?I did think they played well for 30 minutes and were a handful and if they had scored the penalty at 1-1 it could have gone either way. But we survived that and once we got the lead we were never going to give it away.?
Four defeats from four games have left McClaren and his side bottom, but they were unfortunate to be humiliated after a bright opening and that crucial missed penalty.
The Riverside has a depressingly familiar feel to it, emptying with startling speed when Laurent Robert scored Newcastle?s third and killed the game.
Middlesbrough made the perfect start when Colin Cooper scored their first goal of the season-from Paul Ince?s free-kick after four minutes.
Alan Shearer?s equaliser came from the penalty spot but the foul which led to it had massive repercussions for Middlesbrough. When Mark Schwarzer was sent off, McClaren withdrew Dean Windass, who looked in the mood to do damage and would have taken the home side?s 42ndminute penalty which Jonathan Greening fluffed.
Referee Graham Poll showed Shay Given the yellow card before that penalty, even though his foul on Ince looked remarkably similar to Schwarzer?s on Robert which led to the Boro man?s dismissal.
In each case, there appeared to be covering defenders on the line.
McClaren made his feelings known to Poll at half-time, but the referee was unrepentant, saying: ?The sending- off was a goalscoring opportunity which was denied by the goalkeeper, which is an automatic red card.
?The second one was a reckless challenge by the goalkeeper but there were defenders on the line and Ince was moving away from goal.
?It was not a goalscoring opportunity and they were two different situations.?
Shearer took advantage of Schwarzer?s demise to score his first goal since November and he added a second ? Newcastle?s fourth ? with a resounding topcorner finish from the outstanding Robert?s run and pass.
Before that, the robust Robert supplied a devastating cross from the left which Nikos Dabizas bundled home and the Frenchman thoroughly deserved his own goal.
Shearer has returned enthusiastic and optimistic about the future. He said: ?I?m looking forward to playing with Laurent regularly. With the crosses from him and Nolberto Solano we should create a lot of chances. The cross for the second goal was superb and I?m looking forward to getting on the end of a few more of those.
?They?re both quick, both get past people and they?re difficult for defenders to play against.
?Laurent?s a good lad as well. He mixes in well. If he keeps performing like that, the signs are very good.
?And if he keeps on taking his shirt off and throwing it to the fans at the end of the game, he?ll be very popular.?
