Premier League - Newcastle United are relegated

Eurosport - Mon, 25 May 07:53:00 2009

Newcastle United were relegated from the Premier League after a 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa.

Newcastle manager Alan Shearer during his team's season-ending clash against Aston Villa - 0

The crucial goal came after 38 minutes when a corner fell to Gareth Barry whose 25-yard drive was going well wide but took a wicked deflection off Damien Duff and beat a stranded Steve Harper.

With Hull losing at home to Manchester United, a single goal would have been enough to extend the Magpies' 16-year top flight stay but they departed with a whimper, failing to muster a single effort on target in the second-half.

After swapping television punditry for the Newcastle manager's job, Alan Shearer won just one of eight matches and, having won only seven of their 38 league games, the Toon Army will be watching Championship football next season.

Newcastle had won just twice on their travels and started nervously. Gabriel Agbonlahor climbed above Fabricio Coloccini to meet a cross from the left but he saw his header just go over the top.

But Newcastle asked plenty of questions in the opening 15 minutes and had three decent chances.

Duff cut inside and saw his shot pushed around the post by Brad Friedel, who saw the effort very late and just a minute later Steven Taylor's shot on the turn was cleared off the line by Carlos Cuellar.

Obafemi Martins then volleyed over from 16 yards after a great flick by Mark Viduka before at the other end, Craig Gardner's rasping 25-yard drive was tipped over by Harper.

Villa then began to dominate the game and Harper had to come off his line swiftly to prevent Barry reaching a cross from the left.

James Milner's free-kick was then saved at the near post by Harper but the keeper had no chance with the goal as he was completely wrong footed by the deflection.

It was almost two for Villa when John Carew's cross was flicked just inches wide by Agbonlahor but the closest Newcastle came to an equaliser was in first-half injury time when Martins headed narrowly wide.

Villa dominated the second-half and Ashley Young was a whisker away from making it 2-0 when he curled an effort narrowly over the top corner.

A surging run from Milner ended with him dragging his shot wide from 20 yards before a terrible mistake from Nicky Butt almost condemned his side.

He was sloppy in possession 25 yards out and Barry capitalised but after checking back inside the defender, he curled his right-footed effort narrowly past the post.

Twelve minutes from time Carew should have settled the match when he was unmarked seven yards out only for the big Norwegian to make a complete hash of his volley with the goal gaping.

Shearer brought Michael Owen on midway through the second-half but he was a peripheral figure and their first goal attempt of the second period only came with three minutes to go when fellow sub Shola Ameobi's effort from 20 yards was high, wide and not very handsome.

Ameobi then headed over before hooking Martins' cross over the top from eight yards but the Magpies can have no complaints as they go down with just 34 points.

Lee Walker / Eurosport

Comment 597 - 616 of 616

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  1. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA U WILL GO DOWN!­ AND NEVER COME BACK UP!

    From deanhollick, on Sun 14 Jun 7:31PM

  2. You've had the 'Messiah' in Keegan now you­ have 'God' in Shearer in charge and despite all­ this help from up above, your still @#$%.

    You've­ not won bugger-all for over 50 years, you reckon you­ are a big club but your nowhere even being a little­ club, you're fickle fans adored the chairman who­ took over and stood with you in the stands on­ match-days were you all laughed and sang happily­ together...but of course...being so fickle, you stabbed­ him in the back very soon after.

    You never gave Big­ Sam a chance in saving or giving it a go...no...you­ sang " Allardyce out at home games"...

    Your­ such a small club, you deserve everything you got, and­ Joey Barton epitomises everything about being a­ Newcastle fan and it's club..nasty little clueless­ neanderthals together eh?

    Who next for your­ remarkable rise....a bigger entity than 'God'­ itself?

    piss-off....

    From cog, on Mon 8 Jun 7:26PM

  3. I have never been happier. Newcastle are down.­ Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah.

    From jonandsally1, on Wed 27 May 4:45PM

  4. DOWN AND STAYING DOWN. NORTHERN TOSSERS.. UP THE­ BARCELONA WEDNESDAY. PUT THE OTHER MANC TWITS TO THE­ SWORD

    From john d, on Tue 26 May 12:14AM
  5. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    HA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA - best thing to happen to­ football this over rated pile of rubbish getting­ relegated, hopefully they will now do a leeds and they­ might stop thinking they are a big club???? Big clubs­ win things oh yeah and can stay in the top league -­ unlike the jokers from Newcastle HAHA ps I WUD JUST­ LOVE IT IF YOU GO DOWN AGAIN NEXT YEAR. PPS - DIDNT­ BLACKBURN STAY UP - Last Laugh BIG SAM -well done­ Sam!!!!!!!!!!

