That sound from the north-east is the Shearer bubble deflating as second-half goals from Frank Lampard and Florent Malouda claimed the precious points.

An early onslaught from the home team failed to materialise, as did the cauldron atmosphere and although Chelsea were far from at our best in the opening period, we stayed in position to kick for a win after the interval.

The chances began to come and soon the fragile home defence cracked. Lampard added to his tally of headed goals this season and Malouda completed an attack that took five touches from Cech's hands to the back of the St James' Park net.

There was no introduction of Shearer to the crowd before the game, the new manager clearly wanting the focus to be on the players.

Hiddink also went quietly about the business of selecting a side that had Ivanovic in at right-back for injured Bosingwa. The Serb struggled in possession early on but improved as the minutes ticked by.

Mikel joined Essien and Lampard in midfield. That meant Michael Ballack dropped to the bench. Up front, Kalou and Malouda were chosen as the flank men either side of Anelka.

Chelsea's plan to quell the crowd early on started well with the ball kept from kick-off for most of the first minute. That was until Butt tackled Essien, a challenge that left both players injured, the Chelsea man more so but after treatment on his ankle he was happily able to go on.

Newcastle won the first corner, cleared only after Cech pushed away a ball at the far post and Gutierrez had volleyed well off target.

Malouda and Kalou combined on the right of the area for Chelsea's best push forward yet on 11 minutes but the ball across from the latter couldn't find anyone in blue.

The home side forced two more corners before 15 minutes had passed but lacked the quality to do anything with them.

On 18 minutes Chelsea became the first side to properly work the opposing keeper, Harper pushing round a diving Kalou header from an Ashley Cole cross. The corner following was cleared to Essien who volleyed a difficult chance over.

Newcastle quickly had the ball up the other end but Martins did not react sharply enough to a low cross and the ball bounced off him, rolling just the right side of the Chelsea post.

It had taken time but on 31 minutes, Chelsea managed to work Anelka into a goalscoring position, sent through by a well-weighted Lampard pass but as the trigger was pulled, the chasing defender just got in a block to send the ball wide.

On 37 minutes referee Rob Styles produced a yellow card, judging Frank Lampard had dived when challenged in the centre of the park.

Two minutes before the break came the introduction of a former favourite - Duff the replacement for Lovenkrands who had badly injured his back in a challenge on halfway and needed a stretcher to make the tunnel.

Two minutes into stoppage time Mikel became the second booking after tripping a flying Gutierrez on the wing. Cech safely pouched the free-kick, Newcastle's set-piece delivery having been poor throughout, so the teams went into the dressing rooms level.

As an exercise in containing the home players and dampening the 'Shearer Effect', the opening 45 minutes had gone alright; Cech had yet to make a save. But for the Blues to take the required three points home, it would need more sparkle in midfield and thrust up front in the second period.

The quest for the goal began with a Malouda corner, played in too low but finding its way to Essien who as in the first-half, fired high with a long-range attempt.

On 50 minutes the Ghanaian opted for a pass from a similar position and Malouda, who had judged the offside well, turned and smashed in a shot that Harper saved with his body.

Then Anelka, found by Malouda, beat offside as well but stretching, could get no power on a header 15 yards from goal.

The game was heating up and Martins flashed widely off-target under pressure from two Chelsea defenders.

There the Newcastle hopes would end for the afternoon. Anelka caught Coloccini in possession in deep in his own half, Malouda and Lampard pounced and the ball was worked wide and back to Anelka.

With Harper closing, the League's topscorer chipped but the ball hit the crossbar. Luck was in however and it bounced down for Lampard to head home from close range - his first in seven Chelsea games.

There were 55 minutes gone and before the goal Ballack had been ready to come on. That substitution still went ahead. Essien, possibly still feeling his early ankle knock, possibly rested ahead of Anfield, was the one to come off.

Gutierrez headed tamely into Cech's hands as the Geordies attempted a comeback but any hopes of that were all but dashed by Malouda's 64th minute finish under the body of Harper.

The move had been simple but effective, beginning with Cech's kick upfield. Anelka headed on, Lampard played a 10-yard pass forward and the Frenchman struck from an angle on the left, celebrating with fingers pointing to his emerging afro hairdo.

'Shearer, Shearer,' mocked the Chelsea fans as Lampard nearly made it three with an ambitious attempt, pushed out by Harper.

Di Santo came on for Anelka on 67 minutes but it was a striker at the other end who began to figure. Owen had looked short of fitness but on 72 minutes did escape on the left. His pull-back cannoned goalwards off Mikel and was scooped away by Cole, although debate will rage over whether that was behind the line or not.

The former England striker had a close-range effort saved by Cech soon after.

After that Hiddink's men played out the game in relative ease and could have added more - Ballack shooting at the keeper; Di Santo curling a 20-yard shot just wide and Kalou failing to beat Harper when clean through.

The keeper also saved from Lampard in stoppage time as 'Sacked in the morning' was the song from the Chelsea fans high up at one end.

It was back to winning ways at the start of a season-defining April.

Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Alex, Terry (c), A Cole; Essien (Ballack 55), Mikel, Lampard; Kalou, Anelka (Di Santo 67), Malouda.
Scorers Lampard 55, Malouda 64.
Booked Lampard 37, Mikel 45+2.

Newcastle(4-4-2): Harper; R Taylor, Beye, Coloccini, José Enrique; Gutierrez, Nolan (Guthrie 68), Butt, Lovenkrands (Duff 43); Owen (c), Martins (Carroll 80).

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