Southampton moved back up to third place in the Premier League table on Saturday with a 2-1 win at Newcastle United.

Eljero Elia netted his first goal for the Saints to give them a 14th-minute lead, but Yoan Gouffran made it 1-1 before the break with a fortuitous strike.

However, Elia scored again with just under half an hour remaining as the visitors held on for the three points.

With all of that in mind, Sports Mole rates the performances of those involved in the match at St James' Park.

NEWCASTLE

Goal

Tim Krul: Made a couple of good saves to keep the visitors at bay, but it was a poor error from the Dutchman that saw Southampton take the lead as he let Elia's shot squirm under him. (5/10)

Defence

Daryl Janmaat: Showed good energy to get up and down the right to support his teammates, though they were not always willing to use him. (6/10)

Fabricio Coloccini: Did not always look like the most solid presence at the back. Could have shown more leadership when it mattered. (5/10)

Paul Dummett: Struggled to strike up a rapport with Coloccini in central defence. Could have got Newcastle level with 15 minutes left, but he headed wide from a corner instead. (5/10)

Massadio Haidara: Worked hard down the left, often getting forward and linking well in the final third. Expect him to enjoy a run in the side now. (7/10)

Midfield

Vurnon Anita: Battled away admirably in midfield, making life difficult for the Saints before he was subbed with 20 minutes remaining. (6/10)

Jack Colback: Made himself busy for the majority of the match. Won the ball back for his team on a handful of occasions, highlighting his importance to the cause. (6/10)

Remy Cabella: Provided a good threat out wide for the Magpies, and he also caused problems when he moved into more central areas with his speed and skill. (6/10)

Moussa Sissoko: An inconsistent performance from the Frenchman, who drifted in and out of the game far too often for his team's liking. (5/10)

Attack

Yoan Gouffran: Got very lucky with his goal and failed to do much after that. Newcastle did not miss him when he was brought off for the final 20 minutes. (5/10)

Ayoze Perez: Not the youngster's most dazzling evening, though he did excite fans once or twice with some magic on the ball. (5/10)

Substitutes

Emmanuel Riviere: Tried hard to get involved during the final quarter of the game, but he did not really offer Newcastle much in attack. (5/10)

Sammy Ameobi: Made a good impact off the bench as he ran at the Southampton defence and livened up the home side. (6/10)

Mike Williamson: Did not have a great deal to do when he was introduced with 10 minutes left as the Magpies spent most of their time in the Southampton half. (5/10)

SOUTHAMPTON

Goal

Fraser Forster: Was not always convincing between the sticks as his distribution once again looked dodgy. (5/10)

Defence

Nathaniel Clyne: A great display from the England international, who ran his socks off down the right. Put in some good crosses and also made some excellent tackles. (8/10)

Jose Fonte: Sometimes struggled against the Newcastle attack, though this was a solid enough showing from the captain. (7/10)

Florin Gardos: Despite his inexperience in the Premier League, the Romanian continues to look like a seasoned pro at the back for the Saints. (7/10)

Ryan Bertrand: Did not offer the visitors as much in attack as Clyne did, but Bertrand rarely looked flustered at left-back. (7/10)

Midfield

Steven Davis: Performed well in the holding-midfield role as Schneiderlin and Wanyama missed out through injury. Got better as the match wore on. (6/10)

Harrison Reed: The teenager did not have the biggest impact on the game, but he did a good job of complementing Davis in central areas. (5/10)

James Ward-Prowse: His deliveries from set pieces were once again valuable for Southampton. Showed good stamina to join his teammates in attack and also race back to help in defence. (7/10)

Dusan Tadic: An erratic evening for the Serbian, who seemed more interested in winding up the Newcastle fans than contributing to his team's victory. (5/10)

Attack

Eljero Elia: Took both of his goals well to hand the Saints the points. Not only that, but he also ran tirelessly until he was brought off with 10 minutes left. (8/10)

Graziano Pelle: The Italian did not always have the best service to work with, though he played a key part in the away side's opening goal. (6/10)

Substitutes

Jack Cork: Despite a lengthy spell on the sidelines, the youngster looked composed in midfield during the final 20 minutes. (6/10)

Shane Long: Made a nuisance of himself from the off, setting up Elia for the winning goal. (6/10)

Matt Targett: Helped the Saints at the back in the final few minutes as they were forced to soak up Newcastle pressure. (5/10)