Newcastle Unite

Newcastle followed North-East rivals Middlesbrough through the trap door after Boro’s 2-1 defeat at West Ham United ended their slim chances of staying up. West Bromwich Albion, who drew 0-0 at Blackburn Rovers, were already doomed.

Newcastle needed to better Hull City’s result against Manchester United on a tense final day of the season but faded badly in the second half against Villa despite the fact that an equaliser would have saved them.

“I am disappointed and angry. We did not lose our status today, we’ve lost it over 38 games and we’ve not been good enough over 38 games,” Alan Shearer, who was handed the job of saving Newcastle on April 1, told the BBC.

Hull lost 1-0 at home to champions United, for whom Darron Gibson scored a stunning goal, but stayed up with a meagre 35 points after winning just one of their last 22 league games.

Despite losing to a United reserve side and overseeing a remarkable slide down the table, Hull boss Phil Brown grabbed the microphone and sang to the ecstatic Hull fans who can look forward to a second season in the top flight.

“Staying in the Premier League after the first season is the greatest achievement of my career – that’s for sure,” Brown told Sky Sports.

BOTTOM SIDE

Sunderland lost 3-2 at home to Chelsea but results in the other matches involving the bottom sides kept them up with 36 points. After their narrow escape coach Ricky Sbragia confirmed that he was standing down.

Hull finished one clear of the drop zone with 35 points from 38 games, above Newcastle on 34 and Middlesbrough and West Bromwich Albion on 32.

Away from the relegation dogfight, Liverpool set a new Premier League points record for runners-up, capping an impressive challenge to Manchester United with a 3-1 home win over Tottenham Hotspur.

Liverpool finished with 86 points, four behind United who clinched their third successive title last week and sent out a second-string side against Hull as they prepare for Wednesday’s Champions League final against Barcelona.

QUALIFYING SPOT

Fulham claimed the final European qualifying berth in seventh despite losing 2-0 at home to fifth-placed Everton and Arsenal crushed Stoke City 4-1 to consolidate fourth spot.

Newcastle’s 16-year stint in the top flight ended with barely a whimper at Villa Park and left Shearer blaming a catalogue of failure.

“I’m angry at the whole situation. I am not angry at any officials or any referees, I am just angry at the situation,” he told the BBC.

“I haven’t been good enough, the players haven’t been good enough, the managers before that haven’t been good enough. The owners have made mistakes. There are huge things that have gone on at the club that haven’t been right.”

The goal that put the fans out of their misery summed up a season of turmoil for Newcastle.

Gareth Barry’s shot was going harmlessly wide until it cannoned off Duff and flew into the bottom corner of Steve Harper’s net.

Obafemi Martins came closest to equalising with a header but they offered little after the break and were lucky not to lose by a bigger margin.

Shearer sent on former England team mate Michael Owen as a late substitute but David Edgar’s red card merely added a depressing footnote to Newcastle’s season-long tale of woe.

Source: supersport.co.za

Pic: football365.com

They are goals that could be worth up to 50 million pounds (70 million dollars) to Newcastle, who would lose a substantial portion of their income if they drop out of the Premier League.

With two games remaining against Fulham and Aston Villa, they are still far from safe, but they are out of the bottom three following a game Shearer described as the most important of his Newcastle career.

Middlesbrough, in contrast, must now accept they are heading for the Championship next season after losing a game where they took the lead and wasted several other chances.

An own goal from Habib Beye put Middlesbrough in front before Taylor equalised, with both goals coming early in a game that looked destined to end in stalemate before substitutes Martins and Lovenkrands condemned Gareth Southgate’s team to their 11th successive away defeat.

Only 45 miles separate the two teams, but – in football terms – the gap between them may be far, far wider next season after a Newcastle triumph on a date that looked ominous for Middlesbrough.

This derby fell on the anniversary of the birth of Jackie Milburn, United’s legendary centre-forward, and also Shearer’s testimonial, which marked his farewell as a player three years ago.

Five games under Shearer had produced two points and just one goal, although Middlesbrough’s form was no better, with only one win in their previous eight Premier League games – a sequence which provoked a few surprises in Southgate’s team.

The biggest was the inclusion of Dutchman Marvin Emnes, who started his first league game of the season in attack alongside Afonso Alves.

Emnes was called up because Middlesbrough – like Newcastle – had failed to score in their previous three games.

But Boro, scorers of only nine goals away from home this season, required just three minutes to go ahead through an own goal when the goal rebounded off Beye after Turkish international Tuncay Sanli’s shot was blocked by goalkeeper Steve Harper.

