On Saturday afternoon, I boarded a shed of a Northern Rail train from Sheffield to Barnsley to see the Tykes take on our table-topping North East rivals, Newcastle.
It was an engaging game which - despite lacking in quality for large parts of the first half - was fiercely contested by Mark Robins' side against a below-par Geordie outfit.
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Newcastle and Boro are enjoying contrasting fortunes in the Championship
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But despite being below-par, they almost took all three points from Oakwell - a ground from which both West Brom and Cardiff had already left empty-handed this season.
Newcastle were only denied by a rather fortuitous late effort from Bobby Hassell, who told journalists afterwards he didn't quite know which part of his head the ball had come off before it nestled in Steve Harper's net.
Hassell also said he sees no team stopping Newcastle from running away the Championship this season. Regrettably, I agree with him.
Barnsley were close to their best on Saturday, while the Toon were close to their worst. Yet it was the home side who were relieved to have snatched a point come 5pm.
And that highlights a key factor behind the current gulf between the Barcodes and Gordon Strachan's stuttering Middlesbrough side. They can take points even when they're not at their best.
Twenty-four hours later, I watched through my fingers as Boro's homesickness again got the better of them against Cardiff.
Just five days after a shameful mauling at the hands of Blackpool, Boro barely did enough to merit a point and deservedly got nothing. We played no worse than Newcastle had at Barnsley, but we had neither the nous nor the flash of quality to eke out a result.
The Geordies did, though. Fan favourite Andy Carroll had a relativley quiet game up front, but still managed to set up two telling chances for his side which were expertly converted by Kevin Nolan and substitute Marlon Harewood.
Chris Hughton's game-changing bench was just one reason for me to watch on with envious eyes; as alongside Harewood sat the experienced Peter Lovenkrands and Shola Ameobi, as well as exciting teenager Nile Ranger.
Newcastle were only denied by a rather fortuitous late effort from Bobby Hassell, who told journalists afterwards he didn't quite know which part of his head the ball had come off before it nestled in Steve Harper's net.
Hassell also said he sees no team stopping Newcastle from running away the Championship this season. Regrettably, I agree with him.
Barnsley were close to their best on Saturday, while the Toon were close to their worst. Yet it was the home side who were relieved to have snatched a point come 5pm.
And that highlights a key factor behind the current gulf between the Barcodes and Gordon Strachan's stuttering Middlesbrough side. They can take points even when they're not at their best.
Twenty-four hours later, I watched through my fingers as Boro's homesickness again got the better of them against Cardiff.
Just five days after a shameful mauling at the hands of Blackpool, Boro barely did enough to merit a point and deservedly got nothing. We played no worse than Newcastle had at Barnsley, but we had neither the nous nor the flash of quality to eke out a result.
The Geordies did, though. Fan favourite Andy Carroll had a relativley quiet game up front, but still managed to set up two telling chances for his side which were expertly converted by Kevin Nolan and substitute Marlon Harewood.
Chris Hughton's game-changing bench was just one reason for me to watch on with envious eyes; as alongside Harewood sat the experienced Peter Lovenkrands and Shola Ameobi, as well as exciting teenager Nile Ranger.
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A day on, Gordon Strachan's trump cards on Teesside this weekend were Leroy Lita and Marvin Emnes; a pair of "strikers" whose form so far this season might be politely described as, well... varied.
Despite the gloom, the play-offs remain a possibility, owing slightly - no, a lot - to the unpredictable nature of the division.
Newcastle, on the other hand, might as well start preparing for life back in the Premier League. And it's through gritted teeth that I say it's no less than their fans deserve.
The travelling Toon Army accounted for over a third of the attendance at Oakwell on Saturday, taking up one-and-a-half stands.
They're a fickle bunch, the Geordies. And they've been a bit of a laughing stock in the North East over the past two years. But if we're not quick to arrest our slump, it's the Boro who could become an even bigger joke.
A day on, Gordon Strachan's trump cards on Teesside this weekend were Leroy Lita and Marvin Emnes; a pair of "strikers" whose form so far this season might be politely described as, well... varied.
Despite the gloom, the play-offs remain a possibility, owing slightly - no, a lot - to the unpredictable nature of the division.
Newcastle, on the other hand, might as well start preparing for life back in the Premier League. And it's through gritted teeth that I say it's no less than their fans deserve.
The travelling Toon Army accounted for over a third of the attendance at Oakwell on Saturday, taking up one-and-a-half stands.
They're a fickle bunch, the Geordies. And they've been a bit of a laughing stock in the North East over the past two years. But if we're not quick to arrest our slump, it's the Boro who could become an even bigger joke.
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