MIDDLESBROUGH goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer is bracing himself for a return meeting with Southampton hot-shot James Beattie when Australia face England at Upton Park next month.

Schwarzer was on the receiving end at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday as Beattie underlined his claims to take over the mantle of Alan Shearer as the nation's No 1 marksman.

Beattie is now the Premiership's outright leading scorer this season with 15 goals - two more than Newcastle skipper Shearer - after his superb double salvo threatened Boro's proud unbeaten home record.

And Schwarzer, who will line up for Australia against Sven-Goran Eriksson's men on February 12, is already primed for the prospect of Beattie re-training his sights on him on what would be the striker's England debut.

Beattie, approaching his 25th birthday, used to clean Shearer's boots in his days at Blackburn.

Since the Geordie hero hung them up at international level two-and-a-half years ago, England have been looking for someone to fill them.

All evidence now suggests that Beattie has the polish for the job.

It's "obvious'' to him - that was the message on the T-shirt he showed off when he lifted his jersey in celebration of his goals against Boro - and Schwarzer is similarly convinced.

Beattie is thriving in Gordon Strachan's slick Southampton side, who have emerged as shock contenders for a European place.

And Schwarzer said: "James's workrate is phenomenal. He gets into superb positions all the time and this Southampton team, playing as they are, give him extremely good service.

"His two finishes here were utter quality and underlined the fact that his confidence is a mile high.

"You pick international players on current form as much as anything and he, in my opinion, ranks as No 1 in the Premiership together with Alan Shearer.

"That's how highly I would rate the boy.

"It won't surprise me at all if we see him in the England squad at Upton Park.

"He slapped those two goals past me as quick as a wink.''

Beattie executed a beautifully controlled left-foot finish five minutes before half-time.

The cultured Fabrice Fernandes, who tormented Boro down the right flank in the first half, curled in a cross which Beattie flicked on. Chris Marsden had to stretch at the far post to steer the ball back in, but Beattie made it worthwhile with an angled effort which ended up in the left-hand corner of Schwarzer's net.

Three minutes later, Boro had a perfectly legitimate goal disallowed for offside when Szilard Nemeth, who had already failed to make the most of three great openings, set up Joseph Job to finish.

Boro's luck was out again when Matt Oakley knocked Jonathan Greening's drive off the line just two minutes into the second period.

But Boro then pressed the self-destruct button on the hour when centre-back Tony Vidmar, another Socceroo who could be in direct opposition to Beattie at West Ham, played a square ball straight to him.

It was an act of largesse Beattie couldn't refuse, and he buried a blistering right-foot shot beyond Schwarzer from 25 yards.

"It was a great ball from Tony,'' Schwarzer remarked drily.

Boro skipper Gareth Southgate won't have many more difficult days this season.

"James didn't give us a minute's peace,'' admitted Southgate.

"It's absolutely no surprise Southampton are where they are in the Premiership. They were two superb goals by James.

"He's a real handful. We'd spoken about him throughout the week and he was everything we expected.

"The one thing we have got out of the game is we've preserved our unbeaten home record. Despite the fact we had a few chances in the first half, they were the better team for 70 minutes.

"I think they deserved at least a point. We think we've got out of jail a bit. Noel Whelan made a big difference for us when he came on.''

Indeed he did. It was Whelan, an interval replacement for Job, who pulled one back in the 73rd minute.

Massimo Maccarone, a substitute himself who had been on only three minutes in place of the disappointing Alen Boksic, helped the ball on and Whelan beat keeper Antti Niemi with a looping 25-yarder.

Boksic disappeared immediately down the tunnel when he was withdrawn and missed Boro's spirited fightback.

Schwarzer had to make a smart save from Jo Tessem before Luke Wilkshire was brought down at the other end by Paul Telfer in the 83rd minute.

Saints boss Strachan later insisted his man had won the ball, but £8.15m Maccarone stepped up to stroke home his first goal in 14 appearances and almost three-and-a-half months.

It was also Boro's first penalty since Boksic converted in a 3-1 defeat here against Southampton in September 2001 - a staggering 62 games without a spot-kick - and that unbeaten home record now extends to 12 matches.

Result: Middlesbrough 2 Southampton 2.

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