2001/2 IPSWICH TOWN 0 NEWCASTLE UTD 1
Given, Hughes, O'Brien, Dabizas, Elliott, Solano (Dyer 81), Lee, Speed, Robert (Bernard 59), Shearer, Bellamy.
Subs Not Used: Harper, Ameobi, Distin.
Att: 24,748
It will hurt Bobby Robson to have inflicted the latest wound on his former club but Ipswich only had themselves to blame as the spectre of relegation loomed ever larger over Portman Road.
The club once taken to domestic and European success by Robson may not be among the worst three sides in the Premiership.
But they are certainly playing like one of them and this was definitely relegation form.
Newcastle were not exactly at their inventive best at Portman Road, relying on the counter-attacking threat of Craig Bellamy, defensive solidity and a couple of fine saves by Shay Given.
But while Ipswich will bemoan three penalty appeals which went unheard as referee Rob Styles became their fall guy, they still failed to take their own chances.
And in succumbing all too easily to Nol Solano's 20th-minute tap-in, Toon duly overcame Town with a hard-fought performance which will have cheered Robson up again no end.
His flourishing current club may still be without a win in London in their past 28 visits but at least they are closing in on the capital with this win in Suffolk.
Only another 75 miles to go now, with their next stop being unpredictable Chelsea for a Worthington Cup tie on Wednesday night.
Ipswich, meanwhile, just have a scrap for survival to concentrate on now.
It may only be December but they have one won just one league game all season, are four points adrift at the bottom of the table and, more worryingly, are already a huge 10 points behind 16th-placed West Ham.
All painful for Robson and former Ipswich midfielder Kieron Dyer to witness on their return to Portman Road.
Dyer even made his comeback from eight months out injured but, before that, endured a match that was hardly a classic.
Newcastle did not pose their first real attacking threat until 20 minutes had elapsed. From it, however, they scored.
Ipswich's troubled defence have conceded four goals to both Newcastle in the Worthington Cup and Inter Milan in the UEFA Cup in the past fortnight, and they parted with alarming ease yet again.
When Solano flicked the ball over his shoulder, Gary Speed was left completely unmarked and although his shot was saved by Matteo Sereni at point-blank range, Solano was left in space to prod home the rebound.
Neither side was stringing together any real pressure and when Ipswich finally produced a flowing move, Alun Armstrong's curling effort was superbly tipped around the post by Given.
Their frustrations grew as two penalty appeals were turned down, while Jermaine Wright wasted two fine openings, one from just eight yards out as he scooped the ball way over the bar.
There was a glimmer of hope after the break when Nikos Dabizas' weak back-pass looked to have let through Armstrong but the striker's first touch forced him far too wide.
And while Marcus Bent also shot just over, it was Sereni who had to block Alan Shearer's powerful volley, with Chris Makin just managing to scramble the loose ball behind for a corner.
Another penalty appeal for handball duly came and went when Wright's shot was blocked, while Given denied Armstrong's close-range attempt to capitalise on the rebound.
But Ipswich were never in control and only fine covering tackles by Hermann Hreidarsson and John McGreal, as well as a save by Sereni, denied Bellamy on the counter-attack.
Given did deny Bent and Wright in the closing stages, but it was desperate stuff from the home side as they tried, and duly failed, to force an equaliser.
Sir Alex Ferguson is by no means the Premiership's only Scottish manager with a pre-Christmas crisis on his hands.
TOON v TRACTOR BOYS - THE HISTORY:-
2001/2002 Sat 16 Mar Newcastle Utd. 2 - 2 Ipswich Town Premiership
Sun 09 Dec Ipswich Town 0 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Tue 27 Nov Newcastle Utd. 4 - 1 Ipswich Town League Cup
2000/2001 Sat 14 Apr Ipswich Town 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Sat 04 Nov Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 Ipswich Town Premiership
1994/1995 Tue 28 Feb Ipswich Town 0 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Sat 26 Nov Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Ipswich Town Premiership
1993/1994 Wed 23 Mar Newcastle Utd. 2 - 0 Ipswich Town Premiership
Tue 31 Aug Ipswich Town 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
1991/1992 Sat 11 Apr Ipswich Town 3 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
Tue 17 Sep Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Ipswich Town Second Division
1990/1991 Sat 20 Apr Newcastle Utd. 2 - 2 Ipswich Town Second Division
Sat 20 Oct Ipswich Town 2 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
1989/1990 Sat 17 Mar Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 Ipswich Town Second Division
Sat 07 Oct Ipswich Town 2 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
1985/1986 Sat 15 Mar Newcastle Utd. 3 - 1 Ipswich Town First Division
Sat 12 Oct Ipswich Town 2 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1984/1985 Sat 23 Mar Ipswich Town 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Wed 07 Nov Newcastle Utd. 1 - 2 Ipswich Town League Cup
Tue 30 Oct Ipswich Town 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. League Cup
Sat 06 Oct Newcastle Utd. 3 - 0 Ipswich Town First Division
1977/1978 Sat 25 Feb Newcastle Utd. 0 - 1 Ipswich Town First Division
Sat 01 Oct Ipswich Town 2 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1976/1977 Sat 07 May Ipswich Town 2 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Wed 09 Mar Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Ipswich Town First Division
1975/1976 Sat 20 Dec Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Ipswich Town First Division
Sat 16 Aug Ipswich Town 0 - 3 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1974/1975 Sat 15 Mar Ipswich Town 5 - 4 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 28 Sep Newcastle Utd. 1 - 0 Ipswich Town First Division
1973/1974 Wed 12 Sep Newcastle Utd. 3 - 1 Ipswich Town First Division
Tue 04 Sep Ipswich Town 1 - 3 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1972/1973 Sat 06 Jan Ipswich Town 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 26 Aug Newcastle Utd. 1 - 2 Ipswich Town First Division
1971/1972 Wed 05 Apr Newcastle Utd. 0 - 1 Ipswich Town First Division
Sat 25 Sep Ipswich Town 0 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1970/1971 Sat 13 Mar Ipswich Town 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Wed 13 Jan Ipswich Town 2 - 1 Newcastle Utd. F.A. Cup
Mon 11 Jan Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Ipswich Town F.A. Cup
Sat 14 Nov Newcastle Utd. 0 - 0 Ipswich Town First Division
1969/1970 Sat 20 Dec Newcastle Utd. 4 - 0 Ipswich Town First Division
Sat 06 Sep Ipswich Town 2 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1968/1969 Sat 14 Dec Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 Ipswich Town First Division
Sat 12 Oct Ipswich Town 1 - 4 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1964/1965 Sat 13 Feb Newcastle Utd. 2 - 2 Ipswich Town Second Division
Sat 03 Oct Ipswich Town 3 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Second Division