Newcastle defender Steven Taylor described the 3-1 victory over fellow strugglers Middlesbrough as "massive" after turning in a man-of-the-match performance.

Taylor scored the Magpies' first goal to send them on their way to a vital win in the north-east derby and keep alive Newcastle's hopes of staving off relegation from the English Premier League.


This is a big club which should be in Europe, not in this position. But we've only got ourselves to blame for where we are.
Stephen Taylor on Newcastle's difficult league position

"We were magnificent tonight," Taylor said after his header had cancelled out Habib Beye's early own goal. "It's massive and three points definitely helps us. We need to take this and build on it. We are full of confidence now and can't wait until the next game. It was the best feeling ever to get back in the game. Things haven't gone our way recently but it was different tonight."

Newcastle moved out of the relegation zone for the first time in seven weeks tonight and Taylor paid tribute to temporary boss Alan Shearer's impact. "He deserves it," Taylor added. "He and Iain Dowie have been fantastic for us. They've worked hard and everyone is doing a good job.

"If we stay up it'll be the best feeling ever," he went on. "This is a big club which should be in Europe, not in this position. But we've only got ourselves to blame for where we are."