Forget the limited entertainment value and ignore the fact Ipswich Town were far from their best.

The only thing which mattered after 90 minutes at Portman Road on Saturday was the score.

Three more precious points courtesy of Marcus Stewart's clinically-executed penalty provided another timely boost to the Blues' Champions League dream.

They also served to spoil the long-awaited homecoming of Bobby Robson.

How fitting that the club's most successful manager should make his first return at the end of what's been a ground-breaking season at Portman Road.

Robson's untimely departure in 1982 to become the England manager led to a dramatic downturn in fortunes for the Blues.

In his wake followed the sale of many star players, relegations in 1986 and 1995 and so many seasons spent trying to reclaim their rightful place among the elite.

Now the club is bracing itself for another assault on Europe and Robson, as on Tuesday, was there to sample the euphoria first hand.

After this much-needed win, Town boss George Burley confessed that nerves are beginning to creep in. And who can blame the players?

One glance at the table confirms the substance of these points, especially with Leeds winning at Liverpool on Good Friday.

Yet, for long spells, it looked as though a share of the spoils was the best Town could hope for from this encounter.

They just about shaded both halves but chances were at a premium, with neither Richard Wright or Shay Given overly troubled.

The winner came during Ipswich's best period of the contest, the second of three opportunities within the space of five minutes.

Mark Venus curled in an inswinging corner and Hermann Hreidarsson evaded the attentions of his marker to head goalwards.

Nol Solano, who afterwards confessed to being a goalkeeper in his youth, discovered that old habits die hard.

He instinctively reached out, stopped the ball crossing the line with his hand and was duly given his marching orders by referee Mike Dean.

Though delighted to win the penalty, Hreidarsson must wonder when he's going to get a break in front of goal.

It was from more or less the same position he headed goalwards against Bradford City, only to find after hurling himself into the North Stand that Mark Burchill had applied the finishing touch.

Unsurprisingly, Stewart adopted a different approach from the spot to that employed so cheekily at Southampton.

Chipping the ball down the middle is fine if your side is two-up and cruising.

But, faced with a golden chance to break the deadlock in such an evenly-poised contest, Stewart relied on pace and precision to beat Given.

A minute before the goal, Stewart's header from Martijn Reuser's cross was hacked off the line by Clarence Acuna.

Then, three minutes after the penalty, Hreidarsson floated in a cross from the left which Alun Armstrong headed inches over.

With hindsight, success from either chance would have wrapped up the points.

Instead, Town and their fans were made to sweat until the final whistle and more than a few hearts were in mouths when former Colchester United hero Lomana Tresor Lua Lua tried his luck with a long-range effort well-saved by Wright.

Other than that, the second half was more about half chances than genuine goalscoring opportunities.

The best of those came before the break, none more so than when Jim Magilton latched on to Armstrong's pass but saw his dipping volley drop over the bar.

Reuser tested Given twice with curling efforts from long-range, firstly inside eight minutes when Jermaine Wright's cross reached him at the far post.

Then, following a melee after Aaron Hughes headed against his own bar, Given had to be alert to spoon away an effort from wide on the left.

Newcastle thought they'd put themselves in the driving seat just after the half-hour mark, but Carl Cort's header past Wright was disallowed for a push.

Burley admits to nerves

George Burley admitted nerves are beginning to set in after watching his side take another stride towards Champions League qualification.

The Ipswich Town boss said: "The pressure was on us because Newcastle are safe from relegation, without much to play for, and there were a few nerves.

"It was always going to be tough so the boys deserve credit for sticking to their task. It was a well-taken penalty by Marcus. He kept his cool and that's why he's the top scorer in the Premiership.

"I felt a little sorry for Solano but they're the rules so he had to go."

Bobby Robson was given a rapturous welcome on his first return to Portman Road for a competitive match.

The Magpies boss, clearly moved by his reception, confessed: "I wasn't expecting that. It was very warming and very genuine and I'm grateful to the Ipswich fans."

Robson was left cursing a lapse in concentration after his defence allowed Hermann Hreidarsson a header on goal, which led to the penalty.

"I didn't think we were ever in trouble until they scored," he said.

"I thought we were on course for a battling draw so it was very disappointing. We lost our concentration at a vital time and that cost us the game."

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.