Mark Viduka, once a Middlesbrough player, led Newcastle’s response, hitting a post before Taylor fired over from the rebound.

Taylor proved to be far more effective with his head in the ninth minute when he outjumped Gary O’Neil and powered Danny Guthrie’s corner inside the same post.

It was the start of an awkward spell for Middlesbrough as Newcastle began to thrive on their extra possession.

Viduka’s footwork down the left led to a cross towards Michael Owen, whose header was turned over by Australian goalkeeper Brad Jones.

But Boro came close when Viduka carelessly lost possession in his own half in the 29th minute, leading to a shot by Emnes against the legs of Harper, who was fortunate when the 20-year-old forward wastefully steered the rebound wide.

Newcastle began the second half in an authoritative mood and, while pinning back Middlesbrough in the early stages, were unable to carve out clear-cut openings.

With the game becoming increasingly tense, Middlesbrough finally made some attacking inroads and Harper made a fine save from Gary O’Neil’s 18-yard effort in the 57th minute.

With an hour gone, the balance had switched in Middlesbrough’s favour as O’Neil became increasingly influential in midfield and Tuncay’s intelligent contributions were getting a response from the men around him.

But the arrival of Martins in place of Owen in the 70th minute proved decisive.

The Nigerian striker – wearing the No.9 shirt made famous by Milburn and Shearer – latched onto a header from Viduka and, as he slipped, managed to direct the ball past Jones.

And, after Jeremie Aliadiere went close to an equaliser, Newcastle put the game out of Middlesbrough’s reach when Lovenkrands turned in Kevin Nolan’s cross with just four minutes remaining.

Source: soccernews.com

Pic: skysports.com

Liverpool hit the woodwork four times but looked to be set for a second goalless draw this season against the Londoners until Benayoun came off the bench to lash in the winner.

The win takes Liverpool to 67 points, two ahead of champions Manchester United, who have two games in hand and host Aston Villa on Sunday.

Chelsea are third on 64 after goals by Frank Lampard and Florent Malouda early in the second half beat Newcastle United 2-0 to spoil the St James’ Park comeback of temporary manager Alan Shearer and leave his club in real relegation danger.

Arsenal‘s long-term absentees Cesc Fabregas and Emmanuel Adebayor combined to create two goals for the Togo striker in a comfortable 2-0 home win over Manchester City that consolidated their fourth place on 58 points.

Fulham, who had beaten Arsenal and Manchester United at Craven Cottage this season, were outclassed on Saturday but somehow stayed in the game.

Liverpool had put 13 goals past Real Madrid, United and Villa in their last three games but Fulham rode their luck.

Andrea Dossena glanced a header against the bar, Xabi Alonso rattled it from the edge of the box, Fernando Torres hit a post and, when Dossena sent another header against the bar, Liverpool must have begun to wonder if it would be their day.

Fulham tightened up in the second half and, after surviving a few more scares, seemed set for a point before Liverpool struck in stoppage time for the eighth time this season.

“It’s a massive three points, we knew a draw was no good to us. We had to win to put some pressure on United,” Gerrard told Setanta Sports. “We’ve got to let them know they are in for a title fight all the way to the end.

“There were times when you think it’s not going to be our day but Yossi pops up with important goals and that goal could be big for us.”

Chelsea were delighted to have negotiated what looked an awkward hurdle as the return of Shearer seemed certain to galvanise a side that had won only once in 12 league games.

Newcastle held their own in the first half but a defensive blunder by Argentina centre back Fabricio Coloccini let in Nicolas Anelka and after the Frenchman’s shot came back off the bar, Lampard was on hand to nod the ball in after 56 minutes.

The second goal was even more basic as Anelka flicked on a goalkick and Lampard set up Malouda to shoot home.

“With the coming of Shearer we knew it would give a lot of energy and we wanted to spoil the party,” Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink told the BBC.

Shearer said: “Effort-wise there’s no problem, the response from the players and everyone over the last few days has been great. There is a lot of hard work to be done, we haven’t got a lot of time, but I think we’ll get there.”

Newcastle are now three points from safety following good results for most of the teams immediately above them.

Blackburn Rovers beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1, Stoke City claimed their first away win of the season with a 2-0 triumph at West Bromwich Albion, Bolton Wanderers thrashed Middlesbrough 4-1 while Hull City and Portsmouth drew 0-0.

The foot of the table makes grim reading for the three north-east clubs. West Brom remain bottom on 24 points with Middlesbrough (27), Newcastle (29) and Sunderland, on 32 after losing 2-0 at West Ham United, filling the next three places. Source: supersport.co.za

Pic: skysports.com