    From Stuart, on Mon 25 May 7:33PM

  6. cameron w your 623 post is spot on m8, i do not think­ AS is the man for the job

    From PHIL, on Mon 25 May 7:16PM

  7. Hey, newcastle are like their shirt sponsers northern­ rock, both have gone down this year! ha ha ha. LOL and­ ROFL

    From encyclopeter, on Mon 25 May 6:38PM

  8. ha ha how many managers does it take for newcastle tae­ get relegated no hopers the worst team in newcastles­ not so proud history where's owen goin its a­ mystery

    From big proof 101, on Mon 25 May 5:27PM

  9. I'll say it again THEY ARE NOT A BIG TEAM . Maybe­ this'll teach em.If they can get back up! C'Mon­ Barca Wed!!!

    From Russell, on Mon 25 May 2:43PM

  10. Yeah, why just pick out Newcastle? Because all there­ fans shouted their gonna stay up and now their hiding­ or crying waiting for them to win the championchip!

    From Nath, on Mon 25 May 2:08PM

  11. newcastle werent the only ones to go down so did boro­ and west brom an they all deserved to go down but­ hopefully boro can come back up next seaon

    From smiley123, on Mon 25 May 1:31PM

  12. rebecca madeleine
    neither will you . . .neither will­ you

    From cameron w, on Mon 25 May 1:30PM

  13. so many managers in a season you where bound to go­ down!!!!!!!!!! could be worse you could surport­ southampton

    From minty66, on Mon 25 May 1:09PM
  14. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    You wont be missed.

    From laticsgirl, on Mon 25 May 1:00PM

  15. PEOPLE ARE TALKING UP FREDDY SHEPHERD COMING BACK TO­ THE CLUB. THIS WOULD BE A CATASTROPHIC MOVE IF IT­ HAPPENED. SHEPHERD WAS THE MAN WHO STARTED THE ROT. HE­ SACKED SIR BOBBY. HE BROUGHT IN SOUNESS, THE MAN WHO­ ALMOST KILLED OFF LIVERPOOL, AND UNBELIEVABLY GAVE HIM­ A THREE YEAR CONTRACT. HE SANCTIONED THE BOUMSONG DEAL.­ HE THEN HAD TO SACK SOUNESS AND PAY THE MAN MILLIONS IN­ COMPENSATION. THEN THERE' THE ALLARDICE SAGA. HE­ SANCTIONED THE JOEY BARTON DEAL. HE LEFT THE CLUB IN­ SUCH A VULNERABLE STATE THAT WE WERE LEFT OPEN TO­ ASHLEY TO MOVE IN. NOW LOOK WHERE WE ARE.

    SHEPHERD IS­ NOT THE ANSWER. NUFC IS OUT OF SHEPHERD'S LEAGUE.­ HE IS A SCRAP MAN FOR CHRIST SAKE. SHEPHERD BETRAYED­ EVERYBODY CONNECTED WITH NUFC AND NEVER FORGET IT!

    From SHAUN, on Mon 25 May 12:23PM

  16. mark.b.lane.just another manky t w a t

    From joe t, on Mon 25 May 12:22PM

  17. HAHAHAHAHA, AND THE MAGS ARE GOING DOWN DOWN DOWN DOWN­ DOWN DOWN DOWN DOWN

    From mark.b.lane, on Mon 25 May 12:11PM

  18. hi nina g,what the hell you talking about,the russians­ won the western front,and may i say what a bloody good­ job they did.the british fought around the world,so­ please read your history

    From joe t, on Mon 25 May 12:04PM

  19. Nina G, if you live in England why don't you­ f~%"offsky back to Russia if it is so bad here.­ Are their no ugly little teams in Russia?? and I bet­ the grounds are @#$%.

    From leebann, on Mon 25 May 12:02PM
  20. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    im glad you whinging geordies got what you deserved,ur­ just pants and wont be missed.

    From Burt, on Mon 25 May 12:01PM
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