Sunday May 7th 2006
NEWCASTLE UTD 1 CHELSEA 0
NEWCASTLE UTD: Given, Carr, Bramble, Moore, Babayaro,Solano (Boumsong 31), Faye, Emre, N'Zogbia, Chopra (Clark 77),Ameobi.
Subs Not Used: Harper, Elliott, Pattison.
CHELSEA: Pidgeley, Paulo Ferreira, Huth (Wright-Phillips 45),Ricardo Carvalho (Smith 81), Gallas, Johnson, Diarra, Maniche,Robben, Joe Cole, Duff (Carlton Cole 45).
Subs Not Used: Mancienne.
Att: 52,309
When Fat Fred was FINALLY hounded into sacking Graeme Souness, I feared the worst. Never mind Titus Bramble (of all people) sticking one over on "the special one" and his title winners on the last day of the season to give us the chance of a UEFA Cup place ... but when Souness got the boot I think many of us would have settled for safety from RELEGATION! Yes, that was the mess we found ourselves in.
But the former Ipswich defender's 73rd-minute volley clinched three points and seventh place ahead of Bolton after the Mags were forced to play the last 15 minutes with 10 men following Stephen Carr's dismissal.
Babayaro was desperately fortunate to see yellow rather than red on the hour after he cynically tripped Robben on his way towards goal, and there was more to come.
Joe Cole got the slightest of flicks to Robben's 63rd-minute cross and Gallas gleefully headed it into the empty net at the far post, only for an offside flag to hand Newcastle a reprieve.
The same assistant referee got the Magpies off the hook again six minutes later when Wright-Phillips fired home after Maniche's shot had come back off the post with Given beaten. And when the goal arrived, it did so at the other end, Amady Faye heading an Emre corner back across the area for Bramble to volley sweetly home.
