DERBY matchwinner Nolberto Solano wrote his name in Tyneside folklore, and then called on the Magpies' misfiring strikers to hit the goal trail again.

The Peru international was the toast of bars across Tyneside on Saturday night after his 42nd minute penalty condemned Sunderland to their 13th straight Premiership reverse.

Solano appeared to be completely unaffected by the whole occasion as he took on spot-kick duties in the absence of skipper Alan Shearer who had limped off earlier with an ankle injury.

In front of the massed ranks of Sunderland fans he cooly sent Thomas Sorensen the wrong way to send the 3,000 travelling fans delirious.

But Solano, who made it two in two games after his superb free-kick last week against Aston Villa, called on his teammates to start shouldering more of the striking responsibilities.

"We have to learn to kill games when we have the chance," he said, after ensuring Sir Bobby Robson's side ended their mini-slump with their first win in five games.

"We have to take our chances, we need to take the chances to make sure of the game. We knew we had the chances and didn't take them, but we still won in the end - I'm happy."

Newcastle strikeforce of Shearer and Bellamy has managed just one goal between them - the skipper's header at Fulham - in the last five games.

And the Welshman again showed his profligacy in front of goal, missing four one-on-one chances with Sorensen.

But Solano's strike has put the Magpies' Champions League campaign back on track - and he believes the players are concentrating 100 per cent on their own game, rather than worrying about what rivals Chelsea or Liverpool are doing.

"We weren't bothered about other scores, we talked about concentrating on ourselves and our performance," said Solano.

"We needed to win because it is still in our own hands.

"We need to win our next game at home to begin to feel safer, and then in the last game, we need to win only one more point as Chelsea play Liverpool on the final day. Until the end of the season we need to concentrate, but I wouldn't say there are a lot of nerves among us."

The win took Newcastle back into third place and leave them needing four points from their remaining two games - Birmingham at home on Saturday and then relegated West Brom at the Hawthorns eight days later - to ensure they return to Champions League duty next season.

And another crack at the world's top club competition certainly appeals to Solano.

He said: "We want to play in the Champions League next year because it is a big competition and we have done very well in it this season. I was so happy to score, even though it was a penalty because it wasn't as easy as it looked."

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