Shearer's SOS suffers setback

Fulham rocked Alan Shearer's mission to save Newcastle from relegation with a 1-0 win.

Cottagers reinforce continental credentials at expense of Geordie idol

European hopefuls Fulham rocked Alan Shearer's mission to save Newcastle United from Premier League relegation with a 1-0 victory at St James' Park. The former Magpies and England captain recorded his first win on Monday as Middlesbrough were defeated, but the high-octane Tyne-Tees derby was followed by a hammer blow as a Diomansy Kamara goal handed the Cottagers the points, while Sebastien Bassong was sent off. Having arrived at the start of April, it appeared Shearer's bid to rescue his hometown club was doomed before the win over rivals Boro added a sense of survival hope. But Roy Hodgson's visitors, whose hopes of finishing seventh were boosted, crushed the wave of optimism on the Gallowgate End with a smash-and-grab win on Tyneside. Newcastle dominated the first half but were hit by a sucker punch in the 41st minute as, with the home defence screaming for offside, Erik Nevland broke to set up Kamara for a simple, close-range finish. The Magpies continued to call the tune in the second half and Mark Viduka was denied an equaliser as referee Howard Webb spotted an obstruction on Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer from Kevin Nolan. Things then got worse for Shearer's men when centre-back Bassong was shown a red card for hauling down Kamara when through on goal as Newcastle dropped back into the bottom three following Hull City's draw with Bolton. Newcastle, who had soon to be out of contract skipper Michael Owen missing with a groin injury in what might have been his final game for the club, now face a trip to Aston Villa next Sunday knowing even victory might not be enough if other results go against them and with their Premier League status hanging by a thread.

Dark clouds

Tyneside was shrouded in dark clouds, both literally and figuratively, as the final whistle sounded and a crowd of 52,114 filed out not knowing whether they will return to watch top-flight football next season. The euphoria of Monday night's 3-1 victory over Middlesbrough, which dragged the club out of the bottom three, had quickly been put to one side with no-one in the Newcastle camp in any doubt the job was nowhere near done. For much of the first half, Shearer's men looked the more likely to take the initiative, but when they left the pitch at the break, they were trailing and back in trouble. It might have been so different had Obafemi Martins' 15th-minute shot not come back off the post after he had played a neat one-two with Nolan, or had Viduka managed to hit the target when presented with a free header, albeit from distance, by Danny Guthrie's cross 10 minutes later. However, Fulham, who arrived sitting in seventh place in the table and in with a real shout of securing a place in the Europa League, had not just come along for the ride, and served warning of their intent six minutes before the break. Nevland ran on to Kamara's clever back-heeled pass and curled a shot towards the far post, and keeper Steve Harper was delighted to see it drop inches wide as he flung himself across his line. But the Magpies did not heed the warning, and they fell behind two minutes later in controversial circumstances. Danny Murphy's pass found Nevland in acres of space on the right and with the home defence appealing in vain for an offside flag, he raced away before squaring for Kamara, who evaded Bassong and Steven Taylor on the line to fire into the roof of the net.

Anxiety

Former Magpie Aaron Hughes blocked a Jonas Gutierrez shot as Newcastle attempted to hit back immediately, but St James' was once again bathed in anxiety as the players left the pitch at half-time. Shearer's players returned in determined mood and might have been back in it within two minutes when Martins volleyed a Guthrie cross towards goal, but could not hit the target. However, they thought they had levelled with 50 minutes gone after Viduka twice got the better of his former Middlesbrough team-mate. The striker saw his header from a Guthrie free-kick cleared off the line by Dickson Etuhu, but there was nothing anyone could do to keep out his header from the resulting corner with 50 minutes gone. But the Australia international's joy turned to misery within seconds when Webb ruled Nolan had impeded Schwarzer on the line, although television replays suggested the decision was harsh with the keeper not even appealing. Newcastle laid siege to the Fulham goal as they sensed the time had come, but they were wasteful in promising positions with Gutierrez particularly guilty. However, disaster struck on the hour when central defender Bassong was sent off for hauling down Kamara 40 yards from goal, and the Frenchman could have few arguments. Martins got in 12 minutes from time only to be denied by Schwarzer, and the keeper pulled off a superb injury-time to keep out Butt's effort.

Newcastle United	Team Statistics	Fulham
0	Goals	1
0	1st Half Goals	1
4	Shots on Target	3
6	Shots off Target	7
5	Blocked Shots	3
6	Corners	2
6	Fouls	18
0	Offsides	3
0	Yellow Cards	3
1	Red Cards	0
75	Passing Success	78.9
15	Tackles	23
73.3	Tackles Success	52.2
51.1	Possession	48.9
58.9	Territorial Advantage	41.1