ASTON VILLA 1-0 NEWCASTLE
No-one is safe anymore…
After 16 years in the top flight, Newcastle United, who were playing Champions League football just 6 years ago, have been relegated from the Premier League after a toothless sidplay against Aston Villa.
Damien Duff’s unfortunate own goal – deflecting in Gareth Barry’s long-range shot seven minutes before the interval – ensured Alan Shearer’s mission to save Newcastle from relegation ended in devastating failure.
Newcastle’s performance was a prime example of why they have failed to survive this season, lacking any fire and urgency despite the scale of the prize on offer if they escaped.
And seconds before referee Chris Foy blew the final whistle on Newcastle’s Premier League existence, Canadian defender David Edgar summed up a desperate day when he was sent off for his second bookable offence after fouling Ashley Young.
They lacked chances, and Alan Shearer was obviously dissapointed to see his beloved club, and insists that the blame belongs mainly to “Mike Ashley, Kevin Keegan, and Himself”.
Newcastle now face trips to the likes of Blackpool, Doncaster, and Peterborough next season, alongside already relegated West Brom, and North-East rivals Middlesbrough, who needed a minor miracle, but failed to even get a point at West Ham, losing 2-1.
Staying up, then, are Hull City, who, despite their abysmal record in the last 25 games, and a defeat to an under-strength Manchester United, stayed up due to Newcastle’s faliure, cuing celebrations led by Phil Brown, who tried his hand at a little karaoke afterwards. Sunderland are the only team of the north-east trio to survive, despite losing 3-2 at home to Chelsea. It was not enough to stop boss Ricky Spragia resigning, though, who claimed that they needed a ‘bigger name’ to take them forward. Niall Quinn praised his man, but he will spend the summer looking for a new man for the job, but they, unlike their rivals, can look forward to a season of Premier League football in 2009/10.
Other results on the day saw Everton pip Villa to 5th, cortesy of a 2-0 win at Fulham, who themselves got into Europe, thanks to Tottenham losing 3-1 at Liverpool, who used the day to bid farewell to outgoing defender Sami Hyypia.
It brings an end to another fantastic season in the Premier League, but the biggest few club games of the season are yet to come…
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