals: Pearce 69 og, Le Tissier 85 pen.

Newcastle: Given, Pearce, Pistone, Peacock, Dabizas, Gillespie (Ketsbaia 81), Lee (Hamilton 57), Tomasson, Hughes, Shearer, Barnes.

Subs Not Used: Rush, Albert, Srnicek.

Booked: Pistone.

Goals: Lee 46.

Att: 15,251

Ref: G P Barber (Pyrford).