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7DAYS
WEDNESDAY MAY 13, 2009 31
“It’s not over yet” - Middlesbrough manager
Gareth Southgate shows admirable
belief in his misfiring side
Newcastle’s huge win has Tyneside almost toasting survival
FIVE IN A FIGHT
No safety in
TO THE FINISH
WITH just two games to go to save their Premier League
numbers
lives five teams are doing anything they can to avoid a
potentially ruinous relegation. Here 7DAYS’ Matt Ross
gets out his crystal ball and predicts which three clubs
will take the dreaded drop.
PORTSMOUTH 2-0 SUNDERLAND: Ricky
Sbragia’s toothless team will not take
yet for
anything from Pompey, who will look to
secure survival themselves at home.
SUNDERLAND 0-2 CHELSEA: With no
firepower and an erratic defence, the
Black Cats will not keep out the Blues
but will they survive?
Toon
NEWCASTLE 1-1 FULHAM: A vociferous
crowd at St James’s will help land a vital
draw for Alan Shearer’s desperate team
this weekend.
ASTON VILLA 1-1 NEWCASTLE: And with
Villa left with nothing to play for, another
draw here. Will Shearer be smiling?
BOLTON 1-1 HULL CITY: Bolton are safe, so
Hull will pull out all the stops for points
with half an eye on their final game.
HULL CITY 0-0 MAN UNITED: United will
probably have landed the title by this
game, so the Tigers will scrape a point
and then wait nervously.
THE fan frenzy that greeted
By MATT ROSS
five games under the ex- his team’s final two games
the final whistle as Alan England and Newcastle striker which will decide whether they
Shearer’s Newcastle secured The club have long been a had produced only two points can escape relegation from MIDDLESBROUGH 0-1 ASTON VILLA: Martin
three vital points with their huge contradiction: the and just one goal. the Premier League. O’Neill’s side may be half-asleep, but
3-1 over Middlesbough epitome of a sleeping giant, They are still very much in “The players must enjoy that Boro struggle to score, so nothing here.
had the unmistakable they’re an entity that have danger of going down, but winning feeling because they WEST HAM 2-0 MIDDLESBROUGH: A talented
scent of Geordie woken in fits and starts, Shearer was hailed yesterday have worked their socks off. Hammers side will put the final nail in
self-delusion about it. and always on the wrong side for his brave and bold “It’s been a great weekend the Teesiders’ coffin at Upton Park and
The result clawed the of the bed. decision-making in and it’s in our hands now, but make it a long trip home for Boro.
Magpies out of the Premier The passionate fans have engineering the crucial victory there are still two games left.
League’s bottom three. long-demanded a success over Gareth Southgate’s “I asked for three huge
But even though the club are that their extensive fanbase toothless Boro side. performances and they’ve WEST BROM 0-3 LIVERPOOL: Tough draw for
not clear of danger - with two warrants. But a succession of Quite how replacing an given me one, but we need Tony Mowbray’s idealistic side, but
tricky games still to play bad managerial appointments ineffective Michael Owen with another in our next game Liverpool will still be chasing glory.
against Fulham and Aston and boardroom comings and the pace and ferocious against a very good Fulham BLACKBURN 1-2 WEST BROM: Last day
Villa - the win was greeted goings have made success tenacity of Obafemi Martins side,” he explained. hurrah will see the Baggies land a win at
with an outpouring of emotion on the pitch an elusive counts as bold, I’m not sure. “This is a magnificent feeling. Ewood Park, but it won’t be enough to
from the Toon Army that commodity - with this But after the game, Shearer I thought my players were keep them afloat.
suggested safety had already season culminating in their insisted he’d got it right. brilliant because I asked them
been secured and that desperate fight for Premier “I don’t believe we’ll be in the to show courage, determination
Shearer had once again League survival. bottom three again - it’s still and ability - and they did all of
Even though three teams will
BOTTOM THREE
proved himself the saviour. Shearer answered the latest in our hands,” he said. that. Sometimes you forget
finish on 36 points, it’ll go
P W D L GD PTS
You could almost hear some distress call from the Magpies, “Newcastle don’t do things how to win, but they’ve shown
down to goal difference,
HULL CITY 38 8 12 18
-
24 36
fans saying: “We’ll be in after Joe Kinnear had to step the easy way," he added, me enough on the training
and Hull will suffer for their
WEST BROM 38 9 7 22
-
31 34
Europe next year, man.” down with heart problems, but before turning his thoughts to pitch. I believe we will survive.”
leaky defence.
M’BORO 38 7 10 21
-
31 31
We’re not done for yet, says Southgate
GARETH SOUTHGATE just three minutes on the He was equally unhappy Boro could yet preserve they’ve been brilliant for
insisted survival for his clock. “Key events went about a foul by Nicky Butt their Premier League status. months to be fair.
Middlesbrough team is still against us and there was that left Afonso Alves with “It’s not over yet,” he said. “We just have to win our
possible, even after seeing very little between the two a broken foot. “We have to win the last next two games, it’s that
his team fall further towards teams. I don’t think 3-1 is a Southgate, a former two games - which we’re simple, and rely on what
the dreaded trap-door. fair reflection of the game. England defender who capable of doing.” goes on around us. It’s a
“There is a lot of frustration We always looked a threat.” played international football And Southgate’s talismanic home game on Saturday
and anguish in the Southgate was particularly alongside his Newcastle winger Stewart Downing and the fans will hopefully
dressing room because it unhappy about Newcastle’s opposite number Alan backed his boss, insisting get behind us.
was such an important second goal from Obafemi Shearer, said of Butt’s the team could still beat “It’s disappointing for them
game. It was difficult for Martins after detecting a challenge: “He had no the drop despite the loss that we’ve lost at Newcastle
us to take defeat after foul by Mark Viduka in the intention of going for the to Newcastle. but there’s a slim chance
going ahead,” said the build-up and an intervention ball and left him (Alves) “It was tough in the end, and if we beat Aston Villa
Boro boss, who saw his by Kevin Nolan when he with a broken bone. once they’d scored it was and see what happens with
side go down 3-1 to was offside. “I thought that was a key hard for us. I thought our the weekend results, that will
Newcastle at St James Park “They are key things and turning point.” tactics were working quite paint more of a clear picture
after going ahead through a they have gone against But Southgate refused to well up ‘til then,” he said. of how the season will end,”
Habib Beye own goal with us,” he said. throw in the towel, saying “The fans were brilliant and he added. ANGUISH: Boro are fighting on